Essex, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Essex, Maryland
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Essex Monolith, Essex, Maryland
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Location of Essex, Maryland
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Maryland |
| County |  Baltimore |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.04 sq mi (31.19 km2) |
| • Land | 9.26 sq mi (23.98 km2) |
| • Water | 2.78 sq mi (7.20 km2) |
| Elevation | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 40,505 |
| • Density | 4,374.19/sq mi (1,688.96/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
21221
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| Area code(s) | 410, 443, 667 |
| FIPS code | 24-26600 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0590171 |
Essex is a community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is an "unincorporated community" and a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means it's a specific area that the government counts for population, but it doesn't have its own city government. Essex began in 1909. In 2020, about 40,505 people lived there.
Contents
History of Essex
Essex is located on a piece of land surrounded by the Middle River to the east and the Back River to the west. It started in 1909 when the Taylor Land Company sold land to people from Baltimore. They wanted a place outside the city where they could have gardens or enjoy country life. The land was affordable, and a special pamphlet helped sell it.
Early Buildings and Services
In 1910, Henry Guttenberger built the first general store in Essex. It was at the corner of Eastern Boulevard and Mace Avenue. Between 1911 and 1912, the Taylor Land Company gave land for the Essex Methodist and St. John's Lutheran churches. They also donated land for the volunteer fire department, which opened its permanent station in 1921.
Schools and Education
As more people moved to Essex, there was a need for schools. The first elementary school opened in 1925 with 400 students. Later, Essex Community College was started in 1957. It's now called CCBC-Essex. Classes first took place at Kenwood High School. In 1961, the college moved to Dorsey Avenue, and then to its current location in Rossville in 1968.
Major Events and Businesses
In August 1957, a big fire destroyed a whole block of businesses on Eastern Boulevard. This fire caused a lot of damage and changed the town's business area. New shopping centers were built, and people started shopping in different places.
The Glenn L. Martin Company was a very important business for Essex. It made airplanes and employed many people, especially during World War II. At its busiest, over 53,000 people worked there! After the war, the company became smaller. Part of its land is now Martin State Airport. The aerospace business that remained is now part of Lockheed Martin.
Another important company was Eastern Rolling Mill, which opened in 1919. This factory made sheet steel. It later merged with other companies and eventually closed in the late 1990s.
Modern Essex
Today, people are working to make Essex even better. They are trying to improve the area by removing old buildings and building new ones. They have also added new features like the Essex monolith and improved roads.
The historic Ballestone Mansion (also known as Ballestone-Stansbury House), built in 1800, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Essex has a main shopping area called the business district on Eastern Boulevard. Its largest shopping center, Middlesex, was built in 1955. It used to have big stores like Montgomery Ward and Food Fair.
On August 2, 2009, the community of Essex celebrated its 100th birthday with a party at Cox's Point Park.
Geography
Essex is located at 39°18′28″N 76°27′6″W / 39.30778°N 76.45167°W. The total area of the CDP is about 30.8 square kilometers (11.9 square miles). Most of this area is land (24.0 square kilometers or 9.3 square miles), and about 6.8 square kilometers (2.6 square miles) is water.
The town's land is mostly flat or gently rolling. It changes into marshland closer to the Chesapeake Bay. Essex also has a small island in the Chesapeake Bay called Hart Miller Island. You can only get to this island by boat. It has an observation tower, beaches, and hiking trails. Hart Miller Island was created by connecting two smaller islands with a man-made landfill.
Population and People
The population of Essex has changed over the years:
- 1960: 35,205 people
- 1970: 38,193 people
- 1980: 39,614 people
- 1990: 40,872 people
- 2000: 39,078 people
- 2010: 39,262 people
- 2020: 40,505 people
In 2020, the population of Essex was 40,505. About 52% of the people were White, and about 31% were Black or African American. Around 8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In 2000, there were about 15,952 households in Essex. About 31.8% of these households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.45 people. The median age in Essex was 36 years old. This means half the people were younger than 36, and half were older.
Schools in Essex, Maryland
Essex has many schools for students of all ages:
- Mars Estates Elementary School
- Essex Elementary School
- Sandalwood Elementary School
- Middleborough Elementary School
- Middlesex Elementary School
- Sussex Elementary School
- Stemmers Run Middle School
- Deep Creek Middle School
- Kenwood High School
- Chesapeake High School
- Eastern Technical High School
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel School
- St. Stephens Academy
Notable People from Essex
- Lamar King: A former professional football player in the NFL.
- Ego Nwodim: A current performer on the TV show Saturday Night Live.
Images for kids
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Essex district court
See also
In Spanish: Essex (Maryland) para niños
