Durham, New Hampshire
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Old Mill, Durham, NH.jpg Durham is a town located in Strafford County, New Hampshire, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 12,664. Durham is home to the University of New Hampshire.
This article describes the town of Durham as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available that describes only the more densely populated central settlement. Those details are included in the aggregate values presented here. See: Durham (CDP), New Hampshire.
Contents |
History
Image:Gymnasium, Durham, NH.JPG Situated beside Great Bay where the Oyster River meets the Piscataqua River, Durham was originally called "Oyster River Plantation." It was settled in 1635 as a part of Dover.
During King William's War, on July 18, 1694 "Oyster River" was attacked in the Oyster River Massacre by French career soldier Sebastien de Villieu with about 250 Abenaki Indians under command of their sagamore, Bomazeen. In all, 45 inhabitants were killed and 49 taken captive, with half the dwellings, including 5 garrisons, burned to the ground. Crops were destroyed and livestock killed, causing famine and destitution for survivors.
Image:Old Library, UNH.jpg By 1716, Durham was a separate parish, named after Durham, England. Incorporated in 1735, Durham once included portions of the present-day towns of Madbury, Lee and Newmarket.
A descendent of an early settler, Benjamin Thompson bequeathed his assests and family estate, Warner Farm, to the state for the establishment of an agricultural college. Originally founded in 1866, at Hanover, the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts moved to Durham in 1893, and became University of New Hampshire in 1923. "Thompson Hall," built in 1893 with an iconic clocktower, is named in his honor.
Museums:
Notable Inhabitants:
- John Sullivan, Revolutionary War general
- Alexander Scammel, Col. of the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment
- Hercules Mooney, Revolutionary war officer
- Benjamin Thompson
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 64.1 km² (24.8 mi²). 58.0 km² (22.4 mi²) of it is land and 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 9.57% water.
 Pettee Hall |
 Taylor Hall |
 Crossroad |
 University park |
 University tower |
 Library |
 University park forest |
 Inhabitant of park forest |
 Church |
 Downtown |
 Babcock Hall, dormitory for foreign students |
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,664 people, 2,882 households, and 1,582 families residing in the town. The population density was 218.4/km² (565.5/mi²). There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 50.4 persons/km² (130.5 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.55% White, 0.77% African American, 0.21% Native American, 3.10% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 1.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,882 households out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 4.8% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 45.1% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.03.
The age distribution, heavily influenced by the presence of UNH, is: 12.0% under the age of 18, 56.5% from 18 to 24, 13.3% from 25 to 44, 12.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years, which is also typical for a college town. For every 100 females there are 82.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,697, and the median income for a family was $83,609. Males had a median income of $54,519 versus $31,548 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,210. 27.7% of the population and 2.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 5.5% are under the age of 18 and 1.1% are 65 or older.
