Worcester County, Maryland

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Worcester County, Maryland
Map
Location in the state of Maryland
Maryland's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded	1742
Seat	Snow Hill
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	695 sq mi (1,800 km²) 473 sq mi (1,225 km²) 221 sq mi (572 km²), 31.88%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	46,543 98/sq mi (38/km²)
Website: www.co.worcester.md.us

Worcester County (pronounced as "Wis-ter," "Wuss-ster," or "Wuhr-shter") is the easternmost county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. The county contains the entire length of the state's Atlantic coast line. It is home to the popular vacation resort area of Ocean City. It was named for an Earl of Worcester. Its county seat is Snow Hill. It is included in the Ocean Pines, Maryland Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Contents 1 History 2 Law and government 3 Education 4 Geography 4.1 National protected area 5 Transportation 5.1 Adjacent counties 6 Demographics 7 Cities and towns 8 Notable Persons 9 References 10 Sources 11 External links

[edit] History

Worcester County was created by the division of Somerset County in 1742. The county seat, previously located near the confluence of Dividing Creek with the Pocomoke River, was transferred to the river port of Snow Hill, at the head of navigation of the Pocomoke, near the center of the new county.

Both Somerset and Worcester Counties were early on divided into hundreds, from south to north: Mattapony, Pocomoke, Bogerternorton, Wicomico, and Baltimore Hundreds. Later subdivisions of the hundreds added Pitts Creek, Acquango, Queponco, and Buckingham & Worcester Hundreds, all of which in turn became election districts following American independence. Competing territorial claims between the Calverts of Maryland and the Penns of Pennsylvania and of what later became the state of Delaware led to the surveying of Worcester County's northern border, the Transpeninsular Line in 1751, though boundary disputes continued through the rest of the colonial period. In 1779, Stephen Decatur, hero of the Barbary Wars, was born at Sinepuxent, near what is today the town of Berlin.

Originally settled almost entirely by immigrants of British and Irish stock, Worcester County was divided during the colonial period into several parishes, though Quakers, Presbyterians, and later Methodists also set up meeting houses. Like the Border States in general, Worcester County had a high proportion of Free people of color for many decades before the Civil War, due in part to the influence of, first, Quakerism, and later Methodism.

Worcester County was primarily an agricultural area from its inception, first planting tobacco, but when the quality produced in the area's sandy soil could not compete with that produced elsewhere, growing wheat, corn, and livestock. Early industrial activity included the smelting of bog iron ore in a brick blast furnace to make pig iron at Furnacetown in the first half of the 19th century. The arrival of steam-powered water transport and then the railroad opened urban markets to Worcester County's other principal product: seafood, particularly shellfish. Oysters, clams, and crabs were shipped to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. Soon after the Civil War (to each side of which Worcester County sent soldiers), parts of both Worcester and Somerset Counties were combined to create, in 1867, Wicomico County. Also in the later 19th century, the seaside resort of Ocean City was founded.

During the 20th century, due to overfishing, the seafood industry declined, as did truck farming, but the advent of the large-scale poultry industry replaced them. In addition, the expansion of Ocean City has turned the northern part of the county from a summer resort to an expanding year-round community.

Two major storms influenced the course of Worcester County history in the 20th century: the hurricane of 1933, which badly damaged Ocean City and Public Landing, but also cut the Ocean City Inlet, and the nor'easter of 1962, which destroyed much of the residential development on Assateague Island and led to the creation of the National Seashore.

[edit] Law and government

Worcester County was granted home rule in 1976 under a state code.

[edit] Education

The following institutions are part of the Worcester County public school system, governed by the Worcester County Board of Education

1. Showell Elementary School
2. Buckingham Elementary School
3. Ocean City Elementary School
4. Snow Hill Elementary School
5. Pocomoke Elementary School
6. Berlin Intermediate School
7. Stephen Decatur Middle School
8. Snow Hill Middle School
9. Pocomoke Middle School
10. Stephen Decatur High School
11. Snow Hill High School
12. Pocomoke High School
13. Worcester Career and Technology Center
14. Cedar Chapell Special School

In the fall of 2008 Worcester County has plans to open Worcester Technical High School, open to all residents of the county, to replace Worcester Career and Technology Center.

The following private schools also opporate in Worcester County,

1. Worcester Preparatory School
2. Seaside Christian Accedamy
3. Most Blessed Sacrement Catholic School

[edit] Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 695 square miles (1,799 km²), of which, 473 square miles (1,226 km²) of it is land and 221 square miles (574 km²) of it (31.88%) is water.

The terrain is mostly level and coastal. The lowest elevation is sea level along the Atlantic Ocean and the highest elevation is 49 ft in the northwestern part of the county along State Route 12 just south of the Wicomico County line.

[edit] National protected area

• Assateague Island National Seashore (part)

[edit] Transportation

Major U.S. and state highways in Worcester County include U.S. Route 50, whose east end is in Ocean City, U.S. Route 13, U.S. Route 113, Maryland Route 90, and Maryland Route 12. Freight trains run into Delaware from Snow Hill on the Worcester Railroad, and the main line (formerly Pennsylvania Railroad) from Philadelphia to Cape Charles, Virginia and Norfolk runs through the southeastern corner of the county. A small airport is located near Ocean City, but has no scheduled service.

[edit] Adjacent counties

• Accomack County, Virginia (south)
• Somerset County (west)
• Sussex County, Delaware (north)
• Wicomico County (northwest)

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 46,543 people, 19,694 households, and 13,273 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile (38/km²). There were 47,360 housing units at an average density of 100 per square mile (39/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.20% White, 16.66% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.7% were of German, 13.3% English, 12.6% Irish, 11.1% American and 6.0% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 19,694 households out of which 24.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.20% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.60% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the county the population was spread out with 20.50% under the age of 18, 6.20% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 20.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,650, and the median income for a family was $47,293. Males had a median income of $31,735 versus $24,319 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,505. About 7.20% of families and 9.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.00% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Cities and towns

This county contains the following incorporated municipalities:

• 1 City:
  1. Pocomoke City (incorporated 1865)
• 3 Towns:
  1. Berlin (incorporated 1868)
  2. Ocean City (incorporated 1880)
  3. Snow Hill (incorporated 1812)

Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:

1. Girdletree
2. Newark
3. Ocean Pines
4. Stockton
5. West Ocean City
6. Whaleyville
7. Bishopville
8. Showell

Other unincorporated places not listed as Census-Designated Places but known in the area include:

1. Boxiron
2. Cedartown
3. Germantown
4. Goodwill
5. Klej Grange
6. Nassawango Hills
7. Poplartown
8. Public Landing
9. South Point
10. Taylorville
11. Libertytown
12. Whiteon
13. Sinnepuxent

[edit] Notable Persons

• Stephen Decatur, Naval Officer
• Linda Harrison, Hollywood actress

[edit] References

1. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] Sources

• Touart, Paul Baker, Along the Seaboard Side: The Architectural History of Worcester County, Maryland (1994).

[edit] External links

• Worcester County Government Website
• Worcester County tourism website
• Your Community Link: A Database of Community, Government, and Non-Profit organizations on the Lower Shore
• 1876 Maps of Worcester County (requires Java)

Coordinates: 38°14′N 75°17′W / 38.23, -75.28

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Worcester County, Maryland County seat: Snow Hill City Pocomoke City Towns Berlin | Ocean City | Snow Hill CDPs Girdletree | Newark | Ocean Pines | Stockton | West Ocean City | Whaleyville Unincorporated communities Bishopville | Boxiron | Cedartown | Germantown | Goodwill | Klej Grange | Nassawango Hills | Poplartown | Public Landing | Showell

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