Arden, Delaware

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arden is a village in New Castle County, Delaware, in the United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the village is 484.^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

Arden was founded in 1900 by sculptor Frank Stephens and architect Will Price, followers of both Henry George's Single tax and William Morris’s Arts and Crafts principles. The Single Tax movement, popular in the U.S. in the 1890s, believed that the best way to raise government money was by a single tax on land only. The tax would be the same whether the land was improved or not. William Morris, an Englishman, rebelled against modern cities and industry. He advocated a return to craft production, good design, and village life.

By law, land in Arden cannot be sold, instead it is leased for 99 years. People are free to improve it as they choose, but the land-lease fee will not increase because of improvements. Arden is exempt from New Castle County land taxes, but the buildings within the village are taxed separately for county and school district revenue.

At first, Arden was a summer community. People lived the simple life in tents or rustic dwellings. By 1909, all the land had been leased. There were 115 leaseholders and 50 houses, but only 50 year-round residents.

The founding of the Arden Club in 1908 provided an organizational core for community activity. Interest groups and task groups were called gilds rather than committees. From the beginning, Shakespeare’s plays were produced in the outdoor Field Theater. Fairs, pageants, and Arden holidays filled the calendar.

It took longer to implement the Arts-and-Crafts ideal because the community was so small at first. Many people worked in Wilmington or Philadelphia. In 1913, the Craft Shop was built, which provided facilities for various artisans. Arden crafts, especially from the Arden Forge and Arden Weavers, became popular in the area.

The conceptual lifestyle of Arden proved so popular that it expanded twice, with Ardentown in 1922 and Ardencroft in 1950. Today, the Ardens remain as single-tax communities at the village municipal level. The spirit of Arden encourages all sorts of artistic and intellectual expression and a strong community life.

[edit] Geography

Arden is located at 39°48′41″N, 75°29′16″W (39.811512, -75.487822)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 474 people, 229 households, and 122 families residing in the village. The population density was 677.8/km² (1,780.5/mi²). There were 243 housing units at an average density of 347.5/km² (912.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.15% White, 0.84% African American, 0.42% Native American, 1.69% Asian, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.32% of the population.

There were 229 households out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the village the population was spread out with 18.1% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 35.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $56,731, and the median income for a family was $70,893. Males had a median income of $48,125 versus $38,333 for females. The per capita income for the village was $30,422. None of the families and 2.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 2.0% of those over 64.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• http://www.theardens.com
• http://www.ardenartists.com
• http://www.ardenclub.com
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 39.811512° -75.487822°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA