Rollinsford, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Rollinsford is a town
in Strafford County
, New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 2,527 at the 2010 census. Rollinsford includes Salmon Falls Village.
, an Abenaki sub-tribe which took its name from the Newichawannock River, meaning "river with many falls," now the Salmon Falls River
. Their village was located at what is today Salmon Falls Village. They fished at the falls, stretching nets across the river to catch migrating
salmon
and other species swimming upriver to spawn
. But war and disease, probably smallpox
brought from abroad, decimated the native population.
Subsequently settled by about 1630, the land was part of Dover
, one of the original townships of New Hampshire. The area was first called Sligo, likely after the county Sligo
in Ireland
, and the name survives on a town road. It would be established in 1729 as a parish
called Summersworth, meaning summer town, because the ministers preached here during the summer. In 1754, it would be set off and incorporated as a town by colonial Governor Benning Wentworth
, although thereafter spelled Somersworth due to a clerical error. Since the pioneers'
arrival, small communities had developed near various sawmill
s and gristmill
s along the Salmon Falls River, but the center of "Summersworth" was located at Rollinsford Junction.
Beginning in the early 1820s, water powered textile mills were established at the larger falls, and the town would divide between them—Great Falls became Somersworth
, and Salmon Falls became Rollinsford, incorporated in 1849. It was named in honor of the Rollins family, whose ancestor Judge Ichabod Rollins had settled there many generations before and had become the first probate judge for the state.
The village of Salmon Falls was founded in 1823 by a group of local investors led by James Rundlet of Portsmouth
, who on June 17, 1822 incorporated the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company to manufacture woolen cloth using the power of the Salmon Falls River, a Piscataqua River
tributary. After an 1834 fire destroyed the first factory built there, the company's Portsmouth-based investors built a new factory for cotton manufacturing, eventually selling the corporation to their Boston
-based cotton broker Mason and Lawrence in the 1840s. As part of their expansion, the town was laid out in an easy-to-navigate grid plan, with the three-story boarding houses and an adjoining mill building made of brick to withstand fires. Two-story brick double houses were also built to accommodate the families of the overseers. The town thrived into the first decades of the 20th century and eventually became home to many immigrant families whose forebears came to work in the mills. Ironically, though the town planners originally forbade the mill workers to drink alcohol and required that they attend church on Sunday, during Prohibition
, its proximity to temperate Maine
and the Boston railroad line led to the establishment of numerous bars and a relatively short-lived but racy reputation for free-flowing liquor.
The New England
cotton
industry would fade in the early to mid-20th century, but would leave the brick town intact. Today, the mills have been reborn as low-cost studio space for more than 100 artists and artisans who use the converted studios for everything from painting, sculpting and crafting handmade furniture to teaching and practicing yoga and dance.
, the town has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19.4 km²), of which 7.3 sq mi (18.9 km²) is land and 0.2 sq mi (0.517997622 km²) is water, comprising 3.32% of the town. Rollinsford is bounded on the east by the Salmon Falls River
, but most of the town is drained by Rollins and Twombly brooks, which flow south to the Cochecho River
in neighboring Dover
. The highest point in town is an unnamed 300 feet (91.4 m) summit near the border with Somersworth. Garrison Hill, 290 feet (88.4 m) above sea level
, occupies the town's border with Dover to the west.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 2,648 people, 1,033 households, and 721 families residing in the town. The population density
was 363.0 people per square mile (140.2/km²). There were 1,060 housing units at an average density of 145.3 per square mile (56.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.77% White, 0.68% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.08% from other races
, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 1,033 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples
living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,588, and the median income for a family was $60,625. Males had a median income of $37,750 versus $26,068 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $24,444. About 2.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Strafford County
Strafford County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 112,233 people, 42,581 households, and 27,762 families residing in the county. The population density was 304 people per square mile . There were 45,539 housing units at an average density of 124 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 2,527 at the 2010 census. Rollinsford includes Salmon Falls Village.
History
The area was once within the domain of the Newichawannock IndiansIndigenous 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...
, an Abenaki sub-tribe which took its name from the Newichawannock River, meaning "river with many falls," now the Salmon Falls River
Salmon Falls River
The Salmon Falls River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire. It rises at Great East Lake and flows south-southeast for approximately , forming the border between Maine and New Hampshire....
. Their village was located at what is today Salmon Falls Village. They fished at the falls, stretching nets across the river to catch migrating
Fish migration
Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousands of kilometres...
salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and other species swimming upriver to spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
. But war and disease, probably smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
brought from abroad, decimated the native population.
Subsequently settled by about 1630, the land was part of Dover
Dover, New Hampshire
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
, one of the original townships of New Hampshire. The area was first called Sligo, likely after the county Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and the name survives on a town road. It would be established in 1729 as a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
called Summersworth, meaning summer town, because the ministers preached here during the summer. In 1754, it would be set off and incorporated as a town by colonial 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...
, although thereafter spelled Somersworth due to a clerical error. Since the pioneers'
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
arrival, small communities had developed near various 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 and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s along the Salmon Falls River, but the center of "Summersworth" was located at Rollinsford Junction.
Beginning in the early 1820s, water powered textile mills were established at the larger falls, and the town would divide between them—Great Falls became Somersworth
Somersworth, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,477 people, 4,687 households, and 3,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.4 people per square mile . There were 4,841 housing units at an average density of 494.9 per square mile...
, and Salmon Falls became Rollinsford, incorporated in 1849. It was named in honor of the Rollins family, whose ancestor Judge Ichabod Rollins had settled there many generations before and had become the first probate judge for the state.
Salmon Falls Village
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, who on June 17, 1822 incorporated the Salmon Falls Manufacturing Company to manufacture woolen cloth using the power of the Salmon Falls River, a Piscataqua River
Piscataqua River
The Piscataqua River, in the northeastern United States, is a long tidal estuary formed by the confluence of the Salmon Falls and Cocheco rivers...
tributary. After an 1834 fire destroyed the first factory built there, the company's Portsmouth-based investors built a new factory for cotton manufacturing, eventually selling the corporation to their Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-based cotton broker Mason and Lawrence in the 1840s. As part of their expansion, the town was laid out in an easy-to-navigate grid plan, with the three-story boarding houses and an adjoining mill building made of brick to withstand fires. Two-story brick double houses were also built to accommodate the families of the overseers. The town thrived into the first decades of the 20th century and eventually became home to many immigrant families whose forebears came to work in the mills. Ironically, though the town planners originally forbade the mill workers to drink alcohol and required that they attend church on Sunday, during Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, its proximity to temperate Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and the Boston railroad line led to the establishment of numerous bars and a relatively short-lived but racy reputation for free-flowing liquor.
The New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
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....
industry would fade in the early to mid-20th century, but would leave the brick town intact. Today, the mills have been reborn as low-cost studio space for more than 100 artists and artisans who use the converted studios for everything from painting, sculpting and crafting handmade furniture to teaching and practicing yoga and dance.
Notable inhabitants
- Dave GuardDave GuardDonald David "Dave" Guard was an American folk singer, songwriter, arranger and recording artist. Along with Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane, he was one of the founding members of The Kingston Trio.Guard was educated in Honolulu, Hawaii, at Punahou School in what was then the pre-statehood U.S....
, folk singerFolk SingerFolk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...
with The Kingston TrioThe Kingston TrioThe Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds... - Dan MarshDan MarshDan Marsh is a former professional wrestling referee and wrestler most famous as Danny Davis of the World Wrestling Federation. He also competed in the WWF for several years as Mr. X, a masked wrestler....
, former WWE referee-turned-wrestler Danny Davis - Obo IIObo IICh. Obo II , was an American Cocker Spaniel who is considered to be the father of the modern breed, though physically, he was different from today's American Cocker. During his day, he was a successful show dog, winner of many Best-in-Show titles.-Background:The Obo kennel of Spaniels were owned by...
, champion cocker spaniel and progenitor of every living American Cocker SpanielAmerican Cocker SpanielThe American Cocker Spaniel is a breed of sporting dog. It is a spaniel type dog that is closely related to the English Cocker Spaniel; the two breeds diverged during the 20th century due to differing breed standards in America and the UK... - Edward H. RollinsEdward H. RollinsEdward Henry Rollins was a United States Representative and Senator from New Hampshire.-Biography:Born in a part of Somersworth, New Hampshire which is now Rollinsford , he attended the common schools and academies in Dover, New Hampshire and South Berwick, Maine...
, NH senator and US congressman - Bill StainesBill StainesBill Staines is an American folk musician and singer-songwriter from New England, who writes and performs in a traditional vein. He has also written and recorded children's songs....
, folk singerFolk SingerFolk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...
/songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 7.5 square miles (19.4 km²), of which 7.3 sq mi (18.9 km²) is land and 0.2 sq mi (0.517997622 km²) is water, comprising 3.32% of the town. Rollinsford is bounded on the east by the Salmon Falls River
Salmon Falls River
The Salmon Falls River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire. It rises at Great East Lake and flows south-southeast for approximately , forming the border between Maine and New Hampshire....
, but most of the town is drained by Rollins and Twombly brooks, which flow south to the Cochecho River
Cochecho River
The Cochecho River or Cocheco River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River, 38.3 miles long, in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It rises in northern Strafford County and runs southeastward, through the town of Farmington and the cities of Rochester and Dover, where it provides hydroelectric power...
in neighboring Dover
Dover, New Hampshire
Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region...
. The highest point in town is an unnamed 300 feet (91.4 m) summit near the border with Somersworth. Garrison Hill, 290 feet (88.4 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...
, occupies the town's border with Dover to the west.
Demographics
Census
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 2,648 people, 1,033 households, and 721 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 363.0 people per square mile (140.2/km²). There were 1,060 housing units at an average density of 145.3 per square mile (56.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.77% White, 0.68% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.08% 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 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 1,033 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% 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, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,588, and the median income for a family was $60,625. Males had a median income of $37,750 versus $26,068 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 $24,444. About 2.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.