Harford County, Maryland Explained

County:Harford County
State:Maryland
Flag:Flag of Harford County, Maryland.svg
Seal:Seal of Harford County, Maryland.svg
Founded Date:December 17
Founded Year:1773
Largest City Wl:Aberdeen
Area Total Sq Mi:527
Area Land Sq Mi:437
Area Water Sq Mi:90
Area Percentage:17
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:260924
Population Density Sq Mi:597.08
Web:www.harfordcountymd.gov
Ex Image:BEL AIR COURTHOUSE HISTORIC DISTRICT, HARFORD COUNTY.jpg
Ex Image Size:250px
Ex Image Cap:Harford County Courthouse
District:1st
Time Zone:Eastern
Coordinates:39.54°N -76.3°W

Harford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 260,924.[1] Its county seat is Bel Air.[2] Harford County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area.

History

In 1608 the area was inhabited by Massawomecks and Susquehannocks. The first European to see the area was John Smith in 1608 when he traveled up the Chesapeake Bay from Jamestown. In 1652, the English and Susquehannocks signed a treaty at what is now Annapolis for the area now called Harford County.

Harford County was formed on March 22, 1774, from the eastern part of Baltimore County with a population of 13,000 people.[3] On March 22, 1775, Harford County hosted the signers of the Bush Declaration, a precursor document to the American Revolution. On January 22, 1782, Bel Air became the county seat.

Havre de Grace, a city incorporated in 1785 within Harford County, was once under consideration to be the capital of the United States rather than Washington, D.C. It was favored for its strategic location at the top of the Chesapeake Bay; this location would facilitate trade while being secure in time of war.[4] Today, the waterways around Havre de Grace have become adversely affected by silt runoff, which is one of the primary environmental issues of Harford County.[5] While today the site is a Maryland National Guard military reservation, the land was used as the Havre de Grace Racetrack where racehorse Man o' War ran in 1919 and 1920.[6]

During the 1900s the Bata Shoe Company employed numerous Eastern European refugees at the Belcamp factory.[7] In the 1940s the Susquehanna River tributary Broad Creek was dammed to form the 55acres at what is now the Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation.[8] In June 1972 Hurricane Agnes overflowed the dam and flooded areas in many states.[9] On the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, "prior to the 2016 report ... Harford's yearly rankings typically fell between ninth and 10th place, primarily because of the percentage of county residents who were obese or who smoked."[10] Scenes from Tuck Everlasting, From Within, and House of Cards were all filmed in Harford County.

In 2011 the Office of National Drug Control Policy deemed Harford County a designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.[11]

The county was named for Henry Harford (c. 1759–1834), the illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore. Henry Harford was born to Calvert's mistress, Hester Whelan, whose residence still stands as part of a private residence on Jarretsville Pike, in Phoenix, Maryland. Harford served as the last Proprietary Governor of Maryland but, because of his illegitimacy, did not inherit his father's title.[3] There are 79 properties and districts listed on the National Register in the county, including one National Historic Landmark called Sion Hill.

Environmental history

Harford County has environmental issues in three major areas: land use, water pollution/urban runoff, and soil contamination/groundwater contamination.

As the county sits at the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay along the Susquehanna River, it plays a key role in controlling sediment and fertilizer runoff into the bay as well as fostering submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) regrowth. The county has had to balance the needs of land owners to practice agriculture and/or pave land (creating impervious surfaces) with effects of runoff into the bay.

Harford County has been burdened by soil contamination and groundwater contamination since the creation of the Aberdeen Proving Ground in 1917. The military installation performs research for the U.S. Army, including weapons testing, and has released various chemical agents into soil and groundwater, including mustard gas and perchlorate. The bordering towns of Aberdeen, Edgewood and Joppatowne have been affected by this contamination.[12] [13]

Aberdeen Proving Ground contains three Superfund priority sites . Groundwater contamination by MTBE, a mandatory gasoline additive, has also affected Fallston.[14] [15]

Harford County also faces controversy from residents living near Scarboro Landfill and Harford Waste Disposal Center, the only municipal landfill. The landfill, approved to triple in size in 2007, is the subject of complaints by neighbors of operating violations, such as large areas of open trash and blown litter; leachate breaks which contaminate area residential wells and flow into Deer Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River; and increased health problems.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (17%) is water.[16]

Harford County straddles the border between the rolling hills of the Piedmont Plateau and the flatlands of the Atlantic Coastal Plain along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The county's development is a mix of rural and suburban, with denser development in the larger towns of Aberdeen and Bel Air and along Route 40 and other major arteries leading out of Baltimore. The highest elevations are in the north and northwest of the county, reaching 805 ft. near the Pennsylvania border in the county's northwestern corner. The lowest elevation is sea level along the Chesapeake Bay.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Communities

Cities

Town

Unincorporated communities

Census-designated places

Populated places

Climate

The January freezing isotherm runs across the northern part of the county and divides it into a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa.) Average monthly temperatures in Bel Air range from 32.6 °F in January to 76.6 °F in July, while in Aberdeen they range from 33.5 °F in January to 77.2 °F in July.[18]

Politics and government

Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024[19]
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Harford County is, like the Pennsylvania Dutch Country to its north, a strongly Republican region. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Harford County since Lyndon Johnson’s landslide of 1964, although recent trends have shown the county voting less Republican over the past few elections. In the period before World War II Harford leaned strongly Democratic as it had sizeable Confederate sympathies,[20] but during and since World War II the county has turned away from its traditional allegiances.

Harford County was granted a charter form of government in 1972. This means that the county is run by a County Executive and Council President, both elected at large, as well as Council Members, elected from districts. Currently, there are six districts in Harford County. Also elected at large is the Sheriff, who runs the Harford County Sheriff's Office, the State's Attorney, who prosecutes all crimes in the county, the Register of Wills, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Executive

The Harford County Executive is Robert Cassilly (Republican). Primary law enforcement in the county is handled by the Harford County Sheriff's Office, which has precincts in Jarrettsville, Edgewood and Bel Air. The current Sheriff is Jeffrey Gahler (R). The Maryland State Police also have a barrack located in Bel Air which serves the citizens of Harford County. Municipal police needs are provided by the Bel Air Police Department, the Aberdeen Police Department and the Havre De Grace Police Department. The current State's Attorney is Alison Healey, the first woman to hold the post. Directors are nominated by the Executive and approved by the council. The Volunteer Fire & EMS Association department is led by Russell Eyre.[21]

Council

Patrick Vincenti is the council president. Dion F. Guthrie represents district A which includes Joppa and Edgewood. Aaron David Penman represents district B which includes Abingdon and Fallston. Tony "G" Giangiordano represents district C which includes Bel Air and Forest Hill. James Reilly represents district D which includes Jarrettsville, Street, and Darlington. Jessica Boyle-Tsottles represents district E which includes Churchville and Aberdeen. Jacob D. Bennett represents district F which includes Belcamp and Havre de Grace.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the census[22] of 2000, there were 218,590 people, 79,667 households, and 60,387 families residing in the county. The population density was 496/mi2. There were 83,146 housing units at an average density of 189/mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 86.77% White, 9.27% African-American, 0.23% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. 1.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.5% were of German, 13.1% Irish, 9.8% Italian, 9.2% English, 8.1% "American" and 6.0% Polish ancestry.

By 2006 the population of Harford County had risen 10.4% to 241,402.[23]

The 2005 report on race and ethnicity indicated the county's population was 82.8% non-Hispanic whites. The proportion of African-Americans in the county had risen to 11.5%. Hispanics were now 2.4% of the total population.[23]

In 2000 there were 79,667 households, out of which 38.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.90% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.20% were non-families. 19.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 27.90% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 31.60% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $57,234, and the median income for a family was $63,868. Males had a median income of $43,612 versus $30,741 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,232. About 3.60% of families and 4.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.80% of those under age 18 and 6.70% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 244,826 people, 90,218 households, and 66,335 families residing in the county.[24] The population density was . There were 95,554 housing units at an average density of .[25] The racial makeup of the county was 81.2% white, 12.7% black or African American, 2.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.5% of the population.[24] In terms of ancestry, 28.1% were German, 19.8% were Irish, 12.2% were English, 9.9% were Italian, 6.8% were Polish, and 6.2% were American.[26]

Of the 90,218 households, 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.5% were non-families, and 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age was 39.4 years.[24]

The median income for a household in the county was $77,010 and the median income for a family was $88,370. Males had a median income of $59,734 versus $44,706 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,559. About 4.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.[27]

Economy

According to the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the following were the top employers in Harford County:

Employer
  1. of Employees
    Nov. 2014[28]
  1. of Employees
    Dec. 2011[29]
Aberdeen Proving Ground16,79715,582
Upper Chesapeake Health3,1292,900
Rite Aid
(Mid-Atlantic Customer Support Center)
1,3001,500
Kohl's1,255NA
Harford Community College1,029982
Klein's ShopRite of Maryland1,000800
Wal-Mart900497
Jacobs Technology865787
Home Depot500NA
Target Corporation500495
Wegmans Food Markets499525
BSC America475250
American Infrastructure445352
Macy's431NA
Booz Allen Hamilton430NA
McDonald's420NA
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)410415
Frito-Lay379435
Sephora USA378454
Leidos
(formerly SAIC)
370607
Independent Can350NA
Saks Fifth Avenue320525
CACI313292
APG Federal Credit Union305NA
SafeNet300NA
Areas USA251NA
Citizens Care & Rehabilitation Center250250
Dixie Construction250NA
Jones Junction Auto Group250NA
Northrop Grumman250250
Redner's Markets250250
Wawa250252
Giant Food249378
Mars Super Markets249NA
L-3 CommunicationsNA400
AlcoreNA350
Blue Dot of MarylandNA330
Custom DirectNA295
Weis MarketsNA290
ConstarNA251
Arc of Harford CountyNA250

Culture

The Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra, formerly the Harford Community Orchestra, is an orchestra that is based in Harford County. The group is made up of 70 musicians from many professions.[30]

The Havre De Grace Decoy Museum is a museum dedicated to working and decorative decoys used on the Chesapeake Bay.[31]

Harford Community College hosts many cultural spots. The Student Center hosts the Chesapeake Gallery, a collection of artwork from established artists, as well as students and faculty, and the Chesapeake Theater, a theater venue used by the Phoenix Festival Theater Company, a student run theater group.[32]

Harford Community College also has the Joppa Hall, which houses the Blackbox Theatre, an additional theater venue used by the Harford Dance Theater Company and the HCC Actors Guild. The Joppa Hall also houses the Joppa Recital Halls, a venue for musical performances.[33]

Also at HCC is the Hays-Heighe House, a museum dedicated to the history of Harford County.[34]

The Historical Society of Harford County, one of the oldest county historical societies in Maryland, was established in 1885 to preserve, promote, and interpret the history of the county and its people. Today, it is headquartered on Main Street in downtown Bel Air in the historic 1936 Old Bel Air Post Office Building, where it maintains an archive, exhibit space, and research library.[35]

Sports

No major league sports teams are based in Harford County. The list of sports teams and organizations are shown below:

Program Colors Conference League Facilities Level
Aberdeen IronBirdsNorth DivisionSouth Atlantic LeagueRipken StadiumHigh-A
Minor League Baseball
Harford Community
College Fighting Owls
MD JUCONJCAAHarford Sports ComplexCollege
Aberdeen EaglesUpper Chesapeake Bay
Athletic Conference
MPSSAAVariousHigh School
Bel Air Bobcats
C. Milton Wright Mustangs
Edgewood Rams
Fallston Cougars
Harford Technical Cobras
Havre De Grace Warriors
Joppatowne Mariners
North Harford Hawks
Patterson Mill Huskies
Harford Christian EaglesN/AMACSAC
John Carroll PatriotsMIAA -B (Boys)
IAAM (Girls)
Baltimore Catholic League (Basketball)

Harford County is the hometown of many sports icons, including Kimmie Meissner, a 2006 Olympic figure skating competitor, Cal Ripken, a former Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Vikings linebacker EJ Henderson.

Infrastructure

The Conowingo Dam is on the eastern border of Harford County.

Transportation

Mass transportation

Buses are run by the county-owned Harford Transit. The state-operated MARC Penn Line serves Edgewood and Aberdeen.

Airport

The Harford County Airport is a small airport in Churchville. Its available for recreational pilots & flight training, as well as sight seeing, balloon rides, hang gliding and sky diving.

Health

Health services are provided by Upper Chesapeake Health System. Harford Memorial Hospital located in Havre De Grace and Upper Chesapeake Medical Center located in Bel Air form the two hospital system. UCHS is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System.

See also: Family and Children's Services of Central Maryland.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Harford County Public Schools

The Harford County Public Schools system is the public school system serving the residents of Harford County. It includes thirty-two elementary schools, nine middle schools, ten high schools and one charter school.

Private schools

Colleges

Harford Community College, located in Churchville, offers 2-year associate degrees and vocational programs. Recently, Harford County Community College has entered into several partnerships with local four-year colleges for enhanced offerings, for credit at those institutions, to be taught on campus and at the surrounding buildings. Towson University Harford Campus, located across from Harford Community College, offers a select amount of four-year degrees that students can obtain after completing the required credits at Harford Community College.

Media

The newspaper of record is The Aegis. Several radio stations are located in Harford County. WAMD at 970 AM licensed to Aberdeen follows the format of Top40. WHFC at 91.1 FM licensed to Bel-Air follows the format of Variety. WHGM at 1330 AM/104.7 FM licensed toHavre De Grace follows the format of Adult hits. WXCY-FM at 103.7 FM licensed to Havre De Grace follows the format of Country. The Harford Cable Network, or HCN,[38] provides local TV. It shows local government events, high school and Fighting Owl sporting events and religious programming, among others.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: State & County QuickFacts. United States Census Bureau. August 13, 2021.
  2. Web site: Find a County. June 7, 2011. National Association of Counties.
  3. Book: Preston. Walter Wilkes . History of Harford County, Maryland: From 1608 (the Year of Smith's Expedition) to the Close of the War of 1812. 1901. Sun. 360.
  4. News: Sturgill. Erika Quesenbery. Havre de Grace came close to the capital 224 years ago. April 21, 2017. Cecil Daily. December 23, 2015.
  5. Book: Dougherty. Wayne H.. Comprehensive Plan. March 2004. City of Havre De Grace, Maryland. April 21, 2017.
  6. News: Vought. Allan. Super horse Man o' War had many ties to Harford County and to Maryland. April 25, 2017. Baltimore Sun. March 31, 2017. April 25, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170425205158/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/aegis/ph-ag-man-o-war-centennial-0331-20170330-story.html. dead.
  7. Book: Bates. Bill. Harford County. 2005. Arcadia. 96.
  8. Lake Straus:
  9. Flooding:
  10. News: David. Anderson. April 5, 2017. Not-so-healthy Harford slips in Maryland rankings. Baltimore Sun. "Prior to the 2016 report ... Harford's yearly rankings typically fell between ninth and 10th place, primarily because of the percentage of county residents who were obese or who smoked.". December 11, 2018. May 19, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170519085646/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/aegis/ph-ag-health-report-0405-20170405-story.html. dead.
  11. Web site: 8 counties deemed drug trafficking areas. UPI.com. June 20, 2011. January 27, 2013.
  12. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Philadelphia. "Aberdeen Proving Ground (Edgewood Area Site) – Current Site Information." EPA Superfund Site ID No. MD2210020036. May 2008.
  13. EPA. "Aberdeen Proving Ground (Michaelsville Landfill) – Current Site Information." EPA Superfund Site ID No. MD3210021355. May 2008.
  14. Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Baltimore. "Fact Sheet – Drinking Water Well Impact: Fallston Presbyterian Church/Fallston Pre-Kindergarten, 600 Fallston Road, Fallston, Maryland." August 27, 2004.
  15. MDE."Fact Sheet – Drinking Water Well Impact: Fallston Service Center, 602 Fallston Road, Fallston, Harford County, Maryland 21047." MDE Case No. 9-0816HA. December 1, 2004.
  16. Web site: 2010 Census Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. September 12, 2014. August 22, 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140913171515/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_24.txt. September 13, 2014.
  17. Web site: Susquehanna River National Wildlife Refuge: Overview . U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service . Cambridge, Maryland . December 11, 2018. January 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190111133411/https://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=51532 . dead .
  18. Web site: PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University .
  19. Web site: Maryland Board of Elections Voter Registration Activity Report March 2024 . Maryland Board of Elections . April 9, 2024.
  20. Levine . Mark V. . May 1976 . Standing Political Decisions and Critical Realignment: The Pattern of Maryland Politics, 1872-1948 . . 38 . 2 . 292–325 . 10.2307/2129537 . 2129537.
  21. Web site: Association Leadership | Harford Co. Volunteer Fire & EMS, MD . December 11, 2018 . August 17, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170817045707/http://www.hcvfa.org/184/Association-Leadership . dead .
  22. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  23. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/24/24025.html Harford County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
  24. Web site: DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data . January 22, 2016 . . https://archive.today/20200213030245/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US24025 . February 13, 2020 . dead .
  25. Web site: Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County . January 22, 2016 . . https://archive.today/20200213183930/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US24025 . February 13, 2020 . dead .
  26. Web site: DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates . January 22, 2016 . . https://archive.today/20200213014139/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US24025 . February 13, 2020 . dead .
  27. Web site: DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates . January 22, 2016 . . https://archive.today/20200213013007/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US24025 . February 13, 2020 . dead .
  28. http://business.maryland.gov/Documents/ResearchDocument/MajorEmployersInHarfordCounty.pdf Major Employers in Harford County, Maryland
  29. https://web.archive.org/web/20140701221502/http://www.choosemaryland.org/factsstats/Documents/Major%20Employers/HarfordCountyME2011.pdf Major Employers in Harford County, Maryland
  30. Web site: Klingman . Mike . Conductor Sheldon Bair and his community ensemble keep the music playing in Harford . The Baltimore Sun . August 19, 2022 . January 4, 2024 . "For 46 years Bair has led the SSO, a Harford County ensemble composed of 70 accomplished musicians from 18 to 80, many of whom offset the stress of their regular jobs by tooting their own horns. Some attend evening rehearsals straight from work, like the police officer who arrived wearing her body armor. It’s an eclectic bunch including doctors, nurses, teachers and stay-at-home moms.".
  31. Web site: Decoy Museum Havre de Grace . Main Street Maryland . January 4, 2024 . "The Decoy Museum houses the most extensive collection of working and decorative Chesapeake Decoys.".
  32. Web site: Arts & Culture . June 6, 2023 . www.visitharford.com.
  33. Web site: Musical Performances at Harford Community College . June 6, 2023 . www.harford.edu . en.
  34. Web site: Hays-Heighe House . June 6, 2023 . www.harford.edu . en.
  35. Web site: June 13, 2023 . About Us . June 6, 2023 . The Historical Society of Harford County . en-US.
  36. Web site: Home. July 31, 2020. Grace Classical Academy. en-US.
  37. Web site: ABOUT The Highlands School United States. July 31, 2020. highlands-school. en. August 5, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200805050427/https://www.highlandsschool.net/about. dead.
  38. http://harfordcable.org/ Harford Cable Network