Snow Hill, Maryland
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Snow Hill is a town located in Worcester County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 2,409. It is the county seat of Worcester CountyTemplate:GR.
MDMap-doton-SnowHill.PNG
Location of Snow Hill, Maryland
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History
Snow Hill was founded in 1642 by English settlers from a division of the City of London named "Snow Hill." The town received its first charter on the October 26, 1686, and was made a port of entry in 1694.
Prior to 1742, when Worcester County was carved out of Somerset County and Snow Hill was made the county seat - Snow Hill had been a trading post and the head of navigation on the Pocomoke River.
Trade was the "engine" that drove commerce in the town and the Pocomoke River was the "highway". As the public came to trade, the residential population grew, businesses were established and churches and educational facilities were built. Prior to the turn of the twentieth century, Snow Hill resting on the banks of a navigable river, with its booming commerce became the business and cultural center of Worcester County. It became a town of gracious living, where merchants, bankers, farmers and sea captains built fine homes showing off their prosperity.
Snow Hill also became an attractive place for craft specialists, who became markedly successful not only because of the local population, but also due to the town's proximity to a navigable river which allowed both import and export of goods. Successful craft specialists prospered and as a result were able to afford lots of their own and the ability to build remarkable dwellings on those lots.
In 1893 a fire destroyed most all the commercial area of Snow Hill including the Court House. All of the buildings were rebuilt within the next two years, so the downtown area today contains primarily historic buildings with architectural design of the late nineteenth century.
Today, the Town of Snow Hill is a community of over 2400 residents with a combination of residential, commercial, rural and historical districts.
Geography
Snow Hill is located at 38°10'30" North, 75°23'27" West (38.175024, -75.390738)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²). 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 2,409 people, 862 households, and 555 families residing in the town. The population density is 699.3/km² (1,806.2/mi²). There are 964 housing units at an average density of 279.9/km² (722.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 56.00% White, 42.34% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 1.08% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 862 households out of which 28.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% are married couples living together, 20.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% are non-families. 31.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.37 and the average family size is 2.94.
In the town the population is spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $29,730, and the median income for a family is $38,657. Males have a median income of $25,439 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the town is $15,560. 15.9% of the population and 14.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.5% of those under the age of 18 and 13.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- Town of Snow Hill website (http://www.snowhillmd.com/)