Essex, Maryland
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Essex is a census-designated place located in Baltimore County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 39,078.
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History
Originally, Essex was ten blocks, running from Mace to Marlyn Avenues. It was begun in 1909 by the Taylor Land Company for those residents in Baltimore who wanted a place outside the city limits to perhaps grow a garden or to pursue some other rural activity. Land was cheap and sales were enhanced by a promotional pamphlet.
Henry Guttenberger built the first general store in Essex in 1910 on the corner of Eastern and Mace Avenues. Between 1911 and 1912, the Taylor Land Company donated the lots for Essex Methodist and St. John's Lutheran churches. They also donated the land where the volunteer fire department built their station on Eastern Avenue. The permanent fire station opened in 1921.
With the ever-growing population came the need to build schools. The elementary school opened in 1925 with 400 students. Essex Community College, now CCBC-Essex, was founded in 1957. Classes were first held at Kenwood High School, with fifty part-time and nine full-time students. In 1961, the college moved to Dorsey Avenue, and in 1968 moved to its present location, in Rossville. This site was owned by the Mace family, and the family burial plot is maintained and protected by the college.
A fire in August, 1957 destroyed an entire block of businesses on Eastern Avenue, and the business district never fully recovered from that catastrophe.The ten-alarm blaze caused a half million dollars in damages, and, in the time it took to repair the buildings, new shopping centers were built, changing the buying habits of consumers.
The Glenn L. Martin Company was the single biggest reason for the rapid growth of the area. Employment at the company peaked at 53,000 workers during World War II. However, this same facility was the cause of high unemployment after the war, when only 800 people worked there by the mid-1970s. The facility is now know as Middle River Aircraft Systems, a component of GE.
Another important company was Eastern Rolling Mill, which opened in 1919. The plant, at the head of Back River, produced carbon sheet steel. In 1944, Eastern merged with Industrial Stainless Steel, Inc. to form Easco. The plant then merged with the British company Avesta-Sheffield in the early 1990's finally shutting down operations in the late 1990's.
Today, there is interest in revitalizing the Essex area by including it in government-sponsored empowerment zones. Many neighborhoods have begun a "clean-up" of their areas, hoping to transform Essex into a place that will be ready to move into the next century.
Sources: Baltimore County Public Library
Geography
Essex is located at 39°18'28" North, 76°27'6" West (39.307737, -76.451710)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 30.8 km² (11.9 mi²). 24.7 km² (9.5 mi²) of it is land and 6.2 km² (2.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 20.00% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 39,078 people, 15,952 households, and 10,336 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 1,584.9/km² (4,104.1/mi²). There are 16,997 housing units at an average density of 689.3/km² (1,785.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 74.56% White, 20.98% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.17% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. 2.26% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 15,952 households out of which 31.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% are married couples living together, 18.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% are non-families. 29.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.45 and the average family size is 3.00.
In the CDP the population is spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP is $34,978, and the median income for a family is $42,177. Males have a median income of $34,105 versus $26,215 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $17,550. 12.2% of the population and 10.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.2% of those under the age of 18 and 11.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- The Essex-Middle River-White Marsh Chamber of Commerce (http://www.emrchamber.org/)
- The Essex-Middle River Renaissance Corporation (http://e-mrrc.org/)
- Baltimore County Essex-Middle River Community Conservation Plan Summary (http://www.co.ba.md.us/Agencies/community/essex.html)
- Rediscover Essex (http://www.co.ba.md.us/Agencies/economicdev/CommRevitalization/edd_essex.html)