Franconia, New Hampshire
| Franconia, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Franconia Village with Sugar Hills background c. 1908
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| Motto: "Explore the Road not Taken" | |
 Location in Grafton County, New Hampshire |
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| Coordinates: 44°13′38″N 71°44′54″W / 44.22722°N 71.74833°WCoordinates: 44°13′38″N 71°44′54″W / 44.22722°N 71.74833°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Grafton |
| Incorporated | 1764 |
| Government | |
| • Board of Selectmen | Bernadette Costa, Chair Eric Meth John Lachapelle |
| Area | |
| • Total | 66.0 sq mi (170.9 km2) |
| • Land | 65.7 sq mi (170.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2) 0.47% |
| Elevation | 928 ft (283 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,104 |
| • Density | 17/sq mi (6.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 03580 |
| Area code(s) | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-27300 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873599 |
| Website | www |
Franconia is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,104 at the 2010 census. Set in the White Mountains, Franconia is home to the northern half of Franconia Notch State Park. Parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the eastern and southern portions of the town. The Appalachian Trail crosses the southern part.
The town was first granted in 1764 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth as Franconia, a name widely applied to the region by 1760 due to the terrain's resemblance to the Franconian Switzerland in the region of Franconia in Germany. Upon claims that a settlement was not made within the time prescribed under the terms of the charter, it was regranted in 1772 by his nephew, Governor John Wentworth, as Morristown. Sometime between 1779 and 1782, after a legal battle over the two grants, the first grant was recognized and the original name of the town was resumed.
The town sits on a rich iron deposit, and the region once produced pig iron and bar iron for farm tools and cast iron ware.
Franconia is home to the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, which rises to the 4,100-foot summit of Cannon Mountain. Built in 1938, it was the first passenger aerial tramway in North America. From the time of its construction in 1938 to its retirement in 1980, the original tramway carried 6,581,338 passengers to the summit of Cannon Mountain. The original tramway was replaced by a new 80-passenger tram in 1979. Construction and testing of the new tram were completed in February 1980, and the red and yellow tram cars are still running year-round today.
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Wikipedia