Bethlehem

History

Granted as "Lloyd's Hills" in 1774 by colonial Governor John Wentworth, the town was named for James Lloyd of Boston. It was the last of the provincial grants in New Hampshire. In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, the original grant could not be found. Lack of documentation deterred settlement until 1787, when the first permanent houses were built. Dropping its homage to Lloyd, a Loyalist, the town was incorporated as "Bethlehem" on December 27, 1799, the name having been selected on Christmas Day. There were just 33 families, with agriculture the only industry. By 1850, the population had grown to 950, and the town contained a gristmill, five large sawmills, and two starch factories. In 1867, the railroad came to Bethlehem Junction. With it traveled tourists from Boston, New York and elsewhere, many to avoid respiratory ailments in the low pollen count environment of "the highest town in New Hampshire" (as claimed on a present-day sign in the village). Others were attracted by the paintings of the White Mountain artists. Conveniently located near Mount Washington and other attractions of the White Mountains, Bethlehem developed into a Gilded Age resort for the rich and famous. In 1873, at the beginning of a building boom, Governor Henry Howard of Rhode Island built Howard House. Eventually, over 30 hotels would line Bethlehem's streets. Seven trains arrived daily, some direct from Grand Central Terminal, stopping at Bethlehem's five depots. Patrons included Presidents Grant, Hayes, Roosevelt, Taft and Harding, as well as author Thornton Burgess and poet Robert Frost. Entertainments included strolling Main Street on a two and a half mile raised boardwalk, carriage rides in the countryside, croquet games, or simply lounging about the hotels' sweeping piazzas.…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 0.39% of the town. Bethlehem is drained by the Ammonoosuc, Gale, Zealand and Little rivers, together with Tuttle, Baker and Haystack brooks. Mount Cleveland, elevation , and Mount Agassiz, , rise to the south of the center of town. Town boundaries contain several of the famous 4,000-footers of New Hampshire: North Twin Mountain (the highest point in Bethlehem at ), Mount Hale, Mount Tom, Mount Field, and Mount Willey. Bethlehem lies almost fully within the Connecticut River watershed, though a tiny portion of the southeastern corner of the town is in the Merrimack River watershed, and an even smaller portion on the eastern side of the Willey Range is in the Saco River watershed.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  5,801
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  5,139
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,823
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  4,395
• Red-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta canadensis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  3,781
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  3,273
• Red-eyed Vireo

  Vireo olivaceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,195
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,138

Largest nearby schools

• Mildred C. Lakeway School
  Elementary · Littleton · 345 students · 10.1:1 ratio
• Littleton High School
  High · Littleton · 204 students · 8.2:1 ratio
• Bethlehem Elementary School
  Elementary · Bethlehem · 151 students · 10.1:1 ratio
• Profile Senior High School
  High · Bethlehem · 146 students · 8.6:1 ratio
• Daisy Bronson Junior High School
  Middle · Littleton · 103 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• Lafayette Regional School
  Elementary · Franconia · 88 students · 11:1 ratio
• Profile Junior High School
  Middle · Bethlehem · 64 students · 6.4:1 ratio
• North Country Charter Academy (H)
  High · Littleton · 46 students · 15.3:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2024-06-18
  3 km SE of Haverhill, New Hampshire
• M 2.9 — 2023-04-25
  4 km SW of Center Sandwich, New Hampshire
• M 2.9 — 2022-02-04
  0 km SSW of Gorham, New Hampshire
• M 2.51 — 2011-07-08
  4 km NE of Newbury, Vermont
• M 2.5 — 2011-01-03
  6 km NNE of Holderness, New Hampshire
• M 2.5 — 2009-11-19
  Maine