Ellicott City, Maryland
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Ellicott City is a census-designated place located in Howard County, Maryland, the wealthiest county in America by median-family income. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 56,397. It is the county seat of Howard CountyTemplate:GR. Founded in 1772, the town features a Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station Museum (with a station built in 1831), as well as a downtown historic district.
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Geography
Ellicott City is located at 39°16'9" North, 76°49'50" West (39.269257, -76.830545)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 83.1 km² (32.1 mi²). 83.0 km² (32.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.19% water.
Like Rome, Ellicott City is claimed to be built on seven hills. These hills lie southeast of the Historic Distric, which is on the banks of the Patapsco River.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 56,397 people, 20,250 households, and 15,288 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 679.8/km² (1,760.9/mi²). There are 20,789 housing units at an average density of 250.6/km² (649.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 78.33% White, 7.34% African American, 0.15% Native American, 11.90% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 2.14% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 20,250 households out of which 41.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% are married couples living together, 7.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% are non-families. 19.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.76 and the average family size is 3.22.
In the CDP the population is spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP is $79,031, and the median income for a family is $91,968. Males have a median income of $63,938 versus $41,721 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $33,316. 3.3% of the population and 2.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.3% of those under the age of 18 and 4.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
In 1772, three Quaker brothers from Bucks County, Pennsylvania chose the picturesque wilderness up river from Elk Ridge Landing (known today as Elkridge, Maryland) to establish a flour mill. John, Andrew and Joseph Ellicott founded Ellicott's Mills which became one of the largest milling and manufacturing towns in the East.
The Ellicott brothers helped revolutionize farming in the area by persuading farmers to plant wheat instead of tobacco and also by introducing fertilizer to revitalize depleted soil. Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was an early influential convert from tobacco to wheat.
In 1791, Andrew Ellicott was commissioned to survey the boundaries for the nation's new capital, Washington, DC. He was joined by a free black man and family friend named Benjamin Banneker. Banneker worked closely with the city designer, Pierre L'Enfant. When L'Enfant abandoned the project and returned home, Banneker was able to recreate the designer's plans from memory.
In 1830, Ellicott's Mills became the first terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad outside Baltimore, Maryland. The old station, which stands today as a museum, has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. According to legend, the famous race between Peter Cooper's iron engine, the Tom Thumb, and a horse-drawn carriage took place at Relay on the return trip from Ellicott's Mills in August 1830. The horse won this race, but steam engines steadily improved and the railroad became a vital link in the town's economy.
By 1861, Ellicott's Mills was a prosperous farming and manufacturing area, and the site of the courthouse, which was built from 1840-1843 when the Howard District of Anne Arundel County, Maryland was so designated in 1839. Howard County, Maryland became an official independent jurisdiction in 1851. In 1867, a city charter was secured for Ellicott's Mills and the name was changed to "Ellicott City." The only chartered city in the county, Ellicott City lost its charter in 1935 and was designated an historic district by the county in 1973 and today serves as the county seat.