Bath, New Hampshire

Town in New Hampshire, United States

Bath, New Hampshire

Town

The Brick Store, built 1824

Motto:

"Covered Bridge Capital of New England"

Location in Grafton County, New Hampshire

Coordinates: 44°10′01″N 71°57′58″W﻿ / ﻿44.16694°N 71.96611°W﻿ / 44.16694; -71.96611
Country| United States
State| New Hampshire
County| Grafton
Incorporated| 1761
Villages| Bath
Swiftwater
Upper Village
Government

• Board of Selectmen|

* Chuck Maccini
* Shawn Applebee
* William Minot II

Area

[1]

• Total

| 38.6 sq mi (99.9 km2)
• Land| 37.7 sq mi (97.7 km2)
• Water| 0.8 sq mi (2.2 km2)  2.23%
Elevation

| 530 ft (162 m)
Population

(2020)[2]

• Total

| 1,077
• Density| 28/sq mi (11.0/km2)
Time zone| UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP codes|

03740 (Bath)
03785 (Woodsville)

Area code| 603
FIPS code| 33-03940
GNIS feature ID| 0873540
Website| www.bath-nh.org

Bath is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,077 at the 2020 census,[2] unchanged from the 2010 census.[3] Now a tourist destination and commuter town for Littleton, the town is noted for its historic architecture, including the Brick Store and three covered bridges. Bath includes the village of Swiftwater and part of the district known as Mountain Lakes.

## History

[edit]

View of Bath c. 1905

The town was granted to the Rev. Andrew Gardner and 61 others on September 10, 1761, by Governor Benning Wentworth, who named it for William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath. It was first settled in 1765 by John Herriman from Haverhill, Massachusetts.[4] But the terms of the original grant were unfulfilled, so Bath was regranted on March 29, 1769, by Governor John Wentworth. The first census, taken in 1790, recorded 493 residents.[5]

Situated at the head of navigation on the Connecticut River, and shielded from strong winds by the Green Mountains to the west and White Mountains to the east, Bath soon developed into "...one of the busiest and most prosperous villages in northern New Hampshire."[5] Intervales provided excellent alluvial soil for agriculture, and the Ammonoosuc and Wild Ammonoosuc rivers supplied water power for mills. The population reached 1,627 in 1830, when 550 sheep grazed the hillsides.[4] A vein of copper was mined. The White Mountains Railroad up the Ammonoosuc River valley opened August 1, 1853, shipping Bath's lumber, potatoes, livestock and wood pulp. By 1859, the town had two gristmills and two sawmills.[6] Other industries would include a woolen mill, creamery, distillery and two starch factories.[7]

Bath before the 1872 fire

A disastrous fire swept through Bath village on February 1, 1872, destroying the Congregational church, Bath Hotel and several dwelling houses. The church was rebuilt in 1873.[8] By 1874, Bath was served by the Boston, Concord and Montreal and White Mountains (N.H.) Railroad.[8]

But nearby Woodsville in the town of Haverhill developed into a major railroad junction, and the region's commercial center shifted there. By 1886, once thriving Bath was described as in decay.[5] But this economic dormancy of the Victorian era preserved much early architecture in the village, particularly in the Federal and Greek Revival styles. The Brick Store, built in 1824 and designed by Alexander Parris, dominated the town center until its closure in 2020.[9] Bath's Upper Village features a cluster of Federal-style houses based on the handbook designs of architect Asher Benjamin.[10]

## Geography

[edit]

Bath is in northwestern New Hampshire, in the northern part of Grafton County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 38.6 square miles (99.9 km2), of which 37.7 square miles (97.7 km2) are land and 0.85 square miles (2.2 km2) are water, comprising 2.23% of the town.[1] The Connecticut River forms the western boundary of the town; the Ammonoosuc and Wild Ammonoosuc rivers flow through the town. Bath lies fully within the Connecticut River watershed.[11] The highest points in Bath are a trio of knobs on Gardner Mountain, all found near the northernmost point in town and all measuring slightly greater than 1,980 feet (600 m) above sea level.

Geologically, Bath is located at the northernmost extent of former Lake Hitchcock, a post-glacial lake that shaped the Connecticut River valley from this point south to Middletown, Connecticut.[12]

The town is crossed by U.S. Route 302 and New Hampshire Route 112. The village of Swiftwater is located along Route 112, near the town's boundary with Haverhill.

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1790| 498| | —
1800| 825| | 65.7%
1810| 1,316| | 59.5%
1820| 1,498| | 13.8%
1830| 1,627| | 8.6%
1840| 1,591| | −2.2%
1850| 1,574| | −1.1%
1860| 1,366| | −13.2%
1870| 1,168| | −14.5%
1880| 1,032| | −11.6%
1890| 935| | −9.4%
1900| 1,006| | 7.6%
1910| 978| | −2.8%
1920| 838| | −14.3%
1930| 785| | −6.3%
1940| 686| | −12.6%
1950| 706| | 2.9%
1960| 604| | −14.4%
1970| 607| | 0.5%
1980| 761| | 25.4%
1990| 784| | 3.0%
2000| 893| | 13.9%
2010| 1,077| | 20.6%
2020| 1,077| | 0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[2][13]

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 893 people, 350 households, and 253 families residing in the town. The population density was 23.4 inhabitants per square mile (9.0/km2). There were 450 housing units at an average density of 11.8 per square mile (4.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.33% White, 0.22% African American, 0.22% Native American, and 0.22% from two or more races.

There were 350 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,088, and the median income for a family was $47,000. Males had a median income of $27,679 versus $22,167 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,916. About 2.8% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

## Sites of interest

[edit]

Notable sites within Bath include:

* The Brick Store (NRHP, 1985)
* Covered bridges:
* Bath Covered Bridge (NRHP, 1976)
* Haverhill–Bath Covered Bridge (NRHP, 1977)
* Swiftwater Covered Bridge (NRHP, 1976)
* Goodall-Woods Law Office (NRHP, 1980)
* Jeremiah Hutchins Tavern (NRHP, 1984)
* New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 121: Bath, New Hampshire
* New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 217: Bath Bridge

## Notable people

[edit]

* Timothy Bedel (1737–1787), mill owner, military commander[15]
* Amos Noyes Blandin, Jr. (1896-1982), New Hampshire Supreme Court justice
* Raymond S. Burton (1939–2013), longest-serving Executive Councilor in New Hampshire history
* Henry Hancock (1822–1883), lawyer, land surveyor
* Harry Hibbard (1816–1872), US congressman
* James Hutchins Johnson (1802–1887), businessman, militia officer, US congressman
* Patti Page (1927–2013), singer
* E. Carleton Sprague (1822–1895), former New York state senator
* Lillian Carpenter Streeter (1854–1935), social reformer, clubwoman, author

## References

[edit]

* New Hampshire portal

1. ^ a b "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files – New Hampshire". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
2. ^ a b c "Bath town, Grafton County, New Hampshire: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
3. ^ United States Census Bureau, American FactFinder, 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
4. ^ a b Hayward's Gazetteer of New England 1839
5. ^ a b c Hamilton Child, History of Bath, Gazetteer of Grafton County, N.H., 1709–1886; Syracuse, New York 1886
6. ^ Austin J. Coolidge & John B. Mansfield, A History and Description of New England; Boston, Massachusetts 1859
7. ^ "Bath: A Short History". Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
8. ^ a b Article in Statistics and Gazetteer of New-Hampshire (1875)
9. ^ "Brick Store Closing Has Ripple Effect". Caledonian Record. July 16, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
10. ^ New Hampshire History & Heritage Guide
11. ^ Foster, Debra H.; Batorfalvy, Tatianna N.; Medalie, Laura (1995). Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers. U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey.
12. ^ "Connecticut River". Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
13. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
14. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
15. ^ David Library of the American Revolution: Timothy Bedel Papers Retrieved August 18, 2018.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Hudson, Marshall (July 19, 2018). "Mercy's Garden". New Hampshire. Retrieved July 4, 2020. "The legend (or legends) behind one of the oddest vegetable plots in the state."
* Ammonoosuc Rail Trail, between Woodsville and Littleton via Wayback Machine

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bath, New Hampshire.

* Official website
* Bath Public Library
* New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile

* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Bath, New Hampshire

| Monroe | Lyman | Lisbon

|
|

|  |
Ryegate, Vermont |

Bath

| Landaff
|  |
Newbury, Vermont,
including Wells River | Haverhill | Benton

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States

County seat: Haverhill

City|

* Lebanon

Map of New Hampshire highlighting Grafton County

Towns|

* Alexandria
* Ashland
* Bath
* Benton
* Bethlehem
* Bridgewater
* Bristol
* Campton
* Canaan
* Dorchester
* Easton
* Ellsworth
* Enfield
* Franconia
* Grafton
* Groton
* Hanover
* Haverhill
* Hebron
* Holderness
* Landaff
* Lincoln
* Lisbon
* Littleton
* Lyman
* Lyme
* Monroe
* Orange
* Orford
* Piermont
* Plymouth
* Rumney
* Sugar Hill
* Thornton
* Warren
* Waterville Valley
* Wentworth
* Woodstock

Township|

* Livermore

CDPs|

* Ashland
* Bethlehem
* Bristol
* Canaan
* Enfield
* Hanover
* Lincoln
* Lisbon
* Littleton
* Mountain Lakes
* North Haverhill
* North Woodstock
* Plymouth
* Woodsville

Other villages|

* East Hebron
* Enfield Center
* Etna
* Glencliff
* Lyme Center
* Montcalm
* Pike
* Stinson Lake
* West Lebanon

* New Hampshire portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Connecticut River watershed

Tributaries|

| Connecticut|

* Blackledge River
* Coginchaug River
* Connecticut River
* Duck River
* Eightmile River
* Falls River
* Farmington River
* Hockanum River
* Hubbard River
* Jeremy River
* Lieutenant River
* Mattabesset River
* Nepaug River
* Pameacha Creek
* Park River
* Pequabuck River
* Salmon River
* Scantic River

|

Massachusetts|

* Burnshirt River
* Chapel Brook
* Chicopee River
* Connecticut River
* Cranberry River
* Deerfield River
* East Brookfield River
* Farmington River
* Fall River
* Five Mile River
* Green River
* Hubbard River
* Manhan River
* Mill River (Northampton)
* Mill River (Springfield)
* Millers River
* Mirey Brook
* North Branch Millers River
* North Branch Westfield River
* North River
* Otter River
* Quaboag River
* Scantic River
* Seven Mile River
* Tarbell Brook
* Ware River
* Westfield River

New Hampshire|

* Ammonoosuc River
* Ashuelot River
* Blow-me-down Brook
* The Branch
* Cold River
* Connecticut River
* East Branch Mohawk River
* Gale River
* Great Brook
* Halls Stream
* Ham Branch
* Indian River
* Indian Stream
* Israel River
* Johns River
* Knox River
* Little River
* Little Sugar River
* Mascoma River
* Millers River
* Mink Brook
* Mirey Brook
* Mohawk River
* Nash Stream
* North Branch Gale River
* North Branch Millers River
* North Branch Sugar River
* North Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River
* Oliverian Brook
* Otter Brook
* Partridge Brook
* Perry Stream
* Phillips Brook
* Simms Stream
* South Branch Ashuelot River
* South Branch Gale River
* South Branch Israel River
* South Branch Sugar River
* Stocker Brook
* Sugar River
* Tarbell Brook
* Upper Ammonoosuc River
* West Branch Mohawk River
* West Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River
* Wild Ammonoosuc River
* Zealand River

Vermont|

* Black River
* Connecticut River
* Deerfield River
* Fall River
* Green River
* Halls Stream
* Leach Creek
* Moose River
* Nulhegan River
* Ompompanoosuc River
* Ottauquechee River
* Passumpsic River
* Rock River
* Saxtons River
* Utley Brook
* Waits River
* Wells River
* West River
* Whetstone Brook
* White River
* Williams River
* Winhall River

Lakes|

| Connecticut|

* Barkhamsted Reservoir
* Lake Beseck
* Lake Hayward
* Lake Pocotopaug

|

Massachusetts|

* Brooks Pond
* Browning Pond
* Lake Monomonac
* Quabbin Reservoir
* Lake Wyola

New Hampshire|

* Ashuelot Pond
* Back Lake
* Canaan Street Lake
* Cedar Pond
* Christine Lake
* Comerford Reservoir
* Connecticut Lakes
* Crystal Lake
* Dublin Pond
* Eastman Pond
* Echo Lake
* Lake Francis (Murphy Dam)
* Goose Pond
* Grafton Pond
* Granite Lake
* Lakes of the Clouds
* Little Sunapee Lake
* Mascoma Lake
* McIndoes Reservoir
* Lake Monomonac
* Moore Reservoir
* Pearly Lake
* Silver Lake
* Spofford Lake
* Lake Sunapee
* Surry Mountain Lake
* Lake Tarleton

Vermont|

* Ball Mountain Lake
* Comerford Reservoir
* Harriman Reservoir
* Harvey's Lake
* McIndoes Reservoir
* Moore Reservoir
* North Hartland Lake
* Lake Rescue
* Townshend Lake

Towns|

| Connecticut|

* Chester
* Cromwell
* Deep River
* East Haddam
* East Hampton
* East Hartford
* East Windsor
* Enfield
* Essex
* Glastonbury
* Haddam
* Hartford
* Higganum
* Lyme
* Middletown
* Moodus
* Old Lyme
* Old Saybrook
* Portland
* Rocky Hill
* South Windsor
* Suffield
* Thompsonville
* Wethersfield
* Windsor
* Windsor Locks

|

Massachusetts|

* Agawam
* Chicopee
* Deerfield
* Easthampton
* Gill
* Greenfield
* Hadley
* Hatfield
* Holyoke
* Longmeadow
* Millers Falls
* Montague
* Northampton
* Northfield
* South Hadley
* Springfield
* Sunderland
* Turners Falls
* West Springfield
* Whately

New Hampshire|

* Bath
* Charlestown
* Chesterfield
* Claremont
* Clarksville
* Colebrook
* Columbia
* Cornish
* Dalton
* Groveton
* Hanover
* Haverhill
* Hinsdale
* Lancaster
* Lebanon
* Littleton
* Lyme
* Monroe
* Northumberland
* Orford
* Piermont
* Pittsburg
* Plainfield
* Stewartstown
* Stratford
* Walpole
* West Lebanon
* Westmoreland
* Woodsville

Quebec|

* East Hereford

Vermont|

* Ascutney
* Barnet
* Beecher Falls
* Bellows Falls
* Bloomfield
* Bradford
* Brattleboro
* Brunswick
* Canaan
* Concord
* Dummerston
* Fairlee
* Gilman
* Guildhall
* Hartford
* Hartland
* Lemington
* Lunenburg
* Maidstone
* Newbury
* Norwich
* Putney
* Rockingham
* Ryegate
* Springfield
* Thetford
* Vernon
* Waterford
* Weathersfield
* Wells River
* Westminster
* White River Junction
* Wilder
* Windsor

Crossings|

* Amtrak Old Saybrook – Old Lyme Bridge
* Arch Bridge
* Bulkeley Bridge
* Calvin Coolidge Bridge
* Canalside Rail Trail Bridge
* Cheshire Bridge
* Columbia Bridge
* Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge
* Dexter Coffin Bridge
* French King Bridge
* Gill–Montague Bridge
* Hampden County Memorial Bridge
* Janice Peaslee Bridge
* Joseph E. Muller Bridge
* Ledyard Bridge
* Lyme–East Thetford Bridge
* Morey Memorial Bridge
* Mount Orne Covered Bridge
* Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge
* Piermont Bridge
* Pittsburg–Clarksville Covered Bridge
* Ranger Bridge
* Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge
* Sunderland Bridge
* Vietnam Memorial Bridge
* Wells River Bridge
* Willimansett Bridge

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

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