Oxford, Maryland
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Oxford is a town located in Talbot County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 771.
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Sleepy, shady streets are common in Oxford.
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History
Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland. Although already in existence for perhaps 20 years, Oxford marks the year 1683 as its official founding, for in that year Oxford was first named by the Maryland General Assembly as a seaport and was laid out as a town. In 1694, Oxford and a new town called Anne Arundel (now Annapolis) were selected the only ports of entry for the entire Maryland province. Until the American Revolution, Oxford enjoyed prominence as an international shipping center surrounded by wealthy tobacco plantations.
Early citizens included Robert Morris, Sr., agent for a Liverpool shipping firm who greatly influenced the town's growth; his son, Robert Morris, Jr., known as "the financier of the Revolution;" Jeremiah Banning, sea captain, war hero, and statesman; The Reverend Thomas Bacon, Anglican clergyman who wrote the first compilation of the laws of Maryland; Matthew Tilghman, known as the "patriarch of Maryland" and "father of statehood"; and Colonel Tench Tilghman, aide-de-camp to George Washington and the man who carried the message of General Cornwallis's surrender to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
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Arriving at Oxford by ferry crossing the Tred Avon River.
The American Revolution marked the end of Oxford's glory. Gone were the British ships with their variety of imported goods, and tobacco was replaced by wheat as a cash crop. Businesses went bankrupt, cattle grazed in the streets, and the population dwindled.
After the Civil War, Oxford emerged from its "long slumber" to nearly 100 years of a new prosperity signaled by completion of the railroad in 1871 and improved methods of canning and packing which opened national markets for oysters from the Chesapeake Bay's bountiful beds. Business was booming, houses were going up everywhere, and tourists and boaters were arriving in droves. But it was not to last. In the early part of the 20th century, the oyster beds played out, the packing houses closed, other businesses went bankrupt, and the railway and steamships eventually disappeared. Oxford became a sleepy little town inhabited mainly by watermen who still worked the waters of the Tred Avon River.
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Nearly all of Oxford's business district can be captured in a single photo.
Oxford today is still a waterman's town, but is enjoying a new resurgence based on tourism and leisure activities. Its quiet charm, fresh air, summer breezes, and clean water provide a haven from the hustle and bustle of city life for boaters, weekend visitors, and summer residents.
(Text adapted from the Oxford, Maryland brochure.)
Geography
Oxford is located at 38°41'12" North, 76°10'15" West (38.686776, -76.170842)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 km² (0.7 mi²). 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 30.56% water.
Demographics
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Nearly all streets in Oxford end at the waterfront because the town is situated on a peninsula.
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 771 people, 396 households, and 241 families residing in the town. The population density is 595.4/km² (1,532.4/mi²). There are 523 housing units at an average density of 403.9/km² (1,039.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 92.87% White, 6.36% Black or African American, 0.13% Asian and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.65% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 396 households out of which 14.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% are married couples living together, 7.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% are non-families. 34.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 16.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 1.95 and the average family size is 2.45.
In the town the population is spread out with 13.2% under the age of 18, 1.7% from 18 to 24, 17.3% from 25 to 44, 37.2% from 45 to 64, and 30.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 55 years. For every 100 females there are 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $52,054, and the median income for a family is $71,071. Males have a median income of $52,708 versus $33,929 for females. The per capita income for the town is $47,917. 3.3% of the population and 2.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.1% of those under the age of 18 and 2.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
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Most of the town of Oxford sits on a peninsula.