Londonderry is a town in western Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. It sits between Manchester and Derry, the largest and fourth-largest communities in the state. The population was 25,826 at the 2020 census. Londonderry is known for its apple orchards and is home to the headquarters of Stonyfield Farm and part of Manchester–Boston Regional Airport.

The more densely settled portion of town, where 11,645 people lived at the 2020 census, is defined as the Londonderry census-designated place (CDP) and roughly occupies the southeastern and southern parts of town, around New Hampshire Route 102.

History

Early history

thumb|The Morrison House Museum, home of the Londonderry Historical Society

Londonderry lies in an area that was first known as "Nutfield" because of the dense woods with nut trees. A petition for the town was submitted to the General Court of the Province of New Hampshire on September 23, 1719. That petition stated that the petitioners had settled "at Nutfield about the Eleventh of Aprile last"—i.e. April 11, 1719. That petition requested "ten miles square" and stated that there were now about seventy families and inhabitants from both Ireland and New England. On June 21, 1722, the town was chartered and given the name "Londonderry", after Londonderry in the province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. The grant made by Samuel Shute, Governor of the province of New Hampshire, was for a tract of land described as follows:

<blockquote>"Beginning on the North East Angle at a Beach Tree marked which is the south East angle of Chester and Running from thence due South on Kingstown Line four miles and an half and from thence on a West Line one mile and three Quarters and from thence South six miles and an half and from thence West north West nine miles and an half, and from thence North Eleven miles and an half from thence north north East Three miles from thence East South East one mile and from thence South South West to the South West Angle of Chester and from thence on an East Line Bounding on Chester Ten miles unto the Beach Tree first mentioned.”</blockquote>

The town was divided into two parishes on February 25, 1739/40. Windham was set off and incorporated on February 12, 1741/42. The northwest portion, with other land, was incorporated as Derryfield, now Manchester, on September 3, 1751. Derry was incorporated on July 2, 1827. Border adjustments and annexations were made throughout this period continuing until June 27, 1857, when the line with Hudson (formerly known as Nottingham West) was established.

In 1719, the first North American potato was grown in Derry, then a part of Londonderry.

Approval of the petition submitted to the province of New Hampshire required the petitioners to obtain an agreement from Col. John Wheelwright for the sale of the land. He held claim to it based on a grant to his grandfather. That agreement was obtained on October 12, 1719, and included a statement of the bounds, extending west as far as the Merrimack River. This conflicted with a grant for the town of Dunstable, now Nashua, made by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1673. The provincial line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was not settled in its present location until 1741. Thus when Londonderry was granted, the westernmost portion actually lay within the Dunstable grant and the Province of Massachusetts Bay. The resulting land conflicts with "Dunstable encroachers" were still being dealt with by the town in 1783 and 1791. Private owners were resolving these conflicts between each other as late as 1812.

The first U.S. census, conducted in 1790, reported the town's population to be 2,622.

19th century to World War II

The Manchester and Lawrence Railroad was opened in November 1849, with depots at North Londonderry, Wilson's Crossing, Derry and Windham. Two months later, on January 26, 1850, Dearborn Whittier, a prominent resident, was hit and killed by a railroad car at Wilson's Crossing. On March 12 the town voted to require gates at all crossings, although the issue persisted for a few more years.

The Manchester and Derry Street Railroad, sometimes referred to as the Derry and Manchester Street Railroad or trolley car, opened in December 1907 and operated between Broadway in Derry and Elm Street in Manchester until August 1926.

<gallery caption="Antique postcards" widths="180px" class="center">

Image:Soldiers' Monument, Londonderry, NH.jpg|Civil War Soldiers' Monument

Image:Railroad Station, Londonderry, NH.jpg|Railroad Station in 1914

Image:Pillsbury Homestead, Londonderry, NH.jpg|Col. W. S. Pillsbury residence

</gallery>

Postwar history

Suburbanization after World War II, particularly the construction of Interstate 93, led to the town's growth.

21st century

The COVID-19 pandemic created divisions in Londonderry, including heated controversy around whether or not to adopt a mask mandate in the town's schools.

Geography

Londonderry is the westernmost municipality in Rockingham County. It is bordered by the towns of Auburn to the northeast, Derry to the east, and Windham to the southeast, all in Rockingham County, and by Hudson to the south, Litchfield to the west, and Manchester to the north, in Hillsborough County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 0.30% of the town.

|2020=25826

As of the 2020 census, there were 25,826 people, 9,569 households, and 7,422 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 9,849 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.2% White, 0.8% Black or African American, >0.1% Native American or Alaska Native, 1.9% Asian, >0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.3% some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.7% of the population.

There were 9,569 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were headed by married couples living together, 21.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 11.2% of households were an individual 65 or older. The average household size was 2.74, and the average family size was 3.12.

Economy

left|thumb|upright|Sunnycrest Farm market

Londonderry is home to numerous businesses, many of which are located in the northern part of the town near Manchester–Boston Regional Airport (MHT), or in the southeastern part of town near I-93, on NH 102. Major businesses headquartered in town include Stonyfield Farm and Blue Seal Feeds; a bottling facility of the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. is also located in town. The town is also home to numerous chain retailers.

Mack's Apples, Sunnycrest Farm, and Elwood Orchards are among the several orchards in town and are emblematic of the town's important farming heritage. The abundance of apple orchards in town has made apple picking a popular fall activity among all residents.

One former apple orchard is currently being transformed into a 600-acre commercial and residential development to be known as Woodmont Commons.

Elementary schools:

  • North School

Media

Media outlets that cover Londonderry include the Londonderry Times and the Derry News.

Notable people

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  • Ant (born 1967), host of VH1 reality series Celebrity Fit Club
  • Al Baldasaro (born 1956), former member of New Hampshire House of Representatives,
  • John Bell (1765–1836), 18th governor of New Hampshire
  • Samuel Bell (1770–1850), 14th governor of New Hampshire
  • Silas Betton (1768–1822), US congressman
  • Dom DiMaggio (1917–2009), outfielder with the Boston Red Sox
  • John Fisher (1806–1882), industrialist; US congressman from New York
  • Ryan Griffin (born 1990), tight end for the Chicago Bears
  • Kevin Hunt (1948–2015), NFL player (offensive lineman) for four teams
  • Arthur Livermore (1766–1853), US congressman
  • Joseph McKeen (1757–1807), president of Bowdoin College
  • Dan Mullen (born 1972), head coach for the UNLV Rebels football team
  • Ocean Born Mary (1720–1814), subject of a local ghost legend
  • William M. Oliver (1792–1863), US congressman
  • Ethan Paquin, poet
  • George W. Patterson (1799–1879), US congressman
  • Peter Patterson (1825–1904), businessman, Canadian politician
  • William Patterson (1789–1838), US congressman
  • George Reid (1733–1815), Revolutionary War era officer
  • William Stark (1724–1776), Revolutionary War era officer, loyalist to Britain
  • Samuel Taggart (1754–1825), US congressman
  • Matthew Thornton (1714–1803), Founding Father, signer of the Declaration of Independence;
  • Brian Wilson (born 1982), pitcher with two teams
  • James Wilson (1763–1855), first maker of globes in the US

References

Further reading

  • Rev. Edward L. Parker, History of Londonderry, Comprising the Towns of Londonderry and Derry; Perkins & Whipple; Boston 1851
  • A. J. Coolidge & J. B. Mansfield, A History and Description of New England; Boston, Massachusetts 1859
  • New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile