Belmont is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,314 at the 2020 census. Built in 1833, the Gilmanton Village Manufacturing Co. made cotton and woolen textiles. Over the years it would change owners, names and products. In 1921, it was the Belmont Hosiery Co., a maker of silk, lisle and woolen stockings. It went out of business in 1955, and the renovated mill building is now a community center. The name Belmont was adopted in 1869 to honor August Belmont, a wealthy financier who (it was hoped) would contribute to the nascent town, but he never acknowledged the act.

In 1874, the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad passed through the northwestern section of Belmont, and service by the Franklin and Rochester Railroad was being planned. and was cited in 2012 by the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance as one of the 25 milestone efforts of a quarter-century. The mill was added to the New Hampshire Register of Historic Places in 2014, joining the 1792 Province Road Meeting House on New Hampshire Route 107, listed since 2003. Other significant historic structures in the town include the Belmont Public Library, included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and the Bandstand, cited for outstanding restoration and rehabilitation in 2015 with the Elizabeth Durfee Hengen Award from the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 6.08% of the town.

New Hampshire Route 106 passes through the town center, connecting Laconia to the north with Loudon and Concord to the south. New Hampshire Route 140 crosses NH 106 at the town center, leading to Gilmanton and Alton to the east and Tilton to the west. U.S. Route 3 and New Hampshire Route 11, forming a concurrency, pass through the northwest corner of the town along the shore of Lake Winnisquam, leading north to Laconia and southwest to Tilton and Franklin. New Hampshire Route 107 crosses the northeastern corner of the town, connecting Gilmanton to the south with Laconia to the north.

Adjacent municipalities

  • Laconia (north)
  • Gilford (northeast)
  • Gilmanton (east)
  • Northfield (south)
  • Tilton (west)
  • Sanbornton (northwest)

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 7,356 people, 2,941 households, and 2,069 families residing in the town. There were 3,615 housing units, of which 674, or 18.6%, were vacant. 495 of the vacant units were for seasonal use. The racial makeup of the town was 97.0% White, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.04% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.3% some other race, and 1.4% from two or more races. 1.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 2,941 households, 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were headed by married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50, and the average family size was 2.87.

Government

In the New Hampshire Senate, Belmont is in the 7th district, represented by Republican Harold French. In the New Hampshire House of Representatives, district 6, Belmont is represented by Republicans Michael J. Sylvia and John R. Plumer. On the New Hampshire Executive Council, Belmont is in the 2nd district, represented by Democrat Andru Volinsky. In the United States House of Representatives, Belmont is in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district, represented by Democrat Chris Pappas.

Notable people

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  • William Badger (1779–1852), 15th governor of New Hampshire
  • Richard Paul Pavlick (1887–1975), would-be assassin of president-elect John F. Kennedy in December 1960

References

  • Belmont Public Library
  • Belmont Historical Society
  • New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
  • Belmont NH Heritage