Goffstown, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Goffstown is a town in Hillsborough County
, New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 17,651 at the 2010 census. The compact center of town, where 3,196 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Goffstown census-designated place
and is located at the junction of New Hampshire routes 114
and 13
. Goffstown also includes the villages of Grasmere
and Pinardville
. The town is home to Saint Anselm College
(and its New Hampshire Institute of Politics) and the New Hampshire State Prison for Women
.
Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the area was frequented by Native American
s due to its ample fish population.
The town was first granted as "Narragansett No. 4" in 1734 by Colonial
Governor Jonathan Belcher
of Massachusetts
, which then held authority over New Hampshire. It was one of seven townships intended for soldiers (or their heirs) who had fought in the "Narragansett War" of 1675, also known as King Philip's War
. In 1735, however, some grantees "found it so poor and barren as to be altogether incapable of making settlements," and were instead granted a tract in Greenwich
, Massachusetts.
The community would be called "Piscataquog Village" and "Shovestown" before being regranted by Masonian proprietor Governor Benning Wentworth
in 1748 to new settlers, including Rev. Thomas Parker of Dracut and Colonel John Goffe
, for whom the town was named. It received its act of incorporation June 16, 1761, under the name of Goffstown, which was conferred on it in honor of Colonel John Goffe
, for several years a resident of Bedford
, and the first judge of probate in the county of Hillsborough. A large part of the town was originally covered with valuable timber; and this being a good locality for fish, lumbering and fishing were the main occupations of the early settlers. The village of Grasmere
was named for Grasmere, England
, home of poets William Wordsworth
and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
.
A Congregational church
was organized about October 30, 1771, and small appropriations for preaching were made annually. There were two religious classes in the place—that in the south part was the Scotch-Irish stock and favored Presbyterianism
, while the remainder were Congregationalists. A meeting-house was erected in 1768; but it was not thoroughly completed for some years afterwards. The first minister was Rev. Joseph Currier, against whose settlement a remonstrance was put in by thirty-seven men, who favored Presbyterianism, and were determined not to give any thing towards his support. Mr. Currier was settled in 1771, and dismissed August 29, 1774, according to the town records, for intemperance. Seven years intervened without the settlement of a minister; and in 1781, the Congregationalists and the Presbyterians were organized separately, the former extending a call to Rev. Cornelius Waters, who became their pastor, and continued till 1795. The next minister was Rev. David L. Morril
, who was settled March 3, 1802, and was jointly supported by the two societies under the name of the Congregational Presbyterian church. Mr. Morrill served the town and state civilly as well as ecclesiastically; he was representative of the town, senator in congress, and governor of the state.
The Piscataquog River
, which bisects the main village of Goffstown and was spanned by a covered bridge, provided water power for industry. In 1817, Goffstown had 20 sawmill
s, 7 grain mills, 2 textile mills, 2 carding
machines and a cotton
factory. A description of the town in 1859:
In 1816, the Religious Union society was organized. A new house was erected in the west village, and meetings were held two thirds of the time in the new house, and one third in the old house at the centre.
In 1818-19 there was a deep religious interest in connection with the preaching of Rev. Abel Manning, and sixty-five persons were added to this then feeble church within a year. Rev. Benjamin H. Pitman was settled from 1820 to 1825; Rev. Henry Wood from 1826 to 1831; and Rev. Isaac Willey from 1837 to 1853. A Baptist
church was formed in 1820.
Islands on the Amoskeag falls
, in the Merrimack River
, lying westerly of the centre of "the Pulpit," or east stream would be annexed in 1825, as was part of New Boston
in 1836.
In the early part of 1841, a female commenced preaching here, and shortly more than half the voters in town came into her support. She professed no connection with any church. The excitement created by her preaching, however, soon died out, the result of it being the organization of the existing Methodist
church. Dr. Jonathan Gove, a resident of this town, served in the legislature for many years.
The Uncanoonuc Mountains in Goffstown once featured the Uncanoonuc Incline Railway, founded in 1903. It first carried tourists in 1907 to the summit of the south peak, on which was built that year the Uncanoonuc Hotel. The 5½ story building provided 37-38 guest rooms, and a dining room that accommodated 120. It also offered outstanding views of the surrounding valley, including Manchester
, connected by electric trolley
to the railway's base station. The hotel would burn in 1923, and the train was later used to transport skiers
to the top. The railway peaked during the 1930s and 1940s, but was essentially abandoned by the 1950s. The summit of the south peak is now the site of numerous television and radio towers.
Grasmere Village straddles the Piscataquog River in the eastern region of Goffstown. The Hillsborough County Railroad Station was located at Grasmere on the southern side of the river. Rail-borne freight for Grasmere and other surrounding locales was retrieved at this station during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Another rail station in Goffstown was located further to the west nearer to the town center, and a third was Parker's Station to the west of the town center, nearing the border with Weare.
In the mid-twentieth-century rail service through the town ceased. In the dawning years of the twenty-first century town and local organizations cooperating for a rails-to-trails effort completed conversion of the rail-beds into bicycling and walking trails.
The County Farm grounds were converted to the New Hampshire State Prison for Women
(currently located at 317 Mast Road). The facility's most famous resident was convicted murderess Pamela Smart
, who was incarcerated at the Prison for Women from March 22, 1991 to March 11, 1993, when she was transferred to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford, New York
.
Goffstown is located in the eastern part of Hillsborough County
, directly to the west of Manchester
, the state's largest city. Concord
, the state capital, lies 16 miles (25.7 km) to the north. The town center is on the Piscataquog River
near the western boundary of the town, around the intersection of New Hampshire Route 13
and 114
. The village of Grasmere
is located in the eastern part of town, and the neighborhood of Pinardville
is located in the southeast corner of the town, essentially forming a continuous development with the adjoining city of Manchester.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 37.5 square miles (97.1 km²), of which 36.9 sq mi (95.6 km²) is land and 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²) is water, comprising 1.65% of the town. The Uncanoonuc Mountains (uhn-kuh-NOO-nuhk) are twin peaks. The north peak, the highest point in Goffstown, has an elevation of 1324 feet (403.6 m) above sea level
, and the south peak has an elevation of 1321 feet (402.6 m). The town's climate is classified as a Dfa or Dfb on the Köppen climate classification
charts.
Goffstown is drained by the Piscataquog River
and lies fully within the Merrimack River
watershed
.
of 2000, there were 16,929 people, 5,641 households, and 4,055 families residing in the town. The population density
was 458.9 people per square mile (177.2/km²). There were 5,798 housing units at an average density of 157.2 per square mile (60.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.20% White, 0.25% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races
, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 5,641 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,833, and the median income for a family was $61,718. Males had a median income of $39,757 versus $30,000 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $21,907. About 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
The New Hampshire Department of Corrections
operates the New Hampshire State Prison for Women
in Goffstown.
The United States Postal Service
operates the Goffstown Post Office.
and New Boston.
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 380,841 people, 144,455 households, and 98,807 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 149,961 housing units at an average density of 171 per square mile...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 17,651 at the 2010 census. The compact center of town, where 3,196 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Goffstown census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and is located at the junction of New Hampshire routes 114
New Hampshire Route 114
New Hampshire Route 114 is a long secondary north–south highway in central New Hampshire. The highway runs between Bedford, in Hillsborough County and Grantham, in Sullivan County....
and 13
New Hampshire Route 13
New Hampshire Route 13 is a long north–south state highway in the state of New Hampshire, United States. The highway runs from Brookline to Concord....
. Goffstown also includes the villages of Grasmere
Grasmere, New Hampshire
Grasmere, originally known as Goffstown Centre, is a village within the town of Goffstown, New Hampshire, in the United States. It straddles the Piscataquog River in the eastern part of Goffstown....
and Pinardville
Pinardville, New Hampshire
Pinardville is a census-designated place in the eastern part of the town of Goffstown in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,780 at the 2010 census...
. The town is home to Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College is a nationally ranked, private, Benedictine, Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Founded in 1889 by Abbot Hilary Pfrängle, O.S.B. of Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, at the request of Bishop Denis M. Bradley of Manchester, New Hampshire, the...
(and its New Hampshire Institute of Politics) and the New Hampshire State Prison for Women
New Hampshire State Prison for Women
New Hampshire State Prison for Women is the only women's prison in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Corrections facility is located in Goffstown, Hillsborough County....
.
History
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s due to its ample fish population.
The town was first granted as "Narragansett No. 4" in 1734 by Colonial
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
Governor Jonathan Belcher
Jonathan Belcher
Jonathan Belcher was colonial governor of the British provinces of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.-Early life:Jonathan Belcher was born in Cambridge, Province of Massachusetts Bay, in 1682...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, which then held authority over New Hampshire. It was one of seven townships intended for soldiers (or their heirs) who had fought in the "Narragansett War" of 1675, also known as King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
. In 1735, however, some grantees "found it so poor and barren as to be altogether incapable of making settlements," and were instead granted a tract in Greenwich
Greenwich, Massachusetts
Greenwich was a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts.It was established in 1739 as Quabbin, incorporated as Quabbin Parish in 1754 and became the town of Greenwich in 1754. It was located along the East and Middle branches of the Swift River...
, Massachusetts.
The community would be called "Piscataquog Village" and "Shovestown" before being regranted by Masonian proprietor Governor Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth was the colonial governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766.-Biography:The eldest child of the John Wentworth who had been Lieutenant Governor, he was born and died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Wentworth graduated from Harvard College in 1715...
in 1748 to new settlers, including Rev. Thomas Parker of Dracut and Colonel John Goffe
John Goffe
John Goffe was a Colonial American soldier...
, for whom the town was named. It received its act of incorporation June 16, 1761, under the name of Goffstown, which was conferred on it in honor of Colonel John Goffe
John Goffe
John Goffe was a Colonial American soldier...
, for several years a resident of Bedford
Bedford, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2000, there were 18,274 people, 6,251 households, and 5,125 families residing in the town. The population density was 556.6 people per square mile . There were 6,401 housing units at an average density of 195.0 per square mile...
, and the first judge of probate in the county of Hillsborough. A large part of the town was originally covered with valuable timber; and this being a good locality for fish, lumbering and fishing were the main occupations of the early settlers. The village of Grasmere
Grasmere, New Hampshire
Grasmere, originally known as Goffstown Centre, is a village within the town of Goffstown, New Hampshire, in the United States. It straddles the Piscataquog River in the eastern part of Goffstown....
was named for Grasmere, England
Grasmere
Grasmere is a village, and popular tourist destination, in the centre of the English Lake District. It takes its name from the adjacent lake, and is associated with the Lake Poets...
, home of poets William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
and Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
.
A Congregational church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
was organized about October 30, 1771, and small appropriations for preaching were made annually. There were two religious classes in the place—that in the south part was the Scotch-Irish stock and favored Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
, while the remainder were Congregationalists. A meeting-house was erected in 1768; but it was not thoroughly completed for some years afterwards. The first minister was Rev. Joseph Currier, against whose settlement a remonstrance was put in by thirty-seven men, who favored Presbyterianism, and were determined not to give any thing towards his support. Mr. Currier was settled in 1771, and dismissed August 29, 1774, according to the town records, for intemperance. Seven years intervened without the settlement of a minister; and in 1781, the Congregationalists and the Presbyterians were organized separately, the former extending a call to Rev. Cornelius Waters, who became their pastor, and continued till 1795. The next minister was Rev. David L. Morril
David L. Morril
David Lawrence Morril graduated from Dartmouth College and later received his law degree from the University of Vermont. He was an American physician and clergyman and lived for a time in Goffstown, New Hampshire. He served as a U.S...
, who was settled March 3, 1802, and was jointly supported by the two societies under the name of the Congregational Presbyterian church. Mr. Morrill served the town and state civilly as well as ecclesiastically; he was representative of the town, senator in congress, and governor of the state.
The Piscataquog River
Piscataquog River
The Piscataquog River is a river located in southern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Merrimack River, which flows to the Gulf of Maine....
, which bisects the main village of Goffstown and was spanned by a covered bridge, provided water power for industry. In 1817, Goffstown had 20 sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s, 7 grain mills, 2 textile mills, 2 carding
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
machines and a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
factory. A description of the town in 1859:
In 1816, the Religious Union society was organized. A new house was erected in the west village, and meetings were held two thirds of the time in the new house, and one third in the old house at the centre.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church was formed in 1820.
Islands on the Amoskeag falls
Amoskeag Falls
The Amoskeag Falls are a set of waterfalls located in Manchester, New Hampshire on the Merrimack River.- History :"Amoskeag" derives from the Pennacook word "Namoskeag," which roughly translates as "good fishing place.” Here, the Merrimack River drops 50 feet...
, in the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
, lying westerly of the centre of "the Pulpit," or east stream would be annexed in 1825, as was part of New Boston
New Boston, New Hampshire
New Boston is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,321 at the 2010 census. New Boston is home to the annual Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair and the Molly Stark Cannon.-History:...
in 1836.
In the early part of 1841, a female commenced preaching here, and shortly more than half the voters in town came into her support. She professed no connection with any church. The excitement created by her preaching, however, soon died out, the result of it being the organization of the existing Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
church. Dr. Jonathan Gove, a resident of this town, served in the legislature for many years.
The Uncanoonuc Mountains in Goffstown once featured the Uncanoonuc Incline Railway, founded in 1903. It first carried tourists in 1907 to the summit of the south peak, on which was built that year the Uncanoonuc Hotel. The 5½ story building provided 37-38 guest rooms, and a dining room that accommodated 120. It also offered outstanding views of the surrounding valley, including Manchester
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, connected by electric trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
to the railway's base station. The hotel would burn in 1923, and the train was later used to transport skiers
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
to the top. The railway peaked during the 1930s and 1940s, but was essentially abandoned by the 1950s. The summit of the south peak is now the site of numerous television and radio towers.
Grasmere Village straddles the Piscataquog River in the eastern region of Goffstown. The Hillsborough County Railroad Station was located at Grasmere on the southern side of the river. Rail-borne freight for Grasmere and other surrounding locales was retrieved at this station during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Another rail station in Goffstown was located further to the west nearer to the town center, and a third was Parker's Station to the west of the town center, nearing the border with Weare.
In the mid-twentieth-century rail service through the town ceased. In the dawning years of the twenty-first century town and local organizations cooperating for a rails-to-trails effort completed conversion of the rail-beds into bicycling and walking trails.
The County Farm grounds were converted to the New Hampshire State Prison for Women
New Hampshire State Prison for Women
New Hampshire State Prison for Women is the only women's prison in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Corrections facility is located in Goffstown, Hillsborough County....
(currently located at 317 Mast Road). The facility's most famous resident was convicted murderess Pamela Smart
Pamela Smart
Pamela Ann Smart is serving a life sentence for accomplice to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and witness tampering in New Hampshire...
, who was incarcerated at the Prison for Women from March 22, 1991 to March 11, 1993, when she was transferred to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Bedford, New York
Bedford (town), New York
Bedford is a town in Westchester County, New York, USA. The population was 17,335 at the 2010 census.The Town of Bedford is located in the northeastern part of Westchester County, and contains the three hamlets of Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah...
.
Geography
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 380,841 people, 144,455 households, and 98,807 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 149,961 housing units at an average density of 171 per square mile...
, directly to the west of Manchester
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, the state's largest city. Concord
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
, the state capital, lies 16 miles (25.7 km) to the north. The town center is on the Piscataquog River
Piscataquog River
The Piscataquog River is a river located in southern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Merrimack River, which flows to the Gulf of Maine....
near the western boundary of the town, around the intersection of New Hampshire Route 13
New Hampshire Route 13
New Hampshire Route 13 is a long north–south state highway in the state of New Hampshire, United States. The highway runs from Brookline to Concord....
and 114
New Hampshire Route 114
New Hampshire Route 114 is a long secondary north–south highway in central New Hampshire. The highway runs between Bedford, in Hillsborough County and Grantham, in Sullivan County....
. The village of Grasmere
Grasmere, New Hampshire
Grasmere, originally known as Goffstown Centre, is a village within the town of Goffstown, New Hampshire, in the United States. It straddles the Piscataquog River in the eastern part of Goffstown....
is located in the eastern part of town, and the neighborhood of Pinardville
Pinardville, New Hampshire
Pinardville is a census-designated place in the eastern part of the town of Goffstown in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,780 at the 2010 census...
is located in the southeast corner of the town, essentially forming a continuous development with the adjoining city of Manchester.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 37.5 square miles (97.1 km²), of which 36.9 sq mi (95.6 km²) is land and 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²) is water, comprising 1.65% of the town. The Uncanoonuc Mountains (uhn-kuh-NOO-nuhk) are twin peaks. The north peak, the highest point in Goffstown, has an elevation of 1324 feet (403.6 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, and the south peak has an elevation of 1321 feet (402.6 m). The town's climate is classified as a Dfa or Dfb on the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
charts.
Goffstown is drained by the Piscataquog River
Piscataquog River
The Piscataquog River is a river located in southern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Merrimack River, which flows to the Gulf of Maine....
and lies fully within the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
.
Neighboring cities and towns
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,929 people, 5,641 households, and 4,055 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 458.9 people per square mile (177.2/km²). There were 5,798 housing units at an average density of 157.2 per square mile (60.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.20% White, 0.25% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 5,641 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,833, and the median income for a family was $61,718. Males had a median income of $39,757 versus $30,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $21,907. About 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Law and government
Goffstown is governed by a five-member Board of Selectmen elected in the March general election to serve three-year staggered terms.The New Hampshire Department of Corrections
New Hampshire Department of Corrections
New Hampshire Department of Corrections is an executive agency of the U.S. state of New Hampshire; charged with overseeing the state correctional facilities, supervising probation and parolees, and serving in an advisory capacity in the prevention of crime and delinquency...
operates the New Hampshire State Prison for Women
New Hampshire State Prison for Women
New Hampshire State Prison for Women is the only women's prison in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Corrections facility is located in Goffstown, Hillsborough County....
in Goffstown.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Goffstown Post Office.
Education
Goffstown is part of School Administrative Unit 19, serving Goffstown, DunbartonDunbarton, New Hampshire
Dunbarton, is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,758 at the 2010 census.- History :Originally granted as Gorham's-town in 1735, and re-granted as Starkstown in 1748, the town was incorporated in 1765 as Dunbarton...
and New Boston.
Primary and secondary
- Goffstown has one kindergarten, Glen Lake School.
- Goffstown has two first through fourth grade elementary schools, Bartlett and Maple Avenue.
- Mountain View Middle School serves Goffstown students in fifth through eighth grade, and seventh and eighth grade New Boston and Dunbarton students.
- Ninth through twelfth grade students from Goffstown, New Boston and Dunbarton attend Goffstown High SchoolGoffstown High SchoolGoffstown High School, located in Goffstown, New Hampshire, USA, serves the towns of Goffstown, New Boston and Dunbarton. Goffstown High School has a total of 1,221 students as of September 3, 2008.- Administration :...
. - The Villa Augustina SchoolVilla Augustina SchoolVilla Augustina School is a private, pre-kindergarten through grade 8 Catholic school located in Goffstown, New Hampshire, USA, serving the town of Goffstown and the surrounding communities...
is an independent CatholicRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
school founded in Goffstown in 1918. The school serves children in pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade.
Post-secondary
- Saint Anselm CollegeSaint Anselm CollegeSaint Anselm College is a nationally ranked, private, Benedictine, Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Founded in 1889 by Abbot Hilary Pfrängle, O.S.B. of Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, at the request of Bishop Denis M. Bradley of Manchester, New Hampshire, the...
is a Benedictine, Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. The college has received significant national media attention in recent years ranging from several national presidential debates to its stringent anti grade inflation policy. Founded in 1889, the college has approximately 2000 undergraduate students who are very involved in the town through community service; the college also serves as a large part of the local economy as it employs many Goffstown residents and students patronize local businesses, bars, and stores. The New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College brings hundreds of dignitaries and politicians to Goffstown annually, most notably for the New Hampshire primaryNew Hampshire primaryThe New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years , as part of the process of choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November.Although only a...
presidential debates, which have been held at the college since 2004. The Saint Anselm CollegeCollegeA college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
and Saint Anselm AbbeyAbbeyAn abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
have been a substantial presence in the town of Goffstown.