Editing Cornish, New Hampshire

{{Short description|Town in New Hampshire, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Cornish, New Hampshire
|nickname                 =
|motto                    =
|image_skyline            = The Square, Cornish Flat, NH.jpg
|image_seal               =
|imagesize                =
|image_caption            = The Square in 1917
|image_flag               =
|image_map                = Sullivan County New Hampshire incorporated and unincorporated areas Cornish highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location of Cornish in [[Sullivan County, New Hampshire]] and of Sullivan County in [[New Hampshire]]
|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        = [[Sullivan County, New Hampshire|Sullivan]]
| parts_type              = Villages
| parts                   = {{ubl|Cornish Center|Cornish City|[[Cornish Flat, New Hampshire|Cornish Flat]]|Cornish Mills|[[Balloch, New Hampshire|Balloch]]|South&nbsp;Cornish}}
|government_type          =
|leader_title             = [[Board of Selectmen]]
|leader_name              = {{ubl|Dillon Gallagher, Chair|Jason Bourne|John Hammond}}
|established_title        = [[Incorporation (municipal government)|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = 1765
|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=January 6, 2022}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 110.4
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_land_km2            = 108.7
|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_km2           = 1.7
|area_water_sq_mi         = 
|area_water_percent       = 1.54
|population_as_of         = 2020
|population_note          =
|population_total         = 1616
|population_density_km2   = 14.9
|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|27|53|N|72|22|09|W|region:US-NH|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_m              = 142
|elevation_ft             = 466
|website                  = {{URL|www.cornishnh.net}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]s
|postal_code              = 03745 (Cornish)<br>03746 ([[Cornish Flat, New Hampshire|Cornish Flat]])
|area_code                = [[Area code 603|603]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 33-15060
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0873571
|footnotes                =
}}
'''Cornish''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Sullivan County, New Hampshire|Sullivan County]], [[New Hampshire]], United States. The population was 1,616 at the 2020 census.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US3301915060|title=Census - Geography Profile: Cornish town, Sullivan County, New Hampshire|access-date=December 24, 2021}}</ref> Cornish has four [[covered bridge]]s. Each August, it is home to the Cornish Fair.

==History==
[[Image:Blow-me-down Bridge, Cornish, NH.jpg|thumb|[[Blow-me-down Brook]] bridge in 1908, completed in 1888]]
[[Image:Mount Ascutney from High Court, Cornish, NH.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Ascutney]] {{circa|1910}}]]
The town was granted in 1763 and contained an area once known as "Mast Camp", because it was the shipping point for the tall [[Mast (sailing)|masts]] floated down the river by [[English people|English]] settlers. It was incorporated in 1765 by [[Thirteen Colonies|colonial]] governor [[Benning Wentworth]] and named for [[Sir Samuel Cornish, 1st Baronet|Sir Samuel Cornish]], a distinguished [[admiral]] of the [[Royal Navy]].<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book| last = Coolidge| first = Austin J.| author2=John B. Mansfield| title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge| year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n500 460]–461| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.  }}</ref> Since the 1827 partition of Cheshire County, the town has been within Sullivan County.

Since the late 19th century, Cornish has been a well-known summer resort for artists and writers. Sculptor [[Augustus Saint-Gaudens]] began coming to Cornish in 1885, seeking a studio away from the summer heat of [[New York City]]. Artist friends followed him, including painter and illustrator [[Maxfield Parrish]], who designed and built his estate, the Oaks, in the area. The surrounding area became the center of the popular [[Cornish Art Colony]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crjc.org/heritage/N08-16.htm |title=Cornish Arts Colony in Cornish and Plainfield, NH 1885-1930 |website=www.crjc.org}}</ref> Cornish was the residence of the reclusive author [[J. D. Salinger]] from the 1950s until his death in 2010.

Until 2008, when the Smolen–Gulf Bridge opened in [[Ohio]], Cornish had been home to the longest [[covered bridge]] (still standing) in the United States. Cornish remains home to the longest two-span covered bridge in the world. The [[Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge]] spans the [[Connecticut River]] and was built in 1866 at an original cost of $9,000. Cornish also has three other covered bridges: the [[Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge]], [[Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge]], and [[Kenyon Bridge]].

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|110.4|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|108.7|sqkm|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|1.7|sqkm|order=flip}} are water, comprising 1.54% of the town.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2021"/> The [[Connecticut River]] forms the western boundary of the town, which is also the New Hampshire–[[Vermont]] border. The town is drained by direct tributaries of the Connecticut: [[Blow-me-down Brook]], Mill Brook, and Walker Brook; and by Redwater Brook, which flows south to the [[Sugar River (New Hampshire)|Sugar River]] in Claremont before that river joins the Connecticut.<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 long ridge of Croydon Mountain follows the eastern boundary of town; the highest point in town is a knob on Croydon Mountain which reaches an elevation of {{convert|2323|ft|m|abbr=on}} above [[sea level]].<ref>The knob is unnamed on federal topographic maps, but is shown as "Buffalo Mountain" on a hand-drawn map by Ms. Gross, town historian of Croydon.</ref> The eastern part of the town is a portion of the approximately {{convert|25000|acre|km2|adj=on}} Blue Mountain Forest Association private game preserve, also known locally as [[Corbin Park]], named after its founder, [[Austin Corbin]].

Cornish is dotted with several small villages, including Cornish Center, [[Cornish Flat, New Hampshire|Cornish Flat]], Cornish City, Cornish Mills, South Cornish, [[Balloch, New Hampshire|Balloch]], and Squag City.

Cornish is served by state routes [[New Hampshire Route 12A|12A]] and [[New Hampshire Route 120|120]], both of which connect Claremont to the south with [[Lebanon, New Hampshire|Lebanon]] to the north.

==Adjacent municipalities==
* [[Plainfield, New Hampshire|Plainfield]] (north)
* [[Croydon, New Hampshire|Croydon]] (east)
* [[Claremont, New Hampshire|Claremont]] (south)
* [[Windsor, Vermont]] (west)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 982
|1800= 1268
|1810= 1606
|1820= 1701
|1830= 1687
|1840= 1726
|1850= 1606
|1860= 1520
|1870= 1334
|1880= 1156
|1890= 954
|1900= 962
|1910= 1005
|1920= 844
|1930= 855
|1940= 790
|1950= 989
|1960= 1106
|1970= 1268
|1980= 1390
|1990= 1659
|2000= 1661
|2010= 1640
|2020= 1616
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<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 2020 Census, the total population was 1,616, with a total of 761 housing units, 707 of which were occupied. The town's residents consisted of 1 American Indian or Alaska Native, 9 Asian, 7 Black or African American, 12 Some Other Race, 92 Two or More Races, and 1,495 White. 18 residents were Hispanic or Latino, and 1,494 Not Hispanic or Latino. As of the 2015-19 [[American Community Survey]], 41.9% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher. The median household income was $82,083, and the median age was 54.1, with 28.8% being age 65 or older. 8.6% were veterans. Home ownership rate was 92.6%.<ref name="GR13">{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US3301915060 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=March 11, 2022 |title=U.S. Census website }}</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 1,661 people, 645 households, and 465 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|39.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 697 housing units at an average density of {{convert|16.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 97.71% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.30% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.30% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.12% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.12% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.30% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.14% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.48% of the population.

There were 645 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. Of all households 21.2% were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,393, and the median income for a family was $60,313. Males had a median income of $36,115 versus $29,474 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $23,165.  About 2.8% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Sites of interest==
* [[Balloch, New Hampshire]]
* [[Cornish Flat, New Hampshire]]
* Covered bridges:
** [[Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge]]
** [[Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge]]
** [[Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge]]
** [[Kenyon Bridge]]
* [[Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park]]
* [[List of New Hampshire historical markers (251–275)#265|New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 265: Cornish Meetinghouse]]

<gallery widths="200px" heights="170px">
Image:View of Aspet, Cornish, NH.jpg|Aspet, home of [[Augustus Saint-Gaudens]]
Image:Saint-Gaudens-NHS.jpg|[[Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site]]
Image:Harlakenden House, Cornish, NH.jpg|[[Harlakenden]] House, built at Cornish, New Hampshire in 1898, summer [[White House]] to [[Woodrow Wilson]], burned in 1923
</gallery>

== Notable people ==
<!-- Note:
· Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability.
· The article must mention how they are associated with Cornish, whether born, raised, or residing.
· The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.
· Alphabetical by last name please.
· All others will be deleted.
-->
{{div col}}
* [[Champion S. Chase]] (1820–1898), politician
* [[Dudley Chase]] (1771–1846), [[state's attorney]] of [[Orange County, Vermont]], Speaker of the [[Vermont House of Representatives]], Chief Justice of the [[Vermont Supreme Court]], [[United States Senate|U.S. senator]] from [[Vermont]]
* [[Jonathan Chase (colonel)|Jonathan Chase]] (1732–1800), Revolutionary War officer
* [[Philander Chase]] (1775–1852), founder of [[Kenyon College]], sixth Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church
* [[Salmon P. Chase]] (1808–1873), justice of the [[Supreme Court of the United States|US Supreme Court]]; born in Cornish
* [[Winston Churchill (novelist)|Winston Churchill]] (1871–1947), novelist; no relation to the [[Winston Churchill|British statesman of the same name]]
* [[Herbert Croly]] (1869–1930), author; co-founder of the magazine ''[[The New Republic]]''
* [[Thomas Wilmer Dewing]] (1851–1938), painter; founding member of the [[Ten American Painters]] and taught at the [[Art Students League of New York]]
* [[Michael Dorris]] (1945–1997), novelist, scholar
* [[Julie Duncan]] (1919–1986), actress, champion [[Steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechase rider]]
* [[Louise Erdrich]] (born 1954), author<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TipWVIw65m4C&q=erdrich+new+hampshire+farmhouse&pg=PA64 |title=Conversations with Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris |last1=Erdrich |first1=Louise |last2=Dorris |first2=Michael |date=1994 |publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi |isbn=9780878056521 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Hamlin Garland]] (1860–1940), novelist, poet, essayist, short story writer, [[Georgism|Georgist]], psychical researcher; best known for his fiction involving hard-working Midwestern farmers
* [[Christian Gerhartsreiter]] (born 1961), impostor, convicted murderer
* [[James Hall (governor)|James Hall]] (1802–1889), founder of [[Maryland-in-Africa]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Bowdoin College|date=1889 |title=Obituary Record of the Graduates of Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine|trans-title= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nAQXAQAAIAAJ|language=English |location= |isbn=|pages=21–22}}</ref>
* [[Learned Hand]] (1872–1961), judge
* [[Percy MacKaye]] (1875–1956), playwright, poet
* [[Charles A. Platt]] (1861–1933), architect
* [[Samuel L. Powers]] (1848–1929), US congressman
* [[Augustus Saint-Gaudens]] (1848–1907), sculptor of the [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] generation who embodied the ideals of the [[American Renaissance]]
* [[Louis St. Gaudens]] (1854–1913), significant American sculptor of the [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] generation; brother of renowned sculptor [[Augustus Saint-Gaudens]]; Louis later changed the spelling of his name to '''St.''' Gaudens to differentiate himself from his well-known brother
* [[J. D. Salinger]] (1919–2010), writer, best known for his 1951 novel ''[[The Catcher in the Rye]]''<ref>Katie Zezima, [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/us/01salinger.html "Cornish Journal: J. D. Salinger a Recluse? Well, Not to His Neighbors"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 31, 2010.</ref>
* [[Nathan Smith (physician, born 1762)|Nathan Smith]] (1762–1829), physician, founder of [[Dartmouth Medical School|Dartmouth]] and [[Yale School of Medicine|Yale]] medical schools<ref name="Smith1914">{{cite book|author=Emily Jones Smith|title=The Life and letters of Nathan Smith, M.B., M.D.|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeandlettersn00smitgoog|access-date=November 6, 2012|year=1914|publisher=[[Yale University Press]]|page=xxvi}}</ref>
* [[Nathan Ryno Smith]] (1797–1877), surgeon, professor, son of [[Nathan Smith (physician, born 1762)|Nathan Smith]]
* [[Betsey Ann Stearns]] (1830-1914), inventor
* [[Woodrow Wilson]] (1856–1924), US president; summer resident at author Winston Churchill's Harlakenden House<ref>{{cite book |title=A brief history of Cornish,1763-1974 |last1=Wade |first1=M |last2=Tracy |first2=S. P. |last3=Wood |first3=D. C. |isbn=978-0-87451-129-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=57wMAAAAYAAJ |year=1976 |publisher=for the Town of Cornish by University Press of New England}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{portal|New Hampshire}}
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|www.cornishnh.net}}
* [https://librarytechnology.org/library/21528 George H. Stowell Free Library]
* [http://www.meyette.us/local.htm Local Cornish info]
* [http://www.city-data.com/city/Cornish-New-Hampshire.html Cornish, New Hampshire] at City-Data.com
* [https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/profiles-htm/cornish.htm New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile]
* [http://www.cornishfair.org/ Cornish Fair]
* [http://www.meyette.us/CorbinPark.htm Corbin Park]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160112175904/http://www.vnews.com/webextras/webextras-land.html ''Land Use in Cornish, N.H.''], a 2006 documentary presentation by James M. Patterson of the ''[[Valley News]]''
* [https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/1691 Cornish (N.H.: Town) Records, 1821–1873] at Dartmouth College Library

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Cornish
 | North     = [[Plainfield, New Hampshire|Plainfield]]
 | Northeast = [[Plainfield, New Hampshire|Plainfield]]
 | East      = [[Croydon, New Hampshire|Croydon]]
 | Southeast = [[Newport, New Hampshire|Newport]]
 | South     = [[Claremont, New Hampshire|Claremont]]
 | Southwest = [[Weathersfield, Vermont]]
 | West      = [[Windsor, Vermont]]
 | Northwest = [[Hartland, Vermont]]
}}
{{Sullivan County, New Hampshire}}
{{Connecticut River}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cornish, New Hampshire| ]]
[[Category:New Hampshire populated places on the Connecticut River]]
[[Category:Towns in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Towns in Sullivan County, New Hampshire]]