Antrim, New Hampshire

Antrim is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,651 at the 2020 census. and incorporated on March 22, 1777, this town did not receive its incorporated name until 1778. It was named for County Antrim in the north of Ireland, now part of Northern Ireland, which was the native home of the land's owner, Philip Riley. Scots-Irish settlers established a Presbyterian church in Antrim in 1788.

With falls providing water power, Great Brook was once lined with over twenty mills along its course from Gregg Lake to the Contoocook River. Commercial development centered on South Antrim, now the main village of Antrim. Cutlery was the major industry in this town, beginning with the manufacturing of apple-paring machines in 1864. The manufacture of cutlery continued in Antrim through 1989. The town is now largely a bedroom community for Peterborough and Hillsborough. The now-defunct Nathaniel Hawthorne College was in the area of town known as North Branch. The former college campus is now home to Hawthorne Academy.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 2.24% of the town.

The town center, defined as a census-designated place (CDP), covers an area of , about 12% of the area of the town. It includes the main village of Antrim (once known as South Antrim or South Village), plus parts of Clinton Village and Antrim Center.

Adjacent municipalities

Windsor (north)
Hillsborough (northeast)
Deering (east)
Bennington (southeast)
Hancock (south)
Nelson (southwest)
Stoddard (west)

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,637 people, 1,055 households, and 727 families residing in the town. There were 1,329 housing units, of which 274, or 20.6%, were vacant. 197 of the vacant units were for seasonal or recreational use. The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% white, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.04% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.2% some other race, and 1.6% from two or more races. 1.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 1,055 households, 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were headed by married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 2.92.

Education

Antrim is part of SAU (School Administrative Unit) #1, which is a school district that includes nine towns, better known as the Contoocook Valley Regional School District (ConVal). Students from Antrim attend the following public schools:

Elementary: Antrim Elementary School, located in Antrim
Middle: Great Brook School, located in Antrim
High: ConVal Regional High School, located in Peterborough

Festivals

In early fall the Antrim Home and Harvest festival takes place.

Sites of interest

Antrim Historical Society & Museum
James A Tuttle Library
Avenue A
The Antrim Grapevine
The Antrim Grange
Memorial Park