Oxford, Maryland

Oxford is a waterfront town and former colonial port in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 651 at the 2010 census.

History

Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland. While Oxford officially marks the year 1683 as its founding because in that year it was first named by the Maryland General Assembly as a seaport, the town began between 1666 and 1668 when were laid out as a town called Oxford by William Stephens Jr.. By 1669 one of the first houses was built for Innkeeper Francis Armstrong (see Talbot County Land Records, A 1, f. 10/11).

Oxford first appears on a map completed in 1670 and published in 1671. In 1694, Oxford and a new town called Anne Arundel (now Annapolis) were selected as the only ports of entry for the entire Maryland province. Until the American Revolution, Oxford enjoyed prominence as an international shipping center surrounded by wealthy tobacco plantations.

Early inhabitants included Robert Morris Sr., agent for a Liverpool shipping firm who greatly influenced the town's growth; his son, Robert Morris Jr., known as "the financier of the Revolution;" Jeremiah Banning, sea captain, war hero, and statesman; The Reverend Thomas Bacon, Anglican clergyman who wrote the first compilation of the laws of Maryland; Matthew Tilghman, known as the "patriarch of Maryland" and "father of statehood"; and Colonel Tench Tilghman, aide-de-camp to George Washington and the man who carried the message of General Cornwallis's surrender to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

Tench Tilghman's grave can be found at the Oxford cemetery. It is overshadowed by the Tench Tilghman Monument, a stone spire approximately 10 feet tall. The monument is the tallest monument found at the Oxford cemetery. The cemetery itself was used in the opening sequence of the 1988 feature film, Clara's Heart, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Neil Patrick Harris.

The American Revolution marked the end of Oxford's prosperity. Maritime trade declined, and tobacco was replaced by wheat as a cash crop.

After the Civil War, Oxford was revived by the completion of the railroad in 1871 and by improved methods of canning and packing which opened national markets for oysters from the Chesapeake Bay. This did not last. In the early part of the 20th century, the oyster beds played out, the packing houses closed, other businesses went bankrupt, and the railway and steamships eventually disappeared. Oxford became a sleepy little town inhabited mainly by watermen who still worked the waters of the Tred Avon River.

Oxford is host to the oldest privately operated ferry service still in continuous use in the United States. The original ferry service, known today as the Oxford–Bellevue Ferry, was established in 1683 and continues today. The ferry links Oxford with Bellevue, Maryland, crossing the 3/4 mile width of the Tred Avon River during a 7-10 minute trip (20 minute round trip).

Oxford today is still a waterman's town, but is enjoying a new resurgence based on tourism and leisure activities. The film Failure to Launch was filmed in part here.

The town is served by the Oxford Volunteer Fire Company, composed of two engines, a truck, tanker, command unit, brush unit, two BLS units, and a boat. They often respond to all of Talbot County as part of the Mutual Aid system. On average, they respond to over 100 calls per year.

Barnaby House, ''Billie P. Hall'', Jena, Otwell, Oxford Historic District, and ''S. C. Dobson'' are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Oxford is located at 38°41'12" North, 76°10'15" West (38.686776, -76.170842) on the south bank of the Tred Avon river, near its mouth, where it empties into the Choptank.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water. This includes Town Creek, which nearly splits the town in two from north to south and provides a protected harbor for boaters and Oxford's local shipbuilders.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Oxford has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Transportation

The primary method of travel to and from Oxford is by road. The only state highway serving the town is Maryland Route 333, which connects the town to Easton. A ferry, the Oxford–Bellevue Ferry, connects the town to Bellevue.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 651 people, 338 households, and 202 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 574 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 91.9% White, 5.4% African American, 0.6% Asian, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.

There were 338 households, of which 9.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93 and the average family size was 2.38.

The median age in the town was 61.1 years. 8.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 12.5% were from 25 to 44; 35.7% were from 45 to 64; and 39.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 771 people, 396 households, and 241 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 523 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.87% White, 6.36% Black or African American, 0.13% Asian and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.

There were 396 households, out of which 14.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.45.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 13.2% under the age of 18, 1.7% from 18 to 24, 17.3% from 25 to 44, 37.2% from 45 to 64, and 30.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 55 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,054, and the median income for a family was $71,071. Males had a median income of $52,708 versus $33,929 for females. The per capita income for the town was $47,917. About 2.5% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Waters Edward Turpin (1910–1968), novelist, professor; born in Oxford
* James Turrell (born 1943), visual artist, resides in Oxford part-time

References

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Towns in Maryland
Towns in Talbot County, Maryland
17th-century establishments in Maryland
Maryland populated places on the Chesapeake Bay