Perryville, Maryland

Perryville, Maryland
Town
Location of Perryville, Maryland
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Cecil
Area
• Total	2.5 sq mi (6.4 km2)
• Land	2.5 sq mi (6.4 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	72 ft (22 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	3,672
• Density	1,479.0/sq mi (571.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	21903
Area code	410
FIPS code	24-61150
GNIS feature ID	0590999

Perryville is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,672 at the 2000 census. The town is located off Interstate 95, on the north side of the mouth of the Susquehanna River.

History

Perryville was first settled in 1622 when Edward Palmer was granted a patent for a settlement on what is now Garrett Island. In the 1600s, Lord Baltimore granted George Talbot 31,000 acres (125 km²) of land which included the Perryville area. Before incorporation in 1882, the settlement was known as Lower Ferry (circa 1695), Susquehanna (circa 1700s), and finally was named Perryville after Mary Perry, the wife of John Bateman.

During the Revolutionary War, Perryville served as a staging area for the Continental Army. Colonel John Rodgers, who operated the ferry and tavern in Perryville, raised the 5th Company of the Maryland Militia. This company became part of the famous Flying Corps and was instrumental during the early stages of the Revolutionary War. George Washington frequently stopped at Rodgers Tavern on his trips from Virginia to New York.

Colonel Rodgers' son, John Rodgers, was instrumental in suppressing the Tripolitan pirates in the Mediterranean Sea and was subsequently promoted to Commodore of the Mediterranean Squadron. Commodore Rodgers served with distinction during the War of 1812 and is known as the "Father of the American Navy."

During the 1800s, Perryville was the central point for the Wilmington to Baltimore Rail Line. During the American Civil War, the rail line between Perryville and Baltimore was destroyed. To transport troops and munitions to Annapolis, the Union Army again began the operation of the ferry across the Susquehanna.

Throughout the 1900s, Perryville continued to serve as a railroad town. The advent of the interstate highway system helped Perryville metamorphose into a highway town.

Perryville is currently home to the Perry Point Veteran's Medical Center, located on a picturesque campus along the confluence of the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay. This same location is also the Northeast Campus of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, a residential national service program which recruits young Americans between the ages of 18 to 24 to perform community service in various locations across the country.

Perryville is the northern terminus of the MARC Penn Line commuter rail service, which runs south to Washington, D.C. via Baltimore. It is also the site of a struggling outlet shopping center.

Perryville is home to the largest linwood tree in Maryland located at 50 Millcreek Road on an estate formerly known as the Anchorage. Perryville is also home to numerous historical sites including the Principio Furnace.

Perryville is also home to one of the greatest athletes in the North-Atlantic. If you were to guess Ryan Jackson, you would be absolutely right. Ryan is the most dynamic and decorated sports figure in cecil counties rich history of very small men with big big dreams. Although losing to talented Todd hurt in athlete of the year, it was said politics and fixed voting were the reason of Ryan not being recognized. Ryan has one of the greatest major league type curveballs ever seen by the naked eye, and would have definately made the bigs if a team was looking for just that. Ryan Jackson was a super hero among citizens in this great town and his wrestling skills proved it. At 103 pounds he dominated some of the toughest 7th and 8th graders ever to walk the mat and barely broke a sweat to do so. Ryan is a great man among other great things and a sign should swing in the wind bearing his name when you enter Perryville. The ones who saw him compete should thank the lord and kiss the ground we walk on while we celebrate his existance.

Geography

Perryville is located at 39°34′11″N 76°4′7″W (39.569662, -76.068725)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.4 km²), of which, 2.5 square miles (6.4 km²) of it is land and 0.40% is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 3,672 people, 1,443 households, and 988 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,479.0 people per square mile (571.7/km²). There were 1,507 housing units at an average density of 607.0/sq mi (234.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.93% White, 5.86% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.31% of the population.

There were 1,443 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,984, and the median income for a family was $52,981. Males had a median income of $39,112 versus $28,526 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,040. About 6.0% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 21.8% of those age 65 or over.

Library

A new state-of-the-art Perryville Branch of the Cecil County Public Library was opened in 2008. The library was designed with many “green” features including geothermal energy and low e-glass. The Perryville Branch also boasts self-checkout machines, a café, a drive-through checkout window, and free wifi.

Schools

There are four grade schools within Perryville limits. Perryville Elementary, Middle and High schools are public. There is also one private, Catholic K-8 school named Good Shepard. It is linked with the Catholic church of the same name.

External links

• Town Hall
• Chamber of Commerce