EPPING, NEW HAMPSHIRE

'Epping' is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 5,476 at the 2000 census. Epping includes the village of Hedding.

Contents

History

Notable inhabitants

Geography

Demographics

Sites of interest

References

External links

History

The town was originally part of Exeter, one of the four original New Hampshire townships. To encourage settlement, as early as 1710 Exeter awarded free wood lots in the area. In 1741, Epping was granted a charter and incorporated as a town, the last chartered by Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher prior to the Province of New Hampshire becoming independent from Massachusetts. Epping was named for Epping Forest, a suburb of London, England.
Following the Revolution, many residents of the town moved to Monmouth, Maine when General Henry Dearborn offered free land to his soldiers. In 1840, the first brickyard was established in Epping, although the town's reserves of clay had been used before that by citizens to fashion bricks. Farming was another principal occupation.
It was formerly said in jest: "Epping -- the center of the universe." Now, due to its strategic position at the crossroads of Route 101 and Route 125, the community is indeed becoming a retail center, as chain stores locate here. But because the traditional town center is clustered around Route 27, the bypassed old road connecting Exeter with Hooksett and Manchester, Epping's antique architectural charm is spared from redevelopment.
Epping is home to The Leddy Center, a charming antique playhouse where local performers enact classics such as The Wizard of Oz and Anne of Green Gables. Musical lessons are also offered at this facility.
The New England Dragway is also located in Epping and puts on exciting races and auto displays throughout the year. The Dragway also hosts a popular Halloween display on its property during the second half of October.
An annual canoe race down the Lamprey river occurs on the last weekend in April, and the fire department arranges for Santa to drive through the town atop a fire engine during the winter.

Notable inhabitants

★ David L. Morril, Governor of New Hampshire (1824–1827)

★ William Plumer, Governor of New Hampshire (1812–1813 and 1816–1819)

★ Benjamin Franklin Prescott, Governor of New Hampshire (1877–1879)

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.2 square miles (67.9 km²)— 26.0 square miles (67.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it is water, comprising 0.76% of the town. Epping is drained by the Lamprey and Piscassic rivers. The highest point in Epping is ''Kennard Hill'' at 472 feet (144 m) above sea level, located in the town's northwest corner. Epping lies fully within the Piscataqua River (Coastal) watershed. Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers, , Debra H., Foster, U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey, 1995,

Demographics

Epping Census
Year	Pop.
1790	1,233
1950	1,796
1970	2,356
1980	3,460
1990	5,549
2000	5,476

''This article describes the Town of Epping as a whole. Additional demographic data is available which describes only the central settlement or village. See Epping (CDP), New Hampshire.''
As of the 2000 census, there were 5,476 people, 2,047 households, and 1,473 families residing in the town. The population density was 210.4 persons per square mile (81.2/km²). There were 2,215 housing units at an average density of 85.1 houses per square mile (32.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.08% White, 0.27% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 0.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,047 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 28.0% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,739, and the median income for a family was $54,722. Males had a median income of $40,273 versus $25,440 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,109. 3.3% of the population and 2.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.6% are under the age of 18 and 6.1% are 65 or older.

Sites of interest

★ Epping Historical Society Museum

★ The Leddy Center

References

★ NHES Community Profile: Epping (PDF)

★ Rockingham County Planning Committee - Maps

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External links

★ Town of Epping

★ Harvey Mitchell Memorial Library

★ New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile

★ Epping, NH - Index of Marriages and Deaths