Havre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace is a city in Harford County,
Maryland,
United States. The population was 11,331 at the
2000 census. It is named after Le Havre-de-Gr?ce of
France, and it is the birthplace of
Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken, Jr. and home to WXCY radio.
Encyclopedia
Havre de Grace is a city in Harford County,
Maryland,
United States. The population was 11,331 at the
2000 census. It is named after Le Havre-de-Grāce of
France, and it is the birthplace of
Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken, Jr. and home to WXCY radio.
Geography
Havre de Grace is located at at the mouth of the
Susquehanna River.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.0 km² . 10.4 km² of it is land and 3.5 km² of it is water.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 11,331 people, 4,557 households, and 2,870 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,085.6/km² . There were 4,904 housing units at an average density of 469.8/km² . The racial makeup of the city was 79.24%
White, 16.15%
African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.80% from
other races, and 2.18% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.
There were 4,557 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,218, and the median income for a family was $53,838. Males had a median income of $37,985 versus $27,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,176. About 7.5% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Early History
During the
Revolutionary War the small hamlet known as Harmer's Town was visited several times by General
Lafayette, who commented that the area reminded him of the French seaport "
Le Havre." His comment was the source of the name "Havre de Grace," meaning Harbor of Grace, which became incorporated as a town in 1785. In 1791 Havre de Grace narrowly lost out to
Washington, D.C. as the nation's capitol.
On May 13, 1814, during the
War of 1812, Havre de Grace was under siege by the British, after they had burned Washington and been held at bay by the defenders of Baltimore in the siege of
Fort McHenry and the
Battle of North Point. Lieutenant John O'Neill single-handedly defended the city of Havre de Grace by firing a cannon at the British fleet as they approached on the
Susquehanna River. He was wounded, captured by the British, and eventually released. The city of Havre de Grace was sacked and burned, with only two houses and a church spared destruction. Havre de Grace was rebuilt, and in 1878 the town became a city with the establishment of its own government.
Notable People from Havre de Grace
- David R. Craig, born June 12, 1949. Harford County Executive, 2005-present.
- Millard Tydings, born April 6, 1890. U.S. Senator 1927 - 1951.
- Cal Ripken, born August 24, 1960. Major League Baseball Player for the Baltimore Orioles
- Cal's younger brother, Billy Ripken, was also born in Havre de Grace, in 1964
- Jeff Hawkins, born August 25, 1972.
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