Editing Chichester, New Hampshire

{{short description|Town in New Hampshire, United States}}
{{distinguish|Chester, New Hampshire|Chesterfield, New Hampshire}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Chichester, New Hampshire
|nickname                 =
|motto                    =
|image_skyline            = ChichesterNH TownHall.jpg
|image_seal               = Chichester Town Seal.png
|imagesize                =
|image_caption            = Chichester Grange Hall, which houses town offices, is listed in the [[New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places|State Register of Historic Places]]
|image_flag               =
|image_map                = Merrimack County New Hampshire incorporated and unincorporated areas Chichester highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 300px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Merrimack County, New Hampshire|Merrimack County]] and the state of [[New Hampshire]]
|settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
|image_map1               =
|mapsize1                 =
|map_caption1             =
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[New Hampshire]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in New Hampshire|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Merrimack County, New Hampshire|Merrimack]]
| parts_type              = Villages
| parts                   = {{ubl|Chichester|North Chichester}}
|government_type          =
|leader_title             = [[Board of Selectmen]]
|leader_name              = {{ubl|Richard Bouchard|Stephen MacCleery|Michael Williams}}
|leader_title1            = Town Administrator
|leader_name1             = Jodi Pinard
|established_title        = [[Incorporation (municipal government)|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = 1727
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2021">{{cite web |title=2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files – New Hampshire |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2021_Gazetteer/2021_gaz_cousubs_33.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 55.15
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_land_km2            = 54.88
|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_km2           = 0.27
|area_water_sq_mi         = 
|area_water_percent       = 0.50
|population_as_of         = 2020
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=&g=0600000US3301312420&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1| title=Chichester town, Merrimack County, New Hampshire: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref>
|population_total         = 2665
|population_density_km2   = 48.6
|population_density_sq_mi = 
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Daylight Time Zone|Eastern]]
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|coordinates              = {{coord|43|14|57|N|71|23|59|W|region:US-NH|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_m              = 
|elevation_ft             = 538
|website                  = {{URL|www.chichesternh.org}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 03258
|area_code                = [[Area code 603|603]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 33-12420
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0873566
|footnotes                =
}}
'''Chichester''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Merrimack County, New Hampshire|Merrimack County]], [[New Hampshire]], United States. The population was 2,665 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020"/>

==History==

[[File:Interior of John Leavitt's Tavern.jpg|thumb|left|225px|''Interior of John Leavitt's Tavern'', Joseph Warren Leavitt, Chichester, {{circa|1825}}, [[American Folk Art Museum]]]]
Chichester was granted in 1727 to Nathaniel Gookin and others,<ref name=Stat1875>Article in [http://gedcomindex.com/Reference/New_Hampshire_1875/096.html ''Statistics and Gazetteer of New-Hampshire'' (1875)]</ref> and was named for [[Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne]], [[Earl of Chichester]] and England's [[Secretary of State for the Southern Department]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}} The first settlement was commenced by Paul Morrill in 1758.<ref name=Stat1875/>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|55.1|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|54.9|sqkm|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|0.3|sqkm|order=flip|1}} are water, comprising 0.50% of the town.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2021"/> The highest point in Chichester is an unnamed summit at {{convert|1015|ft|m}} above [[sea level]], midway between Garvin Hill ({{convert|985|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}) to the east and Plausawa Hill ({{convert|1000|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}) to the west in neighboring [[Pembroke, New Hampshire|Pembroke]]. All three summits are less than one mile apart. The west side of Chichester drains to the [[Soucook River]] in Loudon, while the east side drains to the [[Suncook River]], which forms the town's northeast border with Pittsfield. Both rivers are tributaries of the [[Merrimack River]].<ref name=watershed>{{cite book |title=Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers |url=http://nh.water.usgs.gov/Publications/nh.intro.html |last=Foster |first=Debra H. |author2=Batorfalvy, Tatianna N. |author3= Medalie, Laura  |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey |year=1995}}</ref>

The town is sparsely populated, with most of the commercial development concentrated along US 202 (Dover Road) and NH 28 (Suncook Valley Road). The civic center of town, with the town hall, Methodist church, and town historical society, lies near the intersection of Main Street, Canterbury Road, and Center Road, about {{convert|1/2|mi|1}} northeast of US 202.

=== Adjacent municipalities ===
* [[Loudon, New Hampshire|Loudon]] (northwest)
* [[Pittsfield, New Hampshire|Pittsfield]] (northeast)
* [[Epsom, New Hampshire|Epsom]] (east)
* [[Pembroke, New Hampshire|Pembroke]] (south)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 491
|1800= 775
|1810= 951
|1820= 1010
|1830= 1084
|1840= 1028
|1850= 997
|1860= 1041
|1870= 871
|1880= 784
|1890= 661
|1900= 598
|1910= 606
|1920= 507
|1930= 567
|1940= 587
|1950= 735
|1960= 821
|1970= 1083
|1980= 1492
|1990= 1942
|2000= 2236
|2010= 2523
|2020= 2665
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="Census 2020"/><ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2016 }}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 2,236 people, 823 households, and 637 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|106.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 849 housing units at an average density of {{convert|40.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 98.17% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.18% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.36% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.13% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.18% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.98% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.67% of the population.

There were 823 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $56,741, and the median income for a family was $60,333. Males had a median income of $38,403 versus $28,051 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $24,115.  About 2.3% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Transportation==
Two [[List of state routes in New Hampshire|New Hampshire state route]]s and two [[United States Numbered Highway System|U.S. route]]s cross Chichester.

*[[New Hampshire Route 9|NH 9]], [[U.S. Route 4 in New Hampshire|U.S. Route 4]], and [[U.S. Route 202 in New Hampshire|U.S. Route 202]] run concurrently through town, connecting the northern part of Pembroke in the west to Epsom in the east. It is known locally as Dover Road.
*[[New Hampshire Route 28|NH 28]] crosses the eastern edge of town, roughly paralleling the [[Suncook River]], connecting Epsom to Pittsfield along Suncook Valley Road.

==Notable people==
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* [[Gordon J. Humphrey]] (born 1940), [[List of United States Senators from New Hampshire|U.S. senator]] from 1978 to 1990
* [[Sally Kelly]], member of the [[New Hampshire House of Representatives]] from 2006 to 2014

==References==

{{portal|New Hampshire}}
{{commons category}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|www.chichesternh.org}}
* [https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/profiles-htm/chichester.htm New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre = Chichester
 | North = [[Loudon, New Hampshire|Loudon]]
 | Northeast = [[Pittsfield, New Hampshire|Pittsfield]]
 | East = [[Epsom, New Hampshire|Epsom]]
 | Southeast = [[Epsom, New Hampshire|Epsom]]
 | South = [[Pembroke, New Hampshire|Pembroke]]
 | Southwest = [[Pembroke, New Hampshire|Pembroke]]
 | West = [[Loudon, New Hampshire|Loudon]]
 | Northwest = [[Loudon, New Hampshire|Loudon]]
}}

{{Merrimack County, New Hampshire}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Merrimack County, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1727]]
[[Category:Towns in New Hampshire]]