Fairhope, Alabama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, on a sloping plateau, along the cliffs and shoreline of Mobile Bay. The 2000 census lists the population of the city as 12,480. [1]
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[edit] Geography
Fairhope is located at 30°31'35.018" North, 87°53'44.473" West (30.526394, -87.895687)GR1.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.5 km² (11.0 mi²). 28.5 km² (11.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.09% is water.
Nearby towns include Point Clear, Daphne, Spanish Fort, Silverhill, Loxley, Robertsdale, Summerdale, and Foley.
[edit] History
Fairhope was founded in November, 1894 as a utopian single tax colony by the "Fairhope Industrial Association": a group of 28 followers of economist Henry George who had incorporated earlier that year in Des Moines, Iowa. Their corporate constitution explained their purpose in founding a new colony:
- "to establish and conduct a model community or colony, free from all forms of private monopoly, and to secure to its members therein equality of opportunity, the full reward of individual efforts, and the benefits of co-operation in matters of general concern."
In forming their demonstration project, they pooled their funds to purchase land at "Stapleton's pasture" on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay and then divided it into a number of long-term leaseholds. The corporation paid all governmental taxes from rents paid by the lessees, thus simulating a single-tax. The purpose of the singe-tax colony was to eliminate disincentives for productive use of land and thereby retain the value of land for the community, offering "a fair hope of success" and a clear vision.[2]
"Fairhope Avenue" was one of the properties on the 1910 version of the board game "The Landlord's Game". Today this game is known as "Monopoly".
In 1907 educator Marietta Johnson founded the School for Organic Education in Fairhope. The school was praised in John Dewey's influential 1915 book Schools of Tomorrow. Dewey and Johnson were founding members of the Progressive Education Association.
The Fairhope Single-Tax Corporation still operates, with 1800 leaseholds covering more than 4000 acres (16 km²) in and around the current city of Fairhope. Despite the ideals of the corporation, the process of land speculation has propelled the transformation of Fairhope from utopian experiment to artist's and intellectual's colony, to boutique resort and affluent suburb of Mobile. In fact, some local residents refer to Fairhope as "Carmel-by-the-Bay" alluding to Carmel-by-the-Sea on the Monterey Peninsula in California.
For over 50 years, fishermen and residents of Fairhope have experienced the "jubilee" phenomenon. During a jubilee along the shores of Mobile Bay, some aquatic animals, including blue crabs, flounder, stingrays, and eels, come to the shallow water, such as around Fairhope, Alabama. At those times, it is possible to catch the fish, crabs, and other sealife near the water's edge.
In April 2006, the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERRS) in Fairhope, Alabama, celebrated its 20th anniversary: the Weeks Bay nature reserve is known for the many pitcher plants along the elevated walkways through the swamp forest.
Past administrations of Fairhope, Alabama has earned a nationally-recognized reputation as being a city that has been able to control growth. Mayors and city council members from many cities from across the US have visited Fairhope in an effort to copy the "controlled growth" model that Fairhope pioneered.
However, recent years has shown that it is getting increasingly hard to control of sprawling growth. Recent approvals of over-sized subdivisions located on the east and south sides of the city have put excessive loads on roadways, utilities, and other infrastructures that the city was once noted for keeping up to date.
Once known for its "Mayberry-style" charm, the city of Fairhope is beginning to feel the effects of poor growth management.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 12,480 people, 5,345 households, and 3,575 families residing in the city. The population density was 438.1/km² (1,135.1/mi²). There were 6,000 housing units at an average density of 210.6/km² (545.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.22% White, 7.79% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,345 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,913, and the median income for a family was $56,976. Males had a median income of $41,692 versus $27,959 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,237. About 4.9% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
Fairhope's public schools are part of the Baldwin County Public Schools system.
- Fairhope High School (9-12), 1,142 students, Principal Beverly Thomas. (Fairhope High School is located in the southern most point of Fairhope. It is estimated that 39% of the city of Fairhope's high school age students attend Daphne High School (which is closer to the north side of the city).
- Fairhope Middle School (6-8), 642 students, Principal Deadra Powe.
- J. Larry Newton School (K-8), 731 students, Principal Suellen Brazil.( In unicorperated Point Clear)
- Fairhope Intermediate School (4-5), 397 students, Principal Gartrell Austin Agee.
- Fairhope Elementary School (2-3), 278 students, Principal Terry E. Beasley.
- Fairhope K-1 Center (K-1), 411 students, Principal Pat Carlton.
Other schools in Fairhope include:
- Baldwin County Alternative School (6-12)
- The Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education continues to operate as a private school with approximately 51 students.
- Faulkner State Community College in Downtown Fairhope
Huntingdon College in Montgomery has a branch campus in Fairhope
- The University of South Alabama has a branch campus in Fairhope providing graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses in education, counseling, nursing and business alongside non-credit and community service programs.
[edit] Notable residents
- Marshall Chapman, songwriter and musician
- Terry Cline, author
- Ernest B. Gaston, founder of Fairhope
- Marie Howland, utopian and journalist
- Marietta Johnson, educator and reformer
- Anna Braune, children's book author and illustrator
- Upton Sinclair, author (winter visitor)
- Winston Groom, author
- Rick Bragg, author
- Judith Richards, author
- Dave Edwards, Member of the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, saxophone/reeds (1968-1979)
- Blanche Simmons, educator and music legend (Educators Hall of Fame)[4]
- Clyde M. Morris - charter member of Trinity Presbyterian Church
- W.C. Majors, football coach
- Leon Lett, football player (Dallas Cowboys)
- Bob Baumhower, football player (Miami Dolphins)
- Watt Key, author of Alabama Moon
- Don Andrews, AWS, Don Andrews, Artist (watercolor) and Author
- W.E.B. Griffin aka William E. Butterworth, author
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights" (for Fairhope, AL), US Census Bureau, 2007, webpage: US-Census-FairhopeAL.
- ^ See link: Heritage quote "fair hope" (below).
- ^ "NERRS News" (anniversary), NOAA, April 7, 2006, webpage: NOAA-NERRS-News.
- ^ "Fairhope Schools - Educators Hall of Fame" (list/photos), Fairhope Schools, 2006, webpage: Educ-HOF.
[edit] References
- Dian Arnold (1999) "Fairhope: A Sentimental Review." link
- Paul E. and Blanche R. Alyea. (1956) "Fairhope, 1894-1954: The Story of a Single Tax Colony." Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.
- Paul M. Gaston. (1984) Women of Fair Hope. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press. Black Belt Press, 1993.
- Paul M. Gaston. (1993) Man and Mission: E. B. Gaston and the Origins of the Fairhope Single Tax Colony. Montgomery, Alabama: Black Belt Press.
- Paul M. Gaston. (2004) "My Yellow Ribbon Town: A Meditation on My Country and My Home." in Where We Stand: Voices of Southern Dissent. Montgomery, Alabama: New South Books. link
- Paul M. Gaston. (1985) "Gaston, Ernest Berry." in "Alden Whitman, ed., "American Reformers. New York: The H.W. Wilson Co.
- Mary Lois Timbes and Robert E. Bell. (2001) "Meet Me at the Butterfly Tree: A Fairhope Memoir." Fairhope: Over the Transom.
[edit] External links
- Official Site
- The Fairhope Single Tax Corporation
- Fairhope Street Artists
- The Marietta Johnson Museum
- The School for Organic Education
- Fairhope Public Library
- Fairhope Historic Preservation Alliance
- Fairhope Municipal Pier
- Historic Fairhope Photography
- Fairhope's high school soccer team
- Heritage quote "fair hope"
- Geo Mapped Photography in and around Fairhope
- David Rencher's Pictures of Fairhope
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
