Pocomoke City, dubbed "the friendliest town on the Eastern Shore", is a city in Worcester County,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, United States. Although renamed in a burst of civic enthusiasm in 1878, the city is regularly referred to by its inhabitants simply as Pocomoke . The population was 4,184 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. Pocomoke City is a center for commerce on the lower shore, home to an industrial park currently playing host to defense contractors, aerospace engineering, and plastics fabrication. Pocomoke City is located near the Wallops Island Flight Facility in

Wallops Island Wallops Island is a island in Accomack County, Virginia, part of the Virginia Barrier Islands that stretch along the eastern seaboard of the United States of America. It is just south of Chincoteague Island, a popular tourist destination. W ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

History

Beginning in the late seventeenth century, a small settlement called Stevens Landing (sometimes Stevens Ferry) grew at the ferry landing on the south bank of the Pocomoke River. The town was incorporated as Newtown (or New Town) in 1865, but was reincorporated in 1878 as Pocomoke City, after the American Indian name of the river, meaning "black water." Stevens Landing, and then Newtown, remained a modest river crossing until the construction through the town in the 1880s of the trunk railroad line along the

Delmarva Peninsula The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a large peninsula and proposed state on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the vast majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore regions of Maryland and Virginia ...

from

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

, to Cape Charles on the

Eastern Shore of Virginia The Eastern Shore of Virginia consists of two counties ( Accomack and Northampton) on the Atlantic coast detached from the mainland of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The region is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is se ...

. The line eventually became part of the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

. In addition to agriculture, industry such as lumber milling and

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

and, in the twentieth century, factories making barrels and baskets for truck crops, and the canning of those crops, aided the town's growth. In 1922, the business district of Pocomoke City was destroyed in a large fire; on one side of town this continued up to the church on third Street, known as St. Mary's Episcopal Church, but the downtown was quickly rebuilt. While

truck farming A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to so ...

declined during the 1900s, the

poultry industry Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion chicke ...

rose to take its place. NASA, the U.S. Navy, and the Coast Guard helped with continued growth by bringing jobs to the area. Pocomoke City was named an All-America City by the

National Municipal League The National Civic League is an American nonpartisan, non-profit organization founded in 1894 with a mission to advance civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communities. The League envisions a country where the full diversity of communi ...

, and for the years 1984–85, Pocomoke City was one of the nine Finalist Communities.

Culture

Historic locations

The Sturgis One Room School Museum, a

one-room schoolhouse One-room schools, or schoolhouses, were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries, including Prussia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. In most rural and s ...

, was moved to its present location in the downtown area as a museum of local

African-American history African-American history began with the arrival of Africans to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. Former Spanish slaves who had been freed by Francis Drake arrived aboard the Golden Hind at New Albion in California in 1579. The ...

. In addition to the MarVa Theater and Costen House, Beverly, Littleton T. Clarke House, Crockett House,

Hayward's Lott Hayward's Lott, also known as Ivy Hall, is a historic home located at Pocomoke City, Somerset County, Maryland, United States. It is a -story farmhouse built about 1730 of Flemish bond brickwork with glazed headers. The house features small wi ...

, Pocomoke City Historic District, Puncheon Mill House, and Young-Sartorius House are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Museums and arts

Pocomoke City is home to the Delmarva Discovery Museum, an interactive museum focusing on local ecology and history, and The Isaac Costen House Museum. The MarVa Theater is a 1927

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

auditorium known for its superior

acoustics Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician ...

, and is being restored as a regional center for the

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...

Sports

In the past, Pocomoke City held a franchise in the

Eastern Shore Baseball League The Eastern Shore Baseball League was a class D minor league baseball league that operated on the Delmarva Peninsula for parts of three different decades. The league's first season was in 1922 and the last was in 1949, although the years were no ...

, at times hosting the Salamanders, the Red Sox, and the Chicks.

Notable murders

On June 14, 1906, the city was the site of a lynching. A farmhand named Edd Watson was murdered by a mob. In October 1933,

George Armwood George Armwood was lynched in Princess Anne, Maryland, on October 18, 1933. His murder was the last recorded lynching in Maryland. Details of the crime On October 16, 1933, a 71-year-old woman named Mary Denston was assaulted walking home from the ...

, a Pocomoke City man was taken from a jail cell in nearby Princess Anne and killed by a mob.

Education

Three Worcester County Public Schools are located in Pocomoke City: Pocomoke Elementary, Pocomoke Middle, and Pocomoke High. Both the elementary and high schools are named a

Blue Ribbon School The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

Geography

Pocomoke City is located at (38.068904, -75.561718). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Its climate is characterized by hot and humid stretches of weather in summer, but they are often broken up by cold fronts from the north offering several days of mild temperatures. Both spring and fall are pleasant with cool to mild temperatures and lower humidity. Winters are relatively mild compared to areas to the north and northwest, but cold spells send temperatures well below freezing. Due to the impact of the Atlantic Ocean nearby, average snowfall amounts only range from ; however, this varies considerably from year to year and occasional nor'easters can produce significant snowfalls over . The Blizzard of 2018, for example, produced of snow, temperatures in teens, and winds gusting over . Tropical storms occasionally impact the region during summer and fall. The

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

subtype for this climate is " Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).

Municipal status

References to the municipality's status as a city or town varies according to sources. The

Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

accounts Pocomoke City a city, while official state documents differ. According to the Maryland State Archives, many more official documents refer to the "Town of Pocomoke City" than to the "City of Pocomoke City." The most recent references to the "Town" are from 1963, however, while the most recent references to the "City", which come from its Charter, are from 1990. Other sources also differ: the Maryland Manual Online calls it as a city, while the Maryland Municipal League speaks of it as a town. While cities and towns are significantly different in some states, Maryland's cities and towns, classed simply as "municipalities", are treated equally in state law.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,098 people, 1,596 households, and 1,058 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,764 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 50.73%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 46.36%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.46% Native American, 0.46%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.34% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.61% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.05% of the population. There were 1,596 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% were married couples living together, 24.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 30.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.7 males. The

median In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...

income for a household in the city was $28,938, and the median income for a family was $34,722. Males had a median income of $32,175 versus $19,362 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $17,301. About 13.6% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,184 people, 1,626 households, and 1,077 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,894 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 49.5%

, 45.8%

, 0.5% Native American, 1.3%

, 1.0% from

, and 2.0% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.5% of the population. There were 1,626 households, of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples living together, 24.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.8% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14% 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 3.10. The median age in the city was 36.4 years. 27.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 55.6% female and 44.4% male.

Notable people

, victim of last recorded

lynching Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

lived in Pocomoke City. *

Hugh Latimer Dryden Hugh Latimer Dryden (July 2, 1898 – December 2, 1965) was an American aeronautical scientist and civil servant. He served as NASA Deputy Administrator from August 19, 1958, until his death. Biography Early life and education Dryden was born in ...

, director of

NACA The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...

(1947–1958) and Deputy Administrator of

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

(1958-1965) was born in Pocomoke City.

Controversy

Pocomoke City was the subject of a 2019 documentary, ''The Friendliest Town'', which investigated the abrupt and unexplained firing in 2015 of the town's first Black police chief, Kelvin Sewell. Sewell subsequently filed suit in federal court together with former lieutenant Lynell Green and former detective Franklin Savage, alleging a pattern of "rampant racial discrimination and retaliation" by city, county, and state officials. In 2019, Pocomoke City agreed to settle Sewell and Green's federal lawsuits, and the town entered a consent decree requiring it to reform its policies and procedures around policing.

References

External links

Pocomoke City Chamber of Commerce website
* {{authority control Cities in Maryland Cities in Worcester County, Maryland Salisbury metropolitan area