Editing Strafford, New Hampshire

{{For|the town in Coos County, New Hampshire|Stratford, New Hampshire}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Strafford, New Hampshire
| nickname           = 
| motto              = 
| image_skyline      = 
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = StraffordNHseal.png
| image_map          = Strafford-Strafford-NH.png
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location within Strafford County, New Hampshire
| settlement_type    = 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  = [[Strafford County, New Hampshire|Strafford]]
| parts_type         = Villages
| parts              = {{ubl|[[Bow Lake Village, New Hampshire|Bow Lake Village]]|[[Center Strafford, New Hampshire|Center Strafford]]|Strafford}}
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = [[Board of selectmen|Board of Selectmen]]
| leader_name        = {{ubl|Lynn Sweet, Chair|Brian Monahan|Chris Garcia}}
| leader_title1      = Town Administrator
| leader_name1       = Ellen White
| established_title  = [[New Hampshire#Early settlement|Settled]]
| established_title2 = [[Incorporation (municipal government)|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = 
| established_date2  = [[:Category:1820 establishments|1820]]
| 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 5, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi   = 
| area_total_km2     = 132.7
| area_land_sq_mi    = 
| area_land_km2      = 127.0
| area_water_sq_mi   = 
| area_water_km2     = 5.7
| area_urban_sq_mi   = 
| area_urban_km2     = 
| area_metro_sq_mi   = 
| area_metro_km2     = 
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_note    = 
| population_total   = 4230
| population_metro   = 
| population_urban   = 
| population_density_km2 = 33.3
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| coordinates        = {{coord|43|16|13|N|71|07|34|W|region:US-NH|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_m        = 
| elevation_ft       = 595
| website            = {{URL|strafford.nh.gov}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 03884
| area_code          = [[Area code 603|603]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 33-73860
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0873726
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Strafford''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Strafford County, New Hampshire|Strafford County]], [[New Hampshire]], United States. The population was 4,230 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US3301773860|title=Census - Geography Profile: Strafford town, Strafford County, New Hampshire|access-date=December 24, 2021}}</ref> The two main settlements in town are [[Center Strafford, New Hampshire|Center Strafford]] and [[Bow Lake Village, New Hampshire|Bow Lake Village]].

== History ==

[[Image:Hills, Strafford, NH.jpg|thumb|left|''The Blue Hills and the Job Hills from Northwood Road'' {{circa|1910}}]]
Once part of [[Barrington, New Hampshire|Barrington]], Strafford was set off due to the lengthy travel required to attend town meetings. Settled prior to the [[American Revolution|Revolution]], the town incorporated in 1820, taking its name from the county in which it is located. Strafford County had been organized in 1773 during the administration of [[Thirteen Colonies|colonial]] governor [[Sir John Wentworth, 1st Baronet|John Wentworth]], and named in honor of [[Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford]].

[[Image:Academy, Center Strafford, NH.jpg|thumb|right|Austin Cate Academy {{circa|1912}}]]
The Austin Academy once stood in the center of Strafford village. George Cate,{{efn|George N. Cate was born in [[Wolfeboro, New Hampshire]], and lived for many years in [[Marlborough, Massachusetts]]—he was described as a builder, lumber dealer, and former bank trustee at the time of his death in 1901, aged 76.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/transcript-telegram-george-n-cate/144756704/ |title=George N. Cate |newspaper=[[Holyoke Transcript-Telegram]] |location=[[Holyoke, Massachusetts]] |page=2 |date=October 17, 1901 |accessdate=April 4, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-delightful-drives-throu/144756903/ |title=Delightful Drives Through State of New Hampshire |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=25 |date=October 31, 1934 |accessdate=April 4, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>}} a wealthy shoe manufacturer, visited the school at the request of its principal Alvin E. Thomas and was so impressed with the school that he left at his death $200,000{{efn|Shortly after his death, Cate's donation was reported as $20,000 {{USDCY|20000|1901}} with the remainder of his estate to go to the academy after the death of his widow.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vermont-tribune-new-england-briefs/144759109/ |title=New England Briefs |newspaper=The Vermont Tribune |location=[[Ludlow (village), Vermont|Ludlow, Vermont]] |page=6 |date=October 25, 1901 |accessdate=April 4, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>}} on the condition that his name be added to that of Mr. Austin. After his death, the hundred-acre farm of George Washington Foss was purchased, and soon a beautiful new building, designed by well-known New Hampshire architect [[J. Edward Richardson]], sat on the hill with the name on its façade, "Austin-Cate Academy - 1903". The property has been purchased by the state for a [[New Hampshire Army National Guard|National Guard]] training center. The Foss farmhouse that was used as a dormitory burned in 1961 and was replaced with a one-story dormitory. The main building had burned in the early 1930s and was replaced with the brick building, also designed by Richardson, that is there now.<ref>Strafford Town History</ref>{{better source needed|reason=Authored by whom and available where?|date=April 2024}}

== Geography ==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|132.7|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|127.0|sqkm|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|5.7|sqkm|order=flip}} are water, comprising 4.27% of the town.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2021"/> [[Bow Lake (New Hampshire)|Bow Lake]] covers {{convert|1160|acre|ha}} in the southern part of town.  Strafford is drained by the [[Isinglass River]] and its tributary the [[Berrys River]], and by the [[Big River (New Hampshire)|Big River]]. The Isinglass River flows east to the [[Cocheco River]] in [[Dover, New Hampshire|Dover]] and is part of the [[Piscataqua River]] watershed, while the Big River flows west to the [[Suncook River]] in [[Barnstead, New Hampshire|Barnstead]] and is part of the [[Merrimack River]] watershed.

The Blue Hills Range divides the town in half, running southwest to northeast. Parker Mountain, the highest point in the range and in Strafford, rises to {{convert|1420|ft|m}} above [[sea level]].

===Adjacent municipalities===
* [[Farmington, New Hampshire|Farmington]] (northeast)
* [[Rochester, New Hampshire|Rochester]] (east)
* [[Barrington, New Hampshire|Barrington]] (southeast)
* [[Northwood, New Hampshire|Northwood]] (southwest)
* [[Pittsfield, New Hampshire|Pittsfield]] (west)
* [[Barnstead, New Hampshire|Barnstead]] (northwest)

== Demographics ==
{{US Census population
|1820= 2144
|1830= 2200
|1840= 2021
|1850= 1920
|1860= 2047
|1870= 1669
|1880= 1531
|1890= 1304
|1900= 1040
|1910= 786
|1920= 764
|1930= 617
|1940= 714
|1950= 770
|1960= 722
|1970= 965
|1980= 1663
|1990= 2965
|2000= 3626
|2010= 3991
|2020= 4230
|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>
}}
[[Image:Bow Lake Village, Strafford, NH.jpg|thumb|right|Bow Lake Village {{circa|1912}}]]
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 3,626 people, 1,281 households, and 1,022 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|73.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 1,564 housing units at an average density of {{convert|31.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 98.48% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.14% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.14% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.25% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.06% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.94% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.63% of the population.

There were 1,281 households, out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $59,044, and the median income for a family was $62,238. Males had a median income of $40,423 versus $30,524 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $23,500.  About 1.0% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

== Notable person ==
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* [[Charles Simic]] (born 1938), fifteenth [[Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress|US Poet Laureate]] (2007–2008)

== See also ==
* [[Strafford Union Academy]], listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
* [[List of New Hampshire historical markers (276–300)#291|New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 291]]: Strafford Union Academy 1833–1903 / Austin-Cate Academy 1904–1981

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{portal|New Hampshire}}
{{reflist|30em}}

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

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Strafford
 | North     = [[Alton, New Hampshire|Alton]] and [[New Durham, New Hampshire|New Durham]]
 | Northeast = [[Farmington, New Hampshire|Farmington]]
 | East      = [[Rochester, New Hampshire|Rochester]] 
 | Southeast = [[Barrington, New Hampshire|Barrington]] 
 | South     = [[Northwood, New Hampshire|Northwood]]
 | Southwest = [[Northwood, New Hampshire|Northwood]]
 | West      = [[Pittsfield, New Hampshire|Pittsfield]]
 | Northwest = [[Barnstead, New Hampshire|Barnstead]]
}}

{{Strafford County, New Hampshire}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Strafford, New Hampshire| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Strafford County, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1820]]
[[Category:1820 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Towns in New Hampshire]]