Cornish is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,661 at the 2000 census. Cornish has three covered bridges. Each August, it is home to the Cornish Fair.
History
Established in 1763, the town was once known as Mast Camp, because it was the shipping point for the tall masts floated down the river by English settlers. Incorporated in 1765 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth, it was named for Sir Samuel Cornish, a distinguished admiral of the Royal Navy. Cornish has historically been and continues to be a well-known summer resort for artists and writers. Seeking a studio away from the summer heat of New York City, sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens began coming to Cornish in 1885. Artist friends followed him, and the area became the center of a popular artists' colony.
Cornish is the site of the longest wooden covered bridge in the United States, and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world. The Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River, was built in 1866 at an original cost of $9,000.
Residence of Charles A. Platt, architect, c. 1915
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
Notable inhabitants
- Jonathan Chase, Revolutionary War officer
- Philander Chase, founder of Kenyon College
- Salmon P. Chase, justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, was born here
- Winston Churchill, writer
- Thomas Wilmer Dewing, painter
- Michael Dorris, author
- Louise Erdrich, author
- Hamlin Garland, author
- Learned Hand, judge
- Percy MacKaye, playwright and poet
- Charles A. Platt, architect
- Augustus Saint-Gaudens, sculptor
- J. D. Salinger, writer
- Nathan Smith, physician, founder of Dartmouth and Yale medical schools
- Gary A. Wegner, astronomer
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.8 square miles (111 km2), of which 42.1 sq mi (109 km2) is land and 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2) is water, comprising 1.68% of the town. The long ridge of Croydon Mountain follows the eastern boundary of town; the highest point in town is an unnamed knob on Croydon Mountain which reaches an elevation of 2,323 ft (708 m) above sea level. Cornish is drained by Mill Brook, Blow-me-down Brook, and the Connecticut River, which bounds it on the west. Cornish lies fully within the Connecticut River watershed.[1] The eastern part of the town is a portion of the approximately 25,000 acre Blue Mountain Forest Association private game preserve, also known locally as Corbin Park, named after its founder, Austin Corbin.
Demographics
"Aspet," summer home of Augustus Saint-Gaudens
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,661 people, 645 households, and 465 families residing in the town. The population density was 39.4 people per square mile (15.2/km²). There were 697 housing units at an average density of 16.5/sq mi (6.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.71% White, 0.30% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or 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 married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 21.2% of all households 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
References
External links
