Spofford Lake is a 739 acres (3 km²) water body located in Cheshire County

Cheshire County, New Hampshire

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 73,825 people, 28,299 households, and 18,790 families residing in the county. The population density was 104 people per square mile . There were 31,876 housing units at an average density of 45 per square mile...

 in southwestern 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...

, in the town of Chesterfield

Chesterfield, New Hampshire

Chesterfield is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,604 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Spofford...

. Water from Spofford Lake flows via Partridge Brook

Partridge Brook

Partridge Brook is a 7.5 mile long stream located in southwestern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound....

 to the Connecticut River

Connecticut River

The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...

. In 2005 the NH Department of Fish and Game named it the cleanest lake in southwestern 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...

, despite the amount of motor boating. The village of Spofford

Spofford, New Hampshire

Spofford is a village in the northeastern part of the town of Chesterfield in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. It is situated at the outlet of Spofford Lake and is located along New Hampshire Route 9A. While no population figures are available for Spofford, it is slightly larger than...

 is located at the lake's outlet

Outlet

Outlet may mean:* An electrical outlet* An outlet store or outlet mall* The pelvic outlet* A type of instance variable used for graphical user interface programming in the OpenStep / Cocoa environment* Outlet, Ontario, a community in Canada...

.

History

A popular recreational destination during the late 19th century, the lake figured in a tragedy that received notice well outside its rural environs. On May 26, 1882, while on tour with a company organized by Clara Louise Kellogg

Clara Louise Kellogg

Clara Louise Kellogg was an American singer.She was a daughter of George Kellogg and Jane Elizabeth , born at Sumterville, South Carolina, and was educated in New York for the musical profession, singing first in opera there in 1861. Her fine soprano voice and artistic gifts soon made her famous...

, the 19-year-old classical pianist

Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

 Herman Rietzel

Herman Rietzel

Herman Rietzel was an American pianist, born in New York City, who died by drowning at age 19 on May 26, 1882. His father, Charles Rietzel, was Vice-President and first flute of the New York Philharmonic Society...

, already a concert veteran and considered to be well-launched on a promising career, joined George Conly, a bass singer with the company, for a pleasure outing on the lake. Later that day, their rowboat was found capsized on fire; Reitzel's body was not recovered until the following June 7, and Conly's not until a week later still.

A portion of George Carlin

George Carlin

George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....

's ashes were scattered here in 2008 after his cremation.

Recreation

Ware's Grove and North Shore are two municipal beaches on the lake. North Shore is for residents only, while Wares Grove, near the southwest end of the lake, along New Hampshire Route 9A, has an entrance fee and is open to the general public. A state-maintained boat ramp is available to the west of Wares Grove, affording access to Pierces Island, managed by the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands and offering hiking trails. Pine Grove Springs is a golf course in Spofford next to the lake.