Greenville is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,974 at the 2020 census, It is located at the junctions of New Hampshire routes 31, 45, and 123. It contains the census-designated place of the same name.

History

thumb|Print of Greenville from 1886 by [[L.R. Burleigh with a list of landmarks as well as an inset facsimile of an 1847 rendering of Mason Village]]

Once a part of Mason called "Mason Village", Greenville is one of the state's newest and smallest towns, incorporated in 1872. It is located at the High Falls on the Souhegan River, whose plentiful water power provided the mill town with the state's first industries, making cotton and woolen goods. Because of the falls, Greenville was always a manufacturing center. The Columbian Manufacturing Company was established in 1826 to make textiles in both Greenville and neighboring New Ipswich. The Columbian is long gone, but its fine brick buildings still dominate the village, kept company by Queen Anne style houses on side streets. The mills are now used for other businesses and storage, and one has been converted into housing for the elderly.

Greenville once had a Boston & Maine Railroad trestle. Before it was dismantled for safety reasons, local residents turned out one sunny afternoon to watch Bronson Potter, Mason resident and inventor, fly a private airplane underneath the span on a wager. The railroad depot, which still stands, was once an important landmark that put the tiny towns of Mason and Greenville "on the map". It has since been turned into a Chinese restaurant and lounge.

<gallery class="center" widths="180px">

File:Columbian Hotel, Greenville, N.H, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.jpg|Columbian Hotel

File:Mills, Greenville, NH.jpg|View of the mills in 1886

File:East Main Street, Greenville, NH.jpg|East Main Street in 1919

File:Railroad Bridge, Greenville, NH.jpg|B. & M. trestle

</gallery>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it recorded as land.

Adjacent municipalities

  • Wilton (north)
  • Mason (east and south)
  • New Ipswich (west)
  • Temple (northwest)

Roadways

Four state highways traverse Greenville. NH Route 31 enters the state in Mason from Ashby, Massachusetts, on MA Route 31. NH 31 intersects NH 124 before entering Greenville. NH 31 runs north–south for the entire length of the town before entering Wilton to the north. The highway shares a right-of-way with NH Route 123 which intersects it and runs north to Pleasant Street. Pleasant Street is the main access road to downtown Greenville from NH 31 in the south. NH 123 continues on a left turn in downtown Greenville and runs south to New Ipswich and NH 124. Further down Main Street in Greenville is the beginning of NH Route 45, which runs northwest to Temple, ending at NH Route 101. NH Route 124 crosses the southwest corner of Greenville but intersects no other highways within the town limits.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Greenville has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,105 people, 861 households, and 537 families residing in the town. There were 933 housing units, of which 72, or 7.7%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the town was 97.0% white, 0.6% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.2% some other race, and 1.4% from two or more races. 2.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 861 households, 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were headed by married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 3.02.

Notable people

<!-- Note:

· Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability.

· The article must mention how they are associated with Greenville, whether born, raised, or residing.

· The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.

· Alphabetical by last name please.

· All others will be deleted.

-->

  • Henry Richardson (1917–1981), New Hampshire's first African American state legislator
  • Brian Viglione (born 1979), drummer for The Dresden Dolls

See also

  • Greenville Wildlife Park, a small zoo that closed in 2003

References

  • Chamberlin Free Public Library
  • New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile