Orford, New Hampshire

Orford is a

First called "Number Seven" in a line of

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 47.9 square miles (124.1 km²), of which 46.5 square miles (120.4 km²) are land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) are water, comprising 2.93% of the town.^[1] The Connecticut River, which serves as the boundary between New Hampshire and Vermont, forms the western edge of the town. Most of Orford is drained by Jacobs Brook and other small tributaries of the Connecticut. The northeastern corner of the town, around Upper and Lower Baker Ponds, drains via the Baker River and Pemigewasset River into the Merrimack River.

The town has two population centers. The main village of Orford, with the town's schools and post office, is located on

The highest point in Orford is the summit of Mount Cube, at 2,909 feet (887 m) above sea level, in the eastern part of town. The northern slopes of Smarts Mountain, whose 3,240-foot (990 m) summit lies in the neighboring town of Lyme, occupy the southeastern corner of town.

Camps Merriwood and Moosilauke are situated on Upper Baker Pond in Orford.

Demographics

As of the

There were 470 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,250, and the median income for a family was $50,577. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $25,833 for females. The

poverty line

, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

Crime

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2024)

In the winter of 2011, Orford experienced a rash of street sign theft, at one point leaving the town with only six signs remaining. With an addition of a new police officer, 66 of the signs were recovered and two of the thieves admitted to stealing the signs.^[8]

Education

It is in the Rivendell Interstate School District.^[9]

Notable people

• Deborah Arnie Arnesen (born 1953), NH gubernatorial candidate, commentator^[10]
• Daniel Doan (1914–1993), hiking enthusiast, writer^[11]
• Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel Prize-winning economist; The Economist described Friedman as "the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century ... possibly of all of it"^[12]
• Charles R. Jackson (1903–1968), writer^[13]
• Ben Lovejoy (born 1984), defenseman with the Pittsburgh Penguins^[14]
• Gilman Marston (1811–1890), US senator, congressman, and US Army general^[15]
• Samuel Morey (1762–1843), inventor^[16]
• Jameson Parker (born 1947), actor^[17]
• Fanny Huntington Runnells Poole
  (1863–1940), writer, book reviewer
• governor of New Hampshire^[18]
• Jeduthun Wilcox (1768–1838), US congressman^[19]
• Leonard Wilcox (1799–1850), US senator^[20]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Orford, New Hampshire.

• Official website
• History of Orford
• New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
• History of East Orford