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Sullivan County, New Hampshire

Sullivan County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

Etymology - Origin of County Name

The county was named for John Sullivan (b. February 17, 1740, Somersworth, New Hampshire – d. January 23, 1795, Durham, New Hampshire) was an American general in the Revolutionary War and a delegate in the Continental Congress. Sullivan served as a major general in the Continental Army and as Governor (or "President") of New Hampshire. He is most famous for leading the Sullivan Expedition in 1779, a scorched earth campaign against the Iroquois towns that had taken up arms against the American revolutionaries

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Sullivan County was organized in September, 1827. It was named for General John Sullivan, a Revolutionary War hero, New Hampshire attorney general and judge. Charlestown's Fort played an important role during the French and Indian Wars. The town of Cornish, first settled in 1765 was a site where mast pines were cut for the King's ships. Sullivan county was the birthplace of the American machine tool industry and is the site of several historic mill communities.

Sullivan County is located in western New Hampshire and shares a thirty-six mile stretch of the Connecticut River with our neighbor Vermont. It consists of 528 square miles and has population of 38,592. Eighty-Five percent of the landscape is in forest land and twelve percent of the county is prime farm land. Many of these 18th century farms are still in the same family. Primary industries include manufacturing, retail, health and higher education.

There is one city and fourteen towns in Sullivan County. The population of the city of Claremont is 14,050. A special feature in Claremont is their Opera House, a completely restored 1800's theater. Acoustically it is considered "one of the best facilities" in all of New England. The town of Newport also has an opera house. Both Opera Houses bring forward a variety of local talent as well as, cultural experiences from across the United States including dances, concerts and plays. Another rather unique feature of the area is a Hang Gliding Flight Park. Claremont is also home to New Hampshire Community Technical College. A public, two year college offering career oriented education for adults. It is also home to a branch of the University System of New Hampshire's College for Life Long Learning (C.L.L). The Connecticut Valley Region of C.L.L. delivers college programs to adults in the communities in which they live and work , using the resources of the entire University System. Valley Regional Hospital is also located in Claremont.

Throughout Sullivan County there are a variety of recreational opportunities to enjoy including hiking, biking, snowmobiling, cross country and alpine skiing, as well as boating and fishing. Mount Sunapee State Park includes a 200 acre network of trails for skiing and hiking and sparkling lakes for swimming. Enjoy the view from a chairlift ride to the top of the highest mountain in southern New Hampshire. Enjoy the annual state arts and crafts show and other events at Sunapee State Park.. Other sites unique to Sullivan County include: Old Fort #4, a revolutionary stockade in Charlestown, the Cornish-Windsor covered bridge (the longest of its kind in the US), and the Saint-Gaudens National Historic site, the home and studio of a famous sculptor and location of summer concerts and art exhibits.

As in the other nine counties, Sullivan County has three elected commissioners, who are responsible for administering the 15+ million dollar county budget. Local governments usually consist of a volunteer board of selectman with a paid administrator. In addition, many towns have volunteer fire departments, conservation commissions, planning and zoning boards. Public safety is ensured with the cooperative efforts of local police, the county sheriff and State Police.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 552 square miles (1,430 km2), of which 537 sq mi (1,390 km2) is land and 15 square miles (39 km2) (2.63%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

• Grafton County (north)
• Merrimack County (east)
• Hillsborough County (southeast)
• Cheshire County (south)
• Windham County, Vermont (southwest)
• Windsor County, Vermont (west)
   

Cities and Towns:

County Resources:

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