Durham, New Hampshire
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Durham is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 15,490 at the 2020 census,<ref name="Census 2020"/> up from 14,638 at the 2010 census.<ref name=2010Census>United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census website, 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, 2011.</ref> The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is located in Durham.
The primary settlement in the town, where 11,147 people resided at the 2020 census,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Durham census-designated place (CDP) and includes the densely populated portion of the town centered on the intersection of New Hampshire Route 108 and Main Street, which includes the university that dominates the town.
History
Durham sits beside Great Bay at the mouth of the Oyster River, an ideal location for people who lived close to the land, like the Western Abenaki and their ancestors who have lived in the region for an estimated 11,000 years.<ref name=Dionne>Template:Cite web</ref> The Shankhassick<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (now Oyster) River provided shellfish and access to the north woods for hunting and trapping; the sea provided food and access to long-established trade routes between tribes both north and south; and the open meadows provided land on which crops could be easily cultivated. Wecannecohunt (or Wecohamet),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as the settlement was known until English settlers arrived, proved immediately attractive to them, too.<ref name=Dionne/>
English settlers first colonized the region in 1622 when King James I granted Sir Fernandino Gorges and John Mason "all that part or porcon of that country now commonly called New-England ... between the latitude of forty and fortyeight degrees northerly latitude," including every island within 100 miles of the coast and "all the lands, soyle, grounds, havens, ports, rivers, mines, ... minerals, pearls and pretious stones, woods, queries, marshes waters, fishings, hunting, hawking, fowling, commodities and hereditaments whatsoever."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gorges and Mason agreed to split the vast tract along the Piscataqua River (still known by its Abenaki name pesgatak was, for "the water looks dark").<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gorges took the tract to the east and named it Maine. Mason took the land to west and named it New Hampshire.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The region was first named "N'dakinna".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Pennacook and Wabanaki peoples.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Colonists first arrived in Wecannecohunt in 1622, the year of the Gorges-Mason grant.<ref name="Stackpole & Meserve">Template:Cite web</ref> They spent their earliest years fishing, cutting, and trapping to sell salted fish, lumber, and fur to European markets. By 1633, colonists were spread along the tidal shores of the Oyster River, and by 1640, they were "in 'recognized possession' of lands up to the fall line."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Colonial Durham was first known as the Oyster River Plantation.<ref name="Stackpole & Meserve"/> The English settlers brought non-native livestock aboard their ships, "thousands of cattle, swine, sheep, and horses," requiring them to clear acres merely for pasture. Wecannecohunt's fields, carefully cultivated across centuries, were trampled and their crops destroyed. "The animals exacerbated a host of problems related to subsistence practices, land use, property rights and, ultimately, political authority." When violence between the colonized and the colonizers erupted, livestock were frequently killed. The Abenaki saw them as a direct threat to their food supply.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During King William's War, on July 18, 1694, the fledgling English colonial settlement was attacked in the Raid on Oyster River by French career soldier Claude-Sébastien de Villieu with about 250 Abenaki from Norridgewock under command of their sagamore Bomazeen (or Bomoseen). In all, 104 inhabitants were killed and 27 taken captive,<ref>Webster, John Clarence. Acadia at the End of the Seventeenth Century. Saint John, NB, New Brunswick Museum, 1979. p. 65</ref> with half the dwellings, including the garrisons, pillaged and burned to the ground.
Oyster River was part of Dover throughout its first century.<ref name="Stackpole & Meserve"/> The Plantation was granted rights as an independent parish in 1716 and incorporated as a township in 1732 when it was renamed Durham.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rev. Hugh Adams claimed to have proposed the name "Durham" in an address to the General Assembly in 1738.<ref>N.H. Province Papers, Vol. V, page 35</ref><ref>Mary P. Thompson, Landmarks in Ancient Dover, p. 67</ref> Two of the earliest settlers of Dover were William and Edward Hilton, the direct descendants of Sir William de Hilton, Lord of Hilton Castle in County Durham, England, but there is nothing to prove that Durham was named in their honor.
Benjamin Thompson, a descendant of an early settler, bequeathed his assets and family estate, Warner Farm, to the state for the establishment of an agricultural college.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Founded in 1866 in Hanover, the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts moved to Durham in 1893 and became the University of New Hampshire in 1923. Thompson Hall, built in 1892 with an iconic clock tower, is named in his honor. Designed in the Romanesque Revival style by the Concord architectural firm of Dow & Randlett, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On October 22, 1999, Durham was the site of a debate between Republican candidates in the 2000 United States Presidential Election. Future president George W. Bush was present, along with other notable Republicans of the era, such as John McCain, Alan Keyes, Steve Forbes, and Gary Bauer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The debate became the subject of a skit on Saturday Night Live featuring Darrell Hammond in the role of President Bill Clinton.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
In 2017, Durham became the first community in New Hampshire to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of Columbus Day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2018, the Oyster River Cooperative School District, which includes Durham, Lee, and Madbury, adopted Indigenous Peoples' Day on its school calendar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert are land and Template:Convert are water, comprising 9.50% of the town.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2021"/> The town is drained by the Oyster River. The highest point in Durham is Beech Hill, at Template:Convert above sea level, located on the town's northern border.<ref name=topomap>U.S. Geological Survey. Dover Quadrangle, New Hampshire-Maine map. 1:62,500. 15 Minute Series (Topographic). Washington D.C.: USGS, 1956. Available from University of New Hampshire Dimond Library Documents Department & Data Center, Template:Cite web accessed March 17, 2009.</ref> Durham lies fully within the Piscataqua River (coastal) watershed.<ref name=watershed>Template:Cite book</ref>
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Durham has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
Demographics
The demographics of Durham are strongly influenced by the presence of the main campus of the University of New Hampshire. As of the 2010 census, there were 14,638 people, 2,960 households, and 1,544 families residing in the town. There were 3,092 housing units, of which 132 (4.3%) were vacant. 7,266 town residents lived in group quarters, such as dormitories, rather than in households. The racial makeup of the town was 93.8% white, 0.9% African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.01% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.4% some other race, and 1.6% from two or more races. 2.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref name="Census 2010 DP">Template:Cite web</ref>
Of the 2,960 households, 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were headed by married couples living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.8% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49, and the average family size was 2.94.<ref name="Census 2010 DP"/>
In the town, 8.6% of the population were under the age of 18; 64.3% were from 18 to 24; 7.7% from 25 to 44; 12.5% from 45 to 64; and 6.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.<ref name="Census 2010 DP"/>
For the period 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household was $71,190, and the median income for a family was $120,039. Male full-time workers had a median income of $72,197 compared to $58,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,650. 24.5% of the population and 1.4% of families were below the poverty line. 0.7% of the population under the age of 18 and 5.1% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Arts and culture
Libraries
Over the years, the people of Durham have created several libraries:
Durham Social Library (1815–1857): This library was incorporated by act of the New Hampshire Legislature in 1815. The library contained several hundred books and had a nearly 50-person member body.
Durham Agricultural Library (1862–1881): Formed on February 3, 1862, with Benjamin Thompson as president, this library was small (approximately 72 books) and vocationally-based.
Durham Social Library (1881–1892): Organized on March 9, 1881, this library had a 80-person member body and several hundred books. In 1883, the Richardson house was purchased to house the library. It eventually merged with the Durham Public Library.
Durham Public Library (1892–1906): Established in 1892 through the provisions of an act of the state of New Hampshire, this was the town's first "public" library. It contained more than 3,500 books and eventually merged with the library of the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.
Library of the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts (1893–): This library came to Durham with the arrival of the College in 1893. Initially, the College housed the library in a single room in Thompson Hall. In 1900, Hamilton Smith gave the University $10,000 to construct a library; another $20,000 was obtained from Andrew Carnegie. In 1907—a year after the town and the college agreed to merge their collective library resources—the building (Hamilton Smith Hall) was completed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Dimond Library (1958): This library was constructed to replace Hamilton Smith Hall—which was reconfigured as an academic building with lecture-oriented classrooms—as the university's primary knowledge repository.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The building was designed in the Mid-century Modern style.
Durham Public Library (1997): By a margin of 2-1, Durham voters passed a charter amendment to establish a board of trustees and allow plans for a new public library to go forward. In July 1997, a temporary space for the building was selected. Under the guidance of the trustees and a newly-formed "Friends of the Library" group, many Durham residents came forward to sheetrock, paint, assemble shelves, and allocate 719 boxes of books. On July 21, 1997, a dedication ceremony was held for the new library, with Governor Jeanne Shaheen as the keynote speaker. It was the first new public library to be established in New Hampshire in almost a century. It was relocated to a newly-constructed building on Madbury Road in 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sites of interest
- Durham Historic Association & Museum<ref>Durham Historic Association & Museum Template:Webarchive</ref>
- New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 8: Site of Piscataqua Bridge
- New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 50: Oyster River Massacre
- New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 89: Major General John Sullivan, 1740–1795
- New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 154: Packer's Falls
Government
In the United States House of Representatives, Durham is located in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District and has been represented by Democrat Chris Pappas since January 3, 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is the first and only gay person to represent New Hampshire in the United States Congress.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the New Hampshire Senate, the town is located in District 21 and has been represented by Democrat Rebecca Perkins Kwoka since December 2, 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She is the State Senate minority leader and the first openly LGBTQ+ woman to serve in the chamber.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the New Hampshire House of Representatives, Durham comprises the districts Strafford 10 and Strafford 20. The former is represented by Democrats Wayne M. Burton, Timothy O. Horrigan, Loren Selig, and Marjorie K. Smith, while latter is represented by Democrat Allan Howland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is represented in the New Hampshire Executive Council by Joseph D. Kenney, a five-term Republican who has occupied the role of District 1 Executive Councilor since March 11, 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 6,047 | 2,270 | 169 |
| 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 5,970 | 1,712 | 128 |
| 2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 6,501 | 2,450 | 579 |
| 2012<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 5,074 | 2,217 | 107 |
| 2008<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 5,363 | 1,838 | 56 |
| 2004<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 4,272 | 1,772 | 51 |
| 2000<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 3,362 | 1,585 | 465 |
| 1996<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 2,694 | 1,237 | 237 |
| 1992<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 3,349 | 1,486 | 906 |
| 1988<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 2,030 | 1,647 | 33 |
| 1984<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 1,794 | 1,628 | 12 |
| 1980<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 1,016 | 1,128 | 77 |
| 1976<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 1,390 | 1,484 | 160 |
| 1972<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 1,294 | 1,246 | 39 |
| 1968<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 843 | 1,076 | 60 |
| 1964<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 918 | 686 | - |
| 1960<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 481 | 1,114 | - |
| 1956<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 315 | 1,128 | 0 |
| 1952<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 294 | 1,067 | - |
| 1948<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 176 | 820 | 66 |
| 1944<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 304 | 591 | 10 |
| 1940<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 226 | 554 | - |
| 1936<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 178 | 469 | 18 |
| 1932<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 125 | 457 | 17 |
| 1928<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 99 | 453 | 12 |
| 1924<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 91 | 313 | 30 |
| 1920<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 96 | 249 | 4 |
| 1916<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 85 | 115 | 3 |
| 1912<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 83 | 78 | 59 |
| 1908<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 55 | 132 | 2 |
| 1904<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 51 | 144 | 0 |
| 1900<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 104 | 141 | 1 |
| 1896<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 65 | 161 | 4 |
| 1892<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 94 | 137 | 2 |
| 1888<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | 119 | 134 | 0 |
Infrastructure
Transportation
Amtrak's Downeaster train provides five round trips daily through Durham–UNH station, with service north to Portland, Freeport, and Brunswick, Maine, and south to Boston's North Station.
Police department
A police force of some manner has served Durham since at least 1848.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Durham Police Department is made up of 21 full-time and 2 part-time officers and provides service 24 hours a day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Police Department's Adopt-A-Cop program was instituted in 1999 to improve relationships between University of New Hampshire fraternities. Each fraternity is assigned a police officer who attends house meetings and events and acts a liaison between the fraternity and the community.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Fire department and EMS
The first fire department in Durham was organized in 1927, and the first salaried firefighter was employed in 1934.<ref name="FireDept"/>
The Durham Fire Department is one of the few fire departments in the country that is funded by both a municipality and a university.<ref name="FireDept">Template:Cite web</ref>
Notable people
- Eliphalet Daniels (1713–1799): Military commander of the New Hampshire Militia<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Dudley Dudley (born 1936): Political and environmental activist
- Jack Edwards (born 1957):<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Play-by-play announcer for the Boston Bruins
- Daniel Ford (born 1931): Writer
- Sam Fuld (born 1981): Outfielder in Major League Baseball from 2007 to 2015 and General Manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 2020 to 2024
- Louise Janin (1893–1997): Painter
- Manuela Lutze (born 1974): Four-time Olympic rower and two-time Olympic gold medalistTemplate:Citation needed
- Joyce Maynard (born 1953): Writer
- Hercules Mooney (1715–1800): Lieutenant colonel in the American Revolution
- Don Murray (1924–2006): Journalist
- Deron Quint (born 1976): Defenseman with six NHL teams
- Alexander Scammell (1747–1781): Colonel of the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment
- Daniel C. Stillson (1826–1899): Inventor of the Stillson pipe wrench
- John Sullivan (1740–1795): General in the American Revolution
- Ben Sulsky (born 1987): Professional poker player
- Benjamin Thompson (1806–1890): Farmer, businessman and benefactor of UNH.
References
<references />
Further reading
- Template:Cite web
- The Great Massacre of 1694: Understanding the Destruction of Oyster River Plantation via Wayback Machine
External links
Template:Geographic location Template:Strafford County, New Hampshire