Snow Hill, Maryland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Snow Hill, Maryland
Town
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Location in Worcester County and Maryland
Snow Hill, Maryland Location in Maryland Show map of Maryland Snow Hill, Maryland Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Worcester
Incorporated	1812
Area
• Total	1.56 sq mi (4.04 km2)
• Land	1.48 sq mi (3.83 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2)
Elevation	16 ft (5 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,156
• Density	1,456.76/sq mi (562.41/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	21863
Area code(s)	410, 443
FIPS code	24-73075
GNIS feature ID	0587416
Website	www.snowhillmd.gov

Snow Hill is a town in Maryland, United States. It is the main town, or county seat, of Worcester County. In 2020, about 2,156 people lived there. Snow Hill is also part of the larger Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware area.

History of Snow Hill

Snow Hill was started in 1686 by English settlers. They might have named it after a street in London called "Snow Hill." This is interesting because Snow Hill, Maryland, is only about 16 feet above sea level. It also doesn't get much snow.

The town officially became a town on October 26, 1686. In 1694, it became a port of entry. This meant ships could come and go from Snow Hill to trade goods.

Becoming the County Seat

In 1742, Worcester County was created. It was made from the eastern part of old Somerset County. Snow Hill was chosen as the county seat because it was in the middle of the new county. It was also at the end of the Pocomoke River where boats could travel.

Fires and Rebuilding

Big fires happened in Snow Hill in 1844 and 1893. These fires destroyed the center of the town. Two courthouses were also burned down. But some buildings from the 1700s survived both fires.

After the second fire, many shops and businesses were quickly rebuilt. Because of this, downtown Snow Hill today has many historic buildings. These buildings are from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Snow Hill Historic District was created in 2002. It includes about 80% of the town.

Historic Buildings and Sites

Many important places in Snow Hill are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are special and protected. Some of these include:

• All Hallows Episcopal Church
• Chanceford
• Old Friendship United Methodist Church
• Samuel Gunn House
• Makemie Memorial Presbyterian Church
• James Martin House
• Nassawango Iron Furnace Site
• Nun's Green
• George Washington Purnell House
• Gov. John Walter Smith House

Geography of Snow Hill

Snow Hill is located at coordinates 38.175024 degrees North and -75.390738 degrees West.

The town covers a total area of about 1.56 square miles (4.04 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1.48 square miles (3.83 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.08 square miles (0.21 square kilometers), is water.

Population and People

Here's how the population of Snow Hill has changed over the years:

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 2,103 people living in Snow Hill. There were 871 households, which are groups of people living together. About 557 of these were families.

The average age of people in Snow Hill was 44.7 years old.

• About 23.2% of residents were under 18.
• About 20.2% were 65 years or older.
• The town had more females (54.1%) than males (45.9%).

Education in Snow Hill

Worcester County Courthouse in Snow Hill.

Snow Hill has several schools for students of different ages:

• Snow Hill Elementary School
• Snow Hill Middle School
• Snow Hill High School
• Cedar Chapel Special School

Religion in Snow Hill

Many different Protestant churches are in Snow Hill. Some of them are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:

• All Hallows Episcopal Church
• Makemie Memorial Presbyterian Church
• Bates Memorial United Methodist Church
• Whatcoat United Methodist Church
• Ebenezer United Methodist Church
• Snow Hill Christian Church
• Liberty Church on the Rock Ministries
• Old School Baptist Church
• Mt. Zion Baptist Church
• Hutt's Memorial United Methodist Church

Notable People from Snow Hill

Many interesting people have connections to Snow Hill:

• Fannie Birckhead (1935–2022): She was the temporary mayor of Snow Hill in 1998.
• Janeen L. Birckhead: She is a military official. Since 2023, she has been the top military leader for Maryland.
• Arch Johnson: He was an actor in plays, movies, and TV shows. He passed away in Snow Hill in 1997.
• Judy Johnson: Born in Snow Hill in 1900, he was a famous baseball player in the Negro Baseball Leagues. Later, he became a scout for major league teams. In 1975, he was put into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Sherron Mills: A professional basketball player who lived from 1971 to 2016.
• John Walter Smith: Born in Snow Hill in 1845, he was a Congressman for Maryland. He also served as the 44th Governor of Maryland and a U.S. Senator.
• Ben Tate: An NFL football player who attended Snow Hill High School. He helped his team reach the Maryland state championship game in 2006.
• R. V. Truitt: He was the first lacrosse coach at the University of Maryland. He also started the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in 1925. He was a famous marine ecologist who studied blue crabs and oysters.
• Ephraim King Wilson II: Born in Snow Hill in 1821, he was a U.S. Senator and Congressman for Maryland.