Swanzey is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,270 at the 2020 census. Situated on the Ashuelot River and connected by the Ashuelot Railroad, West Swanzey developed as a textile mill town, and East Swanzey produced wooden buckets for generations. By 1859, the population was 2,106.

The town features four covered bridges, and was the home of theatrical trouper Denman Thompson, who gained a national reputation by his portrayal of the Yankee farmer, "Joshua Whitcomb", star of his stage play The Old Homestead. Residents restage Thompson's melodrama every summer at a natural outdoor amphitheater called the Potash Bowl.

Because he vacationed in Swanzey during several summers, the town has claimed to be the location of a tree that inspired poet Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918) to write the popular 1913 poem "Trees". However, family accounts and documents establish that the poem was written in Mahwah, New Jersey.

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Image:Post Office, West Swanzey, NH.jpg|Post Office

Image:Denman Thompson's Residence, West Swanzey, NH.jpg|Denman Thompson's residence in 1907

Image:Ashuelot River, West Swanzey, NH.jpg|Ashuelot River

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Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 0.79% of the town. Swanzey is drained by the Ashuelot River, a southwest-flowing tributary of the Connecticut River. The town's highest point is the summit of Franklin Mountain at , on the border with Winchester.

The town is crossed by New Hampshire Route 10, New Hampshire Route 12 and New Hampshire Route 32.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,230 people, 2,957 households, and 1,978 families residing in the town. There were 3,205 housing units, of which 248, or 7.7%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the town was 96.0% white, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.03% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.4% some other race, and 1.4% from two or more races. 1.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 2,957 households, 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were headed by married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. Of all households, 24.0% were made up of individuals, and 9.1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45, and the average family size was 2.88.

Education

  • Monadnock Regional High School

Sites of interest

  • Swanzey Historical Museum
  • West Swanzey Covered Bridge, built in 1832

Notable people

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  • Loyal B. Stearns (1853–1936), jurist, Oregon state representative
  • Denman Thompson (1833–1911), playwright, theatre actor

See also

References

  • Mt. Caesar Union Library
  • Stratton Free Library
  • New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile