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109-719: Major cities in the Merrimack Valley include Concord , Manchester , and Nashua in New Hampshire, and Lowell , Lawrence , and Haverhill in Massachusetts. The Valley was a major center of the textile industry in the 19th century. The Merrimack Valley area in Massachusetts is a community of towns and cities flanking the Merrimack River along the New Hampshire border , a portion of which

218-674: A Puritan English city during the Colonial era, Charlestown proper was founded in 1628 and settled July 4, 1629, by Thomas Graves , Increase Nowell , Simon Hoyt, the Rev. Francis Bright, and the Spragues (Ralph, Richard, & William Sprague) , among some 100 others who preceded the Great Migration . John Winthrop 's company stopped here for some time in 1630, before deciding to accept the invitation of William Blaxton to settle across

327-662: A Boston designer who later designed the stained glass for the Connecticut State Capitol. The Warren Tavern first opened in 1780. It is located at 2 Pleasant Street. The building was one of the first built after the Battle of Bunker Hill . The Tavern took its name from Joseph Warren , American Patriot who played a key role in the American Revolution and was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill. It

436-515: A center for politics, law, healthcare, and insurance companies . Concord is located in south-central New Hampshire at 43°12′24″N 71°32′17″W  /  43.20667°N 71.53806°W  / 43.20667; -71.53806 (43.2070, −71.5371). It is 38 miles (61 km) north of the Massachusetts border, 40 miles (64 km) west of the Maine border, 54 miles (87 km) east of

545-402: A day between Boston and Concord. Since then, there has not been any passenger rail service to Concord. In 2021, Amtrak announced their plan to implement new service between Boston and Concord by 2035. Local bus service is provided by Concord Area Transit (CAT), with three routes through the city. Regional bus service provided by Concord Coach Lines and Greyhound Lines is available from

654-619: A division of BAE Systems Inc. and is one of the regions largest employers. Technology companies also have a large presence in the region, including mobile phone company Verizon , which is the largest private employer in Manchester. The financial industry is also a major employer, with Lincoln Financial in Concord and Fidelity Investments in Merrimack among the largest private employers. The area between Manchester, Nashua, and Salem

763-572: A facility of Massachusetts General Hospital. Many commercial ventures line the Mystic River along Medford Street and Terminal Street. The Navy Yard, home to USS  Constitution , is now part of the Boston National Historical Park , which marks the southern edge of the neighborhood. The waterfront has two marinas, Constitution Marina and Shipyard Quarters Marina. Charlestown is located north of downtown Boston on

872-405: A low terrace to the west of the river, with residential neighborhoods climbing hills to the west and extending southwards towards the town of Bow. To the east of the Merrimack, atop a 100-foot (30 m) bluff, is a flat, sandy plain known as Concord Heights, which has seen most of the city's commercial development since 1960. The eastern boundary of Concord (with the town of Pembroke ) is formed by

981-410: A major local employer. Increased development pressure from Greater Boston and the proliferation of the automobile pushed development outside of Massachusetts Route 128 to Interstate 495 and up Routes 3 and 93 into southern New Hampshire, greatly increasing the populations of these communities over the postwar years. On September 13, 2018, several gas lines suffered leakage due to high pressure in

1090-775: A peninsula extending southeastward between the Charles River and the Mystic River . City Square in the southern part of Charlestown was the location of the city hall before annexation by Boston. It is also the terminus of the Charlestown Bridge and the former Warren Bridge , and was formerly a stop on the Charlestown Elevated . The Central Artery was built between 1951 and 1954, routing elevated ramps through City Square. The Central Artery North Area (CANA) project moved these underground, into

1199-710: A popular building material for many monumental halls in the early United States, and Concord granite was used in the construction of both the New Hampshire State House and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. In 1828, Lewis Downing joined J. Stephens Abbot to form Abbot and Downing . Their most famous product was their Concord coach , widely used in the development of the American West , and their enterprise largely boosted and changed

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1308-745: A private preparatory school ; NHTI , a two-year community college ; the New Hampshire Police Academy; and the New Hampshire Fire Academy. Concord's Old North Cemetery is the final resting place of Franklin Pierce , 14th President of the United States . Interstate 89 and Interstate 93 are the two main interstate highways serving the city, and general aviation access is via Concord Municipal Airport . The nearest airport with commercial air service

1417-553: A settlement. Thomas Walford, acting as an interpreter with the Massachusett Indians, negotiated with the local sachem Wonohaquaham for Endicott and his people to settle there. Although Walford had a virtual monopoly on the region's available furs , he welcomed the newcomers and helped them in any way he could, unaware that his Episcopalian religious beliefs would cause him to be banished from Massachusetts to Portsmouth , New Hampshire within three years. Originally

1526-621: A some form of public transportation to get to their jobs and Charlestown is well served by public transportation as it is accessible by several forms of public transportation, including train, bus and ferry. The train transportation is the MBTA Orange Line , the Community College station , located near Bunker Hill Community College and serves the center of the town; and the Sullivan Square station , located on what

1635-553: Is Manchester–Boston Regional Airport , 23 miles (37 km) to the south. Concord's downtown underwent a significant renovation between 2015 and 2016, during the city's "Complete Streets Improvement Project". At a proposed cost of $ 12 million, the project promised to deliver on categories of maintenance to aging infrastructure , improved accessibility , increased sustainability , a safer experience for walkers, bikers and motorists alike, and to stimulate economic growth in an increasingly idle downtown. The main infrastructural change

1744-545: Is Manchester–Boston Regional Airport , 23 miles (37 km) to the south. There has been no passenger rail service to Concord since 1981. Historically, the Boston and Maine Railroad served the city. The area that would become Concord was originally settled thousands of years ago by Abenaki Native Americans called the Pennacook . The tribe fished for migrating salmon , sturgeon , and alewives with nets strung across

1853-605: Is $ 89,017, and the median family income is $ 100,725. The median income for whites is $ 103,652; that for Blacks or African Americans, $ 12,143; for Hispanics or Latinos, $ 30,833; for Asians, $ 61,875; and for others, $ 16,876. Seventeen percent of the population and 37% of the children live below the Federal Poverty Line . Of married couples, 32.4% are living in poverty with families. Of male householders with no wife present, 3.4% live in poverty; and of female householders with no husband, 64.2% live in poverty. According to

1962-740: Is also accessible via the Charlestown Navy Yard Ferry Terminal where the MBTA operates a ferry between the Navy Yard and Long Wharf (near the New England Aquarium ), making this a popular choice among both commuters and tourists. The Boston Harborwalk and the Freedom Trail pass through the neighborhood. But the jury they found me guilty, And the judge he wrote it down, "For breaking of

2071-650: Is an average of 12 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs annually. The window for freezing temperatures on average begins on September 27 and expires on May 14. The monthly daily average temperature range from 20.6 °F (−6.3 °C) in January to 70.0 °F (21.1 °C) in July. Temperature extremes have ranged from −37 °F (−38 °C) in February 1943 to 102 °F (39 °C) in July 1966. See or edit raw graph data . U.S. Decennial Census As of

2180-471: Is defined by a line approximately 3 miles (5 km) north and west of the Merrimack. The cities (marked with italics ) and towns in this area are: The population of the region in 2010 was 631,477, slightly more than that of Boston , and about one tenth of the state's. The Merrimack Valley contains a mixture of 19th-century industrial cities and mill complexes built to take advantage of the river's waterpower, modern suburbs (many built over towns dating from

2289-489: Is made up of its downtown, including its North End and South End neighborhoods, plus the four distinct villages of Penacook , Concord Heights, East Concord, and West Concord. Concord, as with much of New England, is within the humid continental climate zone ( Köppen Dfb ), with long, cold, snowy winters, warm (and at times humid) summers, and relatively brief autumns and springs. In winter, successive storms deliver moderate to at times heavy snowfall amounts, contributing to

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2398-641: Is one of the largest private employers in the region, as is Philips , whose medical division is based in Andover. The defense industry also has had a major presence in the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts-based Raytheon has several large plants and offices in the Merrimack Valley, and BAE Systems Inc. also employs many people. Due to its proximity to Boston, the region also serves as a bedroom community for employers in Boston. Many major highways (including I-93 , I-95 , and US 3 ) and several heavily used lines of

2507-527: Is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County . As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the 3rd most populous city in New Hampshire after Manchester and Nashua . The area was first settled by Europeans in 1659. On January 17, 1725, the Province of Massachusetts Bay granted the Concord area as the Plantation of Penacook, and it

2616-657: Is the oldest state house in which the legislature meets in its original chambers. The building was remodeled in 1866, and the third story and west wing were added in 1910. Across from the State House is the Eagle Hotel on Main Street, which has been a downtown landmark since its opening in 1827. U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant , Rutherford Hayes , and Benjamin Harrison all dined there, and Franklin Pierce spent

2725-604: The Amoskeag Falls downriver, connecting Concord with Boston by way of the Middlesex Canal . In 1808, Concord was named the official seat of state government, and in 1816 architect Stuart Park was commissioned to design a new capitol building for the state legislature on land sold to the state by local Quakers . Construction on the State House was completed in 1819, and it remains the oldest capitol in

2834-464: The Battles of Lexington and Concord . A restaurant opened in 1780 and still in operation, Warren Tavern , claims to have been one of Revere's favorite taverns. Of Charlestown's churches, St. Mary's (1887–1893) is considered one of the masterpieces of Patrick Keely . In St. John's Episcopal Church, on Devens Street, the central stained glass above the altar is a notable work of William James McPherson,

2943-546: The Boston and Maine Railroad . The former Concord Station was located at what is now a Burlington department store on Storrs Street. The station itself was built in 1860, but the fourth and most famous iteration of the station was built in 1885, which had a brick head house designed by Bradford L. Gilbert . The head house was demolished in 1959 and replaced by a smaller "McGinnis Era" station. By 1967, all passenger rail services to Concord had been discontinued. For 13 months in 1980 and 1981, MBTA Commuter Rail ran two round trips

3052-484: The Charles River with him on the Shawmut peninsula . This was the first act in the foundation of the city of Boston . The territory of Charlestown was initially quite large. From it, Woburn was separated in 1642, Malden in 1649 (including what is now Melrose and Everett ) and Stoneham in 1725. South Medford , the land south of the Mystic River (now surrounded by Somerville), was known as "Mistick Field" and

3161-587: The Irish Mob Wars of the 1960s. In the late 1980s, however, Charlestown underwent a massive Yuppie gentrification process similar to that of the South End . Drawn to its proximity to downtown and its colonial, red-brick, row-house housing stock, similar to that of Beacon Hill , many yuppie and upper-middle-class professionals moved to the neighborhood. In the late 1990s, additional gentrification took place, similar to that in neighboring Somerville. Today

3270-566: The MBTA Commuter Rail system provide easy access to the city from the Merrimack Valley. Attractions include: Institutions of higher education include: While the textile industry that served as the underpinning of the Merrimack Valley has disappeared, the region has since transferred to other economic activities. Sanders Associates , a major defense contractor based in Nashua has, through several mergers and acquisitions, become

3379-423: The Massachusetts border. Henniker marks the western extent, and Nottingham the eastern. It includes parts of Hillsborough , Rockingham and Merrimack counties, namely the following towns and cities (in italics ): The state capital, Concord , and the state's two largest cities, Manchester and Nashua , are in the valley. Manchester has a large regional airport , with scheduled commercial services. To

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3488-720: The Massachusetts Bay Colony . Charlestown became a city in 1848 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874. With that, it also switched from Middlesex County , to which it had belonged since 1643, to Suffolk County . It has had a substantial Irish-American population since the migration of Irish people during the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s. Since the late 1980s, the neighborhood has changed dramatically because of its proximity to downtown and its colonial architecture. A mix of yuppie and upper-middle-class gentrification has influenced much of

3597-720: The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center , a science museum named after Christa McAuliffe , the Concord teacher who died during the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, and Alan Shepard , the Derry -born astronaut who was the second person and first American in space as well as the fifth and oldest person to walk on the Moon. Charlestown, Massachusetts Charlestown is the oldest neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts , in

3706-826: The Nashua Manufacturing Company in its namesake city. Lawrence was the site of the Bread and Roses strike , a landmark event in the history of labor relations in the United States. After World War II, the textile industry collapsed rapidly. After a few decades of stagnation, the " Massachusetts Miracle " came to the valley, bringing the headquarters of Wang Laboratories to Tewksbury, then Lowell. Apollo Computer located in Chelmsford and Nashua Corporation in Nashua moved beyond printing to computer products. The defense industry, for example, Raytheon in various sites and Sanders Associates in Nashua, became

3815-741: The New Hampshire Executive Council , Concord is in the 2nd District, represented by Cinde Warmington, the sole Democrat on the council. In the United States House of Representatives , Concord is in New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district , represented by Democrat Ann McLane Kuster . New Hampshire Department of Corrections operates the New Hampshire State Prison for Men and New Hampshire State Prison for Women in Concord. Concord leans strongly Democratic in presidential elections;

3924-652: The Soucook River , a tributary of the Merrimack. The Turkey River winds through the southwestern quarter of the city, passing through the campus of St. Paul's School before entering the Merrimack River in Bow. In the northern part of the city, the Contoocook River enters the Merrimack at the village of Penacook. Concord is 16 miles (26 km) north of Manchester , New Hampshire's largest city, and 66 miles (106 km) north of Boston . The city of Concord

4033-643: The Tobin Bridge to the City of Chelsea across the Mystic River . State routes passing through Charlestown include 38 to the City of Somerville and 99 to the City of Everett . The sole city-owned road linking the neighborhood Charleston with Downtown Boston is North Washington Street to the Southwest. According to the Census from 2010 to 2014, 53.7% of the population will drive to work and 30.0% will take

4142-660: The Vermont border, and 170 miles (270 km) south of the Canadian border at Pittsburg . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 67.2 square miles (174.0 km ). 64.0 square miles (165.7 km ) of it are land and 3.2 square miles (8.4 km ) of it are water, comprising 4.81% of the city. Concord is drained by the Merrimack River . Penacook Lake ,

4251-549: The census of 2020, there were 43,976 people residing in the city. The population density was 687.7 people per square mile (265.5 people/km ). At the 2010 Census there were 42,695 residents and 10,052 families in the city, as well as 18,852 housing units at an average density of 293.2 per square mile (113.2/km ). The racial makeup of the city in 2020 was 84.5% White , 4.9% Black or African American , 1.0% Native American , 4.9% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 0.4% from some other race , and 1.8% from two or more races. 4.9% of

4360-450: The legislature meets in its original chambers. Concord is entirely within the Merrimack River watershed and the city is centered on the river. The Merrimack runs from northwest to southeast through the city. The city's eastern boundary is formed by the Soucook River , which separates Concord from the town of Pembroke . The Turkey River passes through the southwestern quarter of the city. The city consists of its downtown , including

4469-480: The 17th century), and some relatively rural areas. The western part, including Greater Lowell and Haverhill–Lawrence–Methuen, is generally more urban than the eastern part. The entire Merrimack Valley region in Massachusetts is part of Greater Boston . Broader definitions for the region include other areas of Middlesex County , including the Route 2 corridor from Devens east to Lexington . Automobile travel through

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4578-634: The 2012–2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the largest ancestry groups in ZIP Code 02129 are: The Massachusetts Department of Correction operated the Charlestown State Prison from 1805 until its closure in 1955. The former prison site is occupied by Bunker Hill Community College. The Boston Navy Yard was located in Charlestown from 1801 until it was closed in 1974. The United States Postal Service operates

4687-710: The Charlestown Post Office. Boston's Charlestown neighborhood is served by the Boston Public Schools system. There are also private educational institutions within the neighborhood. Boston Public Library operates the Charlestown Branch. The library first opened in the Warren Institution for Savings building on January 7, 1862. The library moved to a larger space in the new Charlestown City Hall in 1869. In 1913

4796-538: The City Square Tunnel, making way for a revitalized surface park. The .17-acre (0.069 ha) Thompson Square is located at the confluence of Main Street, Dexter Row, Green Street, and Austin Street. Thompson Square station was formerly a stop on the Charlestown Elevated . A small portion of Charlestown is north of the Mystic River, containing the northern approach to the Malden Bridge and now

4905-490: The Concord city charter , the mayor chairs the council, however has very few formal powers over the day-to-day management of the city. The actual operations of the city are overseen by the city manager , currently Thomas J. Aspell Jr. The current police chief is Bradley S. Osgood. In the New Hampshire Senate , Concord is in the 15th District, represented by Democrat Becky Whitley since December 2020. On

5014-493: The Concord Transportation Center at 30 Stickney Avenue next to Exit 14 on Interstate 93, with service south to Boston and points in between, as well as north to Littleton and northeast to Berlin . General aviation services are available through Concord Municipal Airport , located 2 miles (3 km) east of downtown. There is no commercial air service within the city limits; the nearest such airport

5123-400: The Concord area during campaign season. The city also developed an identity within the emerging space industry , with the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center opening in 1990 to commemorate Alan Shepard , the first American in space from nearby Derry , and Christa McAuliffe , a teacher at Concord High School who died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster . Today, Concord remains

5232-514: The Massachusetts section of the Merrimack Valley is served primarily by Interstate 495 . From Lowell and Lawrence, U.S. Route 3 and Interstate 93 , respectively, head north along the valley, joining in Manchester, New Hampshire. In New Hampshire, the Merrimack Valley Region is an area of the south-central part of the state, about 35 miles (56 km) wide, centered on the Merrimack River, and running from Canterbury south to

5341-428: The Merrimack navigable, such as the Pawtucket Canal at East Chelmsford, which became Lowell. While the Merrimack had been used for small manufacturing concerns for decades, in the early 1820s, a group of investors from Boston founded the city of Lowell, to take advantage of the 32-foot (9.8 m) drop of the Merrimack over the Pawtucket Falls . Lowell, the first large-scale planned textile center in America, remained

5450-478: The North End and South End neighborhoods, along with the four villages of Penacook , Concord Heights, East Concord, and West Concord. Penacook sits along the Contoocook River , just before it flows into the Merrimack. As of 2020, the top employer in the city was the State of New Hampshire, and the largest private employer was Concord Hospital . Concord is home to the University of New Hampshire School of Law , New Hampshire's only law school ; St. Paul's School ,

5559-502: The Orange Line Sullivan Square or Community College stops or the I-93 expressway. Thomas and Jane Walford were the original English settlers of the peninsula between the Charles and the Mystic . They were given a grant by Sir Robert Gorges, with whom they had settled at Wessagusset ( Weymouth ) in September 1623 and arrived at what they called Mishawaum in 1624. John Endicott , first governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony , sent William, Richard and Ralph Sprague to Mishawaum to lay out

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5668-416: The Sullivan Square area. The Interstate act as a boundary of Charlestown neighborhood with points heading west with only two roads heading westward: Cambridge Street in the north and Austin Street/Gilmore Bridge to the south. US 1 diverges with Interstate 93 at the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge where US 1 becomes a toll road and passes below Paul Revere Park and City Square before becoming

5777-417: The United States. Also called Mishawum by the Massachusett , it is located on a peninsula north of the Charles River , across from downtown Boston, and also adjoins the Mystic River and Boston Harbor waterways. Charlestown was laid out in 1629 by engineer Thomas Graves , one of its earliest settlers, during the reign of Charles I of England . It was originally a separate town and the first capital of

5886-500: The United States. The State Hospital continued to expand throughout the following decades, and in 1891 Concord Hospital opened its doors as Margaret Pillsbury General Hospital, the first general hospital in the state of New Hampshire. Concord's economy changed once again in the 20th century with the declining railroad and textile industry. The city developed into a center for national politics due to New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary, and many presidential candidates still visit

5995-474: The area, as it has in many of Boston's neighborhoods, but Charlestown still maintains a strong Irish-American population. In the 21st century, Charlestown's diversity has expanded dramatically, along with growing rates of the very poor and very wealthy. Today Charlestown is a largely residential neighborhood, with much housing near the waterfront, overlooking the Boston skyline. Charlestown is home to many historic sites, hospitals and organizations, with access from

6104-569: The branch moved to the intersection of Monument Avenue and Monument Square, in proximity to the Bunker Hill Monument . The branch moved to its current location in 1970. The Bunker Hill Public Housing has divided Bunker Hill Street into two Charlestowns. The housing development company Corcoran-SunCal plans to make changes and replace the 1,100 affordable units. "While preserving the affordable units, Corcoran-SunCal will also create approximately 1,700 additional market and moderate-rate units". This company will allow all current residents to move back into

6213-402: The building served other purposes, and then was saved in the 1970s. The Tavern was reopened in 1972. The Constitution Yacht Charter is located on Boston Harbor. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in its 2007–2011 report, the population of Charlestown is 16,685, comprising 7,843 males and 8,842 females. The largest age group is 25 to 29 years (14.6%), the second-largest is 30 to 34 (12.3%), and

6322-414: The city economy in the mid-19th century. In subsequent years, Concord would also become a hub for the railroad industry, with Penacook a textile manufacturing center using water power from the Contoocook River . The city also around this time started to become a center for the emerging healthcare industry, with New Hampshire State Hospital opening in 1842 as one of the first psychiatric hospitals in

6431-523: The city from east to west. State routes 13 and 132 also serve the city: Route 13 leads southwest out of Concord towards Goffstown and Milford , while Route 132 travels north parallel to Interstate 93. New Hampshire Route 106 passes through the easternmost part of Concord, crossing I-393 and NH 9 before crossing the Soucook River south into the town of Pembroke . To the north, NH 106 leads to Loudon , Belmont and Laconia . Historically, Concord served as an important railroad terminal and station for

6540-519: The city limits. Interstate 89 links Concord with Lebanon and the state of Vermont to the northwest, while Interstate 93 connects the city to Plymouth , Littleton , and the White Mountains to the north and Manchester and Boston to the south. Interstate 393 is a spur highway leading east from Concord and merging with U.S. Route 4 as a direct route to New Hampshire's Seacoast region . North-south U.S. Route 3 serves as Concord's Main Street, while U.S. Route 202 and New Hampshire Route 9 cross

6649-449: The colonial era, using lumber floated downriver from the White Mountains . Its prominence was diminished when the Middlesex Canal was completed in the first quarter of the 19th century, allowing lumber to be shipped directly downriver from the White Mountains to Charlestown, Massachusetts , and improving connections between Boston and the Merrimack Valley. Prior to this time, other small canals had been built around falls and rapids to make

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6758-422: The community's Training Field. The city developed a water supply from the Mystic Lakes and, on October 7, 1873, a vote was held to determine whether Charlestown should leave Middlesex County and join Boston as part of Suffolk County. Out of its 32,040 residents, 2240 voted in support of the merger and 1947 opposed. Boston residents also approved the question, 5,960–1,868. Charlestown's separate city government

6867-405: The council-manager system. The city council consists of a mayor and 14 councilors, ten of which are elected to two-year terms representing each of the city wards, while the other four are elected at-large to four-year terms. The mayor is elected directly every two years. The current mayor as of 2024 is Byron Champlin, who was elected on November 7, 2023, with more than 75% of the vote. According to

6976-448: The definition. Most large employers are in the sectors of health care and higher education . Institutes of higher learning include Hockey East rivals UMass Lowell and Merrimack College . The region was once a technology hub , reaching its peak during the 1970s and 1980s with corporations such as Wang Laboratories in Lowell among the largest technology employers, though it has since gone defunct. Software company Kronos Incorporated

7085-432: The downtown. Many power lines were buried, and street trees , colorful benches, art installations, and other green spaces were added, all allowing people to reclaim a space long dominated by cars. Main Street underwent serious traffic calming , including a road diet , increased diagonal parking, widening sidewalks, adding shared lane markings, adding trees, texturing medians and coloring crosswalks red. Another aspect of

7194-455: The east is the Seacoast Region , to the west is the Monadnock Region , and to the north is the Lakes Region . Interstate 93 bisects the region, which is also served by Interstate 293 , U.S. Route 3 , and many New Hampshire state highways. The original settlers of the Merrimack Valley were various tribes of the Pennacook Indians. The river provided an easy means of transportation, an exceptional source of salmon as well as other fish, and

7303-449: The entrance to Encore Boston Harbor (which made jurisdiction over the casino a matter of dispute). This land was formerly a peninsula, but landfill has more completely connected it to the mainland of Everett. This boundary was part of the original 1649 separation of Malden from Charlestown, where the Penny Ferry operated at the time; the first bridge opened on the site in 1787. Two small hills mostly covered in residential buildings fill

7412-420: The estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $ 52,695, and the median income for a family was $ 73,457. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 49,228 versus $ 38,782 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 29,296. About 5.5% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over. In 2020,

7521-512: The extent that the informal demonym " Townie " continues to imply the working-class Irish, as opposed to newer immigrants. During the Civil War , over 26,000 men joined the Union Army and Navy at the Navy Yard , which was also responsible for constructing some of the most famous vessels of the conflict: the Merrimack , the Hartford , and the Monadnock . Following the war, the city commissioned Martin Milmore to construct its civil war memorial , dedicated in 1872 and still standing in

7630-470: The fall of 2002, brings independent films and filmmakers to Concord and has provided an outlet for local filmmakers to display their films. SNOB Film Festival was a catalyst for the building in 2007 of Red River Theatres, a locally owned, nonprofit, independent cinema named after the 1948 film featuring John Wayne. Other sites of interest include the Capitol Center for the Arts , the New Hampshire Historical Society , which has two facilities in Concord, and

7739-427: The famous Battle of Bunker Hill , an early major battle in the American Revolutionary War . Launched in 1797, the USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned vessel in the US Navy and the oldest warship in the world still afloat. Today it is docked in the Charlestown Navy Yard , today part of the National Park Service. Charlestown was also the location from which Paul Revere began his famous "midnight ride" before

7848-482: The harbor from about 400 yards off the southern end of the peninsula. Charlestown, including its wharves and dockyards, was almost completely torched during the battle by British forces. The town was not appreciably rebuilt until the end of hostilities but, in 1786, the first bridge across the Charles River connected Boston with Charlestown. An 87-acre (35 ha) Navy Yard was established in 1800; Charlestown State Prison opened in 1805. The Bunker Hill Monument

7957-416: The housing complex. According to Project Manager Sarah Barnet, "by creating both affordable and market rate housing at the site the area will become a more thriving section of the neighborhood, a destination area for residents from all over a Charlestown and a high quality place for people to live". The Interstate 93 as the "Northern Expressway viaduct" travels roughly northwest–southeast and passes through

8066-509: The interior of the neighborhood: Bunker Hill, which is more northerly, and Breed's Hill, which is the site of the Bunker Hill Monument . Bunker Hill was named after George Bunker, who had owned it during early settlement in the 1600s. Charlestown has many places of historical interest, some of which are included along the northern end of Boston's Freedom Trail . The Freedom Trail ends at the Bunker Hill Monument commemorating

8175-508: The land along the river banks was suitable for hunting and sometimes farming. The earliest European records of the river date to a French expedition under Pierre du Guast, Sieur de Monts, in 1605. By 1629, the British were moving into the area, and a land grant delineated by the river was made to a Jonathan Wheelwright in 1629. The city of Newburyport , first settled in 1635, at the river's mouth, became an important shipbuilding center during

8284-620: The larger remaining orchards include Apple Hill, Cider Hill, Long Hill Orchard, Mann Orchards, and Smolak Farms. Apple picking is a popular pastime in the Merrimack Valley during the late summer and fall months. The Merrimack Valley's leading boarding schools, such as Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts; Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts; St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire; and The Governor's Academy in Newbury, Massachusetts, provide cultural institutions to

8393-406: The largest lake in the city and its main source of water, is in the west. The highest point in Concord is 860 feet (260 m) above sea level on Oak Hill, just west of the hill's 970-foot (300 m) summit in neighboring Loudon . Concord lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed and is centered on the river, which runs from northwest to southeast through the city. Downtown is located on

8502-513: The last Republican nominee to carry the city was then Vice President George H. W. Bush in 1988. Voter turnout was 72.7% in the 2020 general election, down from 76.2% in 2016, but still above the 2020 national turnout of 66.7%. Newspapers and journals Radio The city is otherwise served by Manchester area stations . New Hampshire Public Radio is headquartered in Concord. Television The New Hampshire State House , designed by architect Stuart Park and constructed between 1815 and 1818,

8611-658: The last half of her life. The first published poet of the New World , she died in North Andover in 1672. In Haverhill and Amesbury , the family of John Greenleaf Whittier settled. Mr. Whittier was so well thought of during his lifetime, his birthday was celebrated as a national holiday. Lawrence is the birthplace of actress Thelma Todd , composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein and actor/singer Robert Goulet . Robert Frost spent his teenage years there, as did his future wife, Elinor Miriam White. They were co-valedictorians (1892) at Lawrence High School. Actress Bette Davis and

8720-409: The most expensive offenders, the budget ended up at $ 14.2 million, with the project actually coming in $ 1.1 million below that. Although adding final aesthetic touches with the extra money were debated, the city council ended up deciding to save for financially straining years ahead. The design was carried out by McFarland Johnson, IBI Group, and City of Concord Engineering. Concord is governed via

8829-561: The narrow Charlestown Neck that connected the northwest end of the Charlestown Peninsula to the mainland at Sullivan Square . On June 17, 1775, the Charlestown Peninsula was the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill , named for a hill at the northwest end of the peninsula near Charlestown Neck . British troops unloaded at Moulton's Point and much of the battle took place on Breed's Hill , which overlooked

8938-613: The nation in which the state's legislative branches meet in their original chambers. Concord was also named the seat of Merrimack County in 1823, and the Merrimack County Courthouse was constructed in 1857 in the North End at the site of the Old Town House. In the early 19th century, much of the city's economy was dominated by furniture -making, printing, and granite quarrying ; granite had become

9047-849: The nation's largest into the 1850s. Textile production spread up and down the Merrimack Valley in both states for the next century, but eventually was eclipsed after the Second World War . Manchester's Amoskeag Mills was once the largest cotton textile plant in the world. Other major textile companies based in the Merrimack Valley included the Merrimack Manufacturing Company in Lowell, the American Woolen Company in Lawrence (headquarters moved to Andover in 1919), Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, and

9156-583: The neighborhood is a mix of yuppies, upper-middle-class and middle-class residents, housing projects, and a large working-class Irish-American demographic and culture that is still predominant. One of the oldest neighborhoods of Boston, Charlestown is home to the Bunker Hill Monument and historic Charlestown Navy Yard. Charlestown today is a mainly residential neighborhood with an institutional presence. Major institutions include Bunker Hill Community College , Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, and

9265-458: The new construction was adding heated sidewalk capabilities, utilizing excess steam from the local Concord Steam plant, and minimizing sand and snow blowing needed during the winter months. Funding for Complete Streets came from a combination of $ 4,710,000 from a USDOT TIGER grant and the rest from the City of Concord. The project was initially proposed as costing $ 7,850,000, but ran over budget due to overambitious ideas. After scrapping some of

9374-459: The night before departing for his inauguration. Other well-known guests included Jefferson Davis , Charles Lindbergh , Eleanor Roosevelt , Richard M. Nixon (who carried New Hampshire in all three of his presidential bids), and Thomas E. Dewey . The hotel closed in 1961. South from the Eagle Hotel on Main Street is Phenix Hall, which replaced "Old" Phenix Hall, which burned in 1893. Both

9483-686: The north end of Main Street is the Pierce Manse , in which President Franklin Pierce lived in Concord before and following his presidency. The mid-1830s Greek Revival house was moved from Montgomery Street to North Main Street in 1971 to prevent its demolition. Beaver Meadow Golf Course, located in the northern part of Concord, is one of the oldest golf courses in New England. Besides this golf course, other important sporting venues in Concord include Everett Arena and Memorial Field. The SNOB (Somewhat North Of Boston) Film Festival, started in

9592-673: The old and new buildings featured multi-purpose auditoriums used for political speeches, theater productions, and fairs. Abraham Lincoln spoke at the old hall in 1860; Theodore Roosevelt , at the new hall in 1912. North on Main Street is the Walker-Woodman House, also known as the Reverend Timothy Walker House, the oldest standing two-story house in Concord. It was built for the Reverend Timothy Walker between 1733 and 1735. On

9701-462: The plan by an overwhelming majority. By 1965, the plan had been reduced to tearing down only eleven percent of the neighborhood, as well as the removal of the elevated rail tracks. Throughout the 1960s until the mid-1990s, Charlestown was infamous for its Irish Mob presence. Charlestown's McLaughlin Brothers were involved in a gang war with neighboring Somerville 's Winter Hill Gang , during

9810-460: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2010 there were 17,592 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were headed by married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

9919-569: The public, including the Addison Gallery of American Art and the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology in Andover. The Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts is divided into three New England city and town areas (NECTAs) by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget : Lowell–Billerica–Chelmsford, MA–NH; Lawrence–Methuen Town–North Andover, MA–NH; and Haverhill–Newburyport–Amesbury Town, MA–NH. The M3 Coalition serves several towns that expand

10028-556: The rapids of the Merrimack River . The stream was also the transportation route for their birch bark canoes, which could travel from Lake Winnipesaukee to the Atlantic Ocean. The broad sweep of the Merrimack River valley floodplain provided good soil for farming beans , gourds , pumpkins , melons and maize . The area was first settled by Europeans in 1659 as Penacook, after the Abenaki word "pannukog" meaning "bend in

10137-407: The relatively reliable snow cover. In addition, lows reach below 0 °F (−18 °C) on an average 15 nights per year, and the city straddles the border between USDA Hardiness Zone 5b and 6a. However, thaws are frequent, with one to three days per month with 50 °F (10 °C)+ highs from December to February. Summer can bring stretches of humid conditions as well as thunderstorms, and there

10246-625: The river," referencing the steep bends of the Merrimack River through the area. On January 17, 1725, the Province of Massachusetts Bay , which then claimed territories west of the Merrimack, granted the Concord area as the Plantation of Penacook. It was settled between 1725 and 1727 by Captain Ebenezer Eastman and others from Haverhill, Massachusetts . On February 9, 1734, the town was incorporated as "Rumford", from which Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford , would take his title. It

10355-478: The site of Pennacook Falls. Concord grew in prominence throughout the 18th century, and some of the earliest houses from this period survive at the northern end of Main Street . In the years following the Revolution , Concord's central geographical location made it a logical choice for the state capital, particularly after Samuel Blodget in 1807 opened a canal and lock system to allow vessels passage around

10464-542: The third-largest is 35 to 39 (9.7%). The majority of the population is white at 12,587 (75.4%). Minorities include Black or African at 1,227 (7.4%), Asian at 1,253 (7.5%), Hispanic or Latino at 1,227 (7.4%), and those of two or more races at 371 (2.2%). In recent years, the percentage of minorities living in Charlestown has increased from 4.9% of the population in 1990 to 23.5% in 2010. The population consists of 15.9% who are foreign born, 48.5% of whom are naturalized citizens , and 51.5% who are not. The median household income

10573-556: The top employer in the city remained the State of New Hampshire, with over 6,000 employed workers, while the largest private employer was Concord Hospital, with just under 3,000 employees. According to the City of Concord's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top 10 employers in the city for the Fiscal Year 2020 were: Interstate 89 and Interstate 93 are the two main interstate highways serving Concord, and join just south of

10682-489: The tubes of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts , causing several fires and explosions , and homes were evacuated. The Merrimack River Valley is considered the "Valley of the Poets" by some local artists and poets. Anne Bradstreet was a founding mother of three towns in the Massachusetts Bay Colony : Boston , Cambridge (then Newtowne), and the original Andover Parish, known now as North Andover , where she lived and wrote for

10791-405: The writer Jack Kerouac were born in Lowell. West Newbury is the birthplace of John Cena , a WWE professional wrestler, actor, former rapper, and television personality. The Merrimack Valley is one of the few places in the United States where the card game Forty-fives is popular. The Merrimack Valley was once home to numerous apple and fruit orchards, of which several still remain. Some of

10900-411: Was 2.26, and the average family size was 2.90. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males. For the period 2009–2011,

11009-587: Was Warren who directed Paul Revere and William Dawes to send the message to Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British were setting out to raid the town of Concord. Warren's friend Captain Eliphelet Newell decided to build a tavern named after his friend. George Washington visited the tavern when he came to Massachusetts to visit his friend Benjamin Frothingham. After the Tavern was closed in 1813,

11118-514: Was dissolved the next year. During the early 1960s, the city initiated plans to demolish and redevelop sixty percent of the housing in Charlestown. In 1963, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) held a town meeting to discuss their development plans with the community. The BRA's dealings with Boston's West End had created an atmosphere of distrust towards urban renewal in Boston, and Charlestown residents opposed

11227-710: Was erected between 1827 and 1843 using Quincy granite brought to the site by a combination of purpose-built railway and barge. Notable businesses included the Bunker Hill Breweries (1821) and Schrafft's candy company (1861). The Charlestown Branch Railroad opened in 1840 to Sweet's Wharf. Tudor Wharf was the departure point for the ships of the Tudor Ice Company . Around the 1860s an influx of Irish immigrants arrived in Charlestown. The area long remained an Irish and Catholic stronghold similar to South Boston , Somerville , and Dorchester , to

11336-477: Was incorporated on February 9, 1734, as the Town of Rumford. Governor Benning Wentworth gave the city its current name in 1765 following a boundary dispute with the neighboring town of Bow ; the name was meant to signify the new harmony between the two towns. In 1808, Concord was named the official seat of state government, and the State House was completed in 1819; it remains the oldest U.S. state capitol wherein

11445-561: Was once a narrow neck of land referred to as the Charlestown Neck . Two bus lines serve Charlestown. Both routes start at Sullivan Square. and travel to the Financial District of downtown Boston. The 93 bus goes from Sullivan Station, downtown via Bunker Hill Street and Haymarket Station. The 92 bus runs from Assembly Square Mall, downtown via Sullivan Square Station, Main Street and Haymarket Station. Charlestown

11554-698: Was once described as the "Golden Triangle" of New Hampshire. The name was due to job growth that fueled a housing boom and led to the creation of several major new retail centers, including the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, the Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, and the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua. This area contains roughly 30% of the population of New Hampshire. Attractions include: Institutions of higher education include: Concord, New Hampshire Concord ( / ˈ k ɒ ŋ k ər d / )

11663-469: Was reducing the four-lane street (two in each direction) to two lanes plus a turning lane in the center. The freed-up space would contribute to extra width for bikes to ride in either direction, increased curb size and an added median where there is no need for a turning lane. Concord opted to add shared lane markings for bikes, rather than a dedicated protected bike lane . By adding curb space, this project created new opportunities for pedestrians to enjoy

11772-473: Was renamed "Concord" in 1765 by Governor Benning Wentworth following a bitter boundary dispute between Rumford and the town of Bow ; the city name was meant to reflect the new concord, or harmony, between the disputant towns. Citizens displaced by the resulting border adjustment were given land elsewhere as compensation. In 1779, New Pennacook Plantation was granted to Timothy Walker Jr. and his associates at what would be incorporated in 1800 as Rumford, Maine ,

11881-615: Was transferred from Charlestown to Medford in 1754. This grant also included the "Charlestown Wood Lots" (the Medford part of the Middlesex Fells), and part of what was at the time Woburn (now Winchester). Other parts of Medford were transferred to Charlestown in 1811. Still-rural Somerville was split off in 1842 as Charlestown was urbanizing. Everett , Burlington , Arlington and Cambridge also acquired areas originally allocated to Charlestown. Landfill operations eliminated

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