.
Mont Vernon is a hilltop town overlooking Amherst and Milford. It was once mainly agricultural, though it did host several large summer hotels. Now it is basically a bedroom community without commerce or industry.
The town has a definite sense of its history and has a large historical museum in the Town Hall. The Historical Society is in the process of publishing a series of books about the town, and is the only Historical Society in the area with a junior division.
History
This town, originally a part of Amherst, was incorporated in 1803. It had become a separate parish in 1781. In 1851, about a dozen Lyndeborough residents joined the town on the west side.
According to tradition, the name was supposed be Mount Vernon and there was an error in transcription. An effort was made in 1855 to change the official spelling, but it did not succeed.
A hundred years ago, Mont Vernon was known for its summer hotels. The Grand Hotel, one-hundred feet square and four stories high, was located on a hill above the village. It was struck by lightning on Labor Day, 1930, and burned down. Three Queen Anne-style "cottages" belonging to the hotel are now private homes. Other hotels in the village were the Bellevue, Hillsborough House and the Mount Vernon House. The site of the Mount Vernon House is now a park in the center of the village.
Incorporated: 1803
Origin: Named in honor of George Washington's Virginia estate, which got its name from Admiral Edward Vernon. George Washington's brother, Lawrence, the original owner of the estate, served under Admiral Vernon as an officer. Although probably not the reason for selecting this name, Admiral Vernon was also a close friend of Governor Wentworth.
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 762 residents in 1810
Population Trends: Over the last five decades, Mont Vernon's population grew five times larger. Decennial growth rates were at or above the statewide average rate, and ranged from a 12 percent increase between 1990-2000 to a 59 percent increase between 1970-1980. Mont Vernon's population increased by a total of 1,629 residents, going from 405 in 1950 to 2,034 residents in 2000. The 2003 Census estimate for Mont Vernon was 2,275 residents, which ranked 124th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density, 2003: 126.5 persons per square mile of land area. Mont Vernon contains 16.8 square miles of land area and 0.1 square miles of inland water area.
|
Population
2001: 2,200 1990: 1,812 1980: 1,444 Local Property Tax 2004 (per $1,000): $18.74 Transportation Nearest Interstate, Exit: I-293, Exit 4 Distance 35 miles |
Utilities:
Electric Supplier: PSNH Water Supplier: Private Curbside Trash Pickup: No Cable Television Service: Yes Full Time Police Department: Yes Full Time Fire Department: Yes Emergency Medical Service: Municipal Paid |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
