| Fairport Harbor, Ohio | |
|---|---|
| — Village — | |
| Location of Fairport Harbor, Ohio | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Lake |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2) |
| • Land | 1.0 sq mi (2.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation[1] | 610 ft (186 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 3,180 |
| • Density | 3,052.2/sq mi (1,178.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 44077 |
| Area code(s) | 440 |
| FIPS code | 39-26306[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1083984[1] |
Fairport Harbor is a village in Lake County, Ohio, United States, along Lake Erie at the mouth of the Grand River. The population was 3,180 at the 2000 census.
Fairport Harbor is home to two lighthouses: the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light in Painesville Township, operated by the United States Coast Guard and the Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light operated by the Fairport Harbor Historical Society. It is also the home of the Finnish Heritage Museum.
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Fairport Harbor is located at (41.750302, -81.273198),[3] within Painesville Township.[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), of which, 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (7.14%) is water.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 3,180 people, 1,404 households, and 839 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,052.2 people per square mile (1,180.6/km²). There were 1,546 housing units at an average density of 1,483.8 per square mile (574.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.96% White, 0.57% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.38% of the population. 15.9% were of German, 12.3% Finnish, 11.5% Hungarian, 11.2% Irish, 9.3% Italian and 5.2% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.5% spoke English, 2.4% Finnish and 2.1% Hungarian as their first language.
There were 1,404 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,205, and the median income for a family was $45,142. Males had a median income of $31,971 versus $24,657 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,722. About 5.9% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.[5]
The Fairport Harbor Historical Society operates the Marine Museum in the Grand River Lighthouse and keeper's house. The village is home to seven churches. The Fairport Harbor Business Association supports various business within the village.
Fairport Harbor's location at the mouth of the Grand River made it an ideal place for a settlement. After being claimed as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve by the Connecticut Land Company in 1796–1797, the town of Grandon was platted there on May 16, 1812. When the town incorporated in 1836, the name was changed to "Fairport."[6]
After receiving federal sponsorship, the village's port flourished, and an influx of Finns, Hungarians, and Slovaks arrived there. The port also imported iron ore for use at area steel mills. The port continues operation at a more limited capacity.[6]
Later in the village's history, the Diamond Alkali Company operated from 1912 to 1976.[6]
In recent years Fairport Harbor has hosted the Lake County Perch Fest[7] and opened the Finnish Heritage Museum.
On January 24, 2011, an overpressurized Dominion East Ohio natural gas pipeline caused devices in at least least 17 dwellings to explode, causing the structures to burn and leading to a mass evacuation.[8][9] The excess pressure has been attributed to ice present in a sensor line causing a false reading in a pressure regulator.[10] The backup regulator for the pipeline also failed.[11] While no injuries were reported in the community,[9] the cost of damage was placed at approximately $1.2 million.[12]
Fairport Harbor Images of America by Fairport Harbor Historical Society, Arcadia Publishing (March 5, 2003), 128 pp. ISBN 978-0738523002
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