; SP- IWR° CONTRACT REPORT 78-4... , UNDER ... - IWR - U.S. Army

New Hampshire. As part of the Franklin Falls project, the entire
village of Hill would have to be relocated since it fell within
the area of the projected dry bed reservoir. The remainder of
this report examines the relocation process that this small New
England town experienced.
Town of Hill Before Relocation
The response of Hill, New Hampshire, to the flooding of the "old
village" site by the Franklin Fall Flood Control Project was
influenced, in part, by the Town's previous 185 years of history
and its New England Town institutions. The history of Hill is
similar to that of many rural New Hampshire towns that were settled
in the pre-revolutionary period. It began as an agricultural town,
then, changed to a rural industrial town in the 1800's, and is now
primarily a bedroom community for residents who work in larger
towns within commuting distance. In general, the Town of Hill has
followed the general path directed by socio-economic trends in New
England. ,
Hill's Early History - Pre 1930.
Hill was originally founded in 1754 by settlers who established a
village located in the highland area well west of the banks of the
Pemigewasset River in the area which is today referred to as Hill
Center. During the 1840's the railroad was constructed along the
banks of Pemigewasset River, shifting the future growth of the
town down to the fertile flood plain. Finally, during the postdepression
period (1940) the village was moved a second time to
allow for the construction of a dry bed reservoir for the Franklin
Falls Dam which would provide flood protection for downstream
residents. The construction site, for what is still referred to
as the "new village", is located on a bluff one-half mile above
the "old village", and is where Hill Village rests to this day
(see Figure 2). A descriptive analysis of population trends since
1800 can be found.
The Hill that existed pre-1930 represented an ideal type of small,
rural New England town (Toennies, 1887, and Loomis, 1950).
Essentially, the town was autonomous in that services, work,
entertainment and social interactions took place within the community.
There was one major tree-lined road which extended for two and onehalf
miles along the contour of the Pemigewasset River through
pastoral fields, and along clapboard houses with farms at either
end of town. Vistas of hills sloping down to the river on the
opposite bank could be seen between the houses. The Boston & Maine
Railroad also ran along the river banks and was a major source of
public transportation and shipping. (Photographs 1, 2, 3 and 4).
There were several small commercial enterprises which met the
primary shopping needs of the Hill residents. There were two general
stores, Kimption's and Pearson's, a feed and grain store, a drug
store, a butcher, a garage, a hotel and restaurant, which provided
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