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 the English. Incorporated in 1765 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth, it was named for Sir Samuel
Cornish, a distinguished admiral of the Royal Navy. Cornish
is 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, transforming the area into 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 Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River, was
built in 1866 at an original cost of $9,000.
Residence of Charles A. Platt, architect, inc.
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
- 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 111.0 km² (42.8 mi²). 109.1 km² (42.1 mi²) of
it is land and 1.9 km² (0.7 mi²) of it is water, comprising 1.68% of the town. Cornish is drained by Mill Brook and the
Connecticut River, which bounds it on the west. 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 feet (708 meters) above
sea level. Cornish lies fully within the Connecticut
River watershed.[1]
Demographics
"Aspet," summer home of Augustus Saint-Gaudens
As of the census2 of 2000,
there were 1,661 people, 645 households, and 465 families residing in the town. The population density was 15.2/km² (39.4/mi²). There were 697 housing units at an average density of
6.4/km² (16.5/mi²). 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
- ^ Foster, Debra H.; Batorfalvy, Tatianna N.; and Medalie, Laura (1995). Water Use in New Hampshire: An
Activities Guide for Teachers. U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey.
External links
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