Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland

"Bel Air, Maryland" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Bel Air, Allegany County, Maryland.

Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland
Town
Town of Bel Air
South Main Street South Main Street
Location of Bel Air, Maryland Location of Bel Air, Maryland
Coordinates:
Country	United States of America
State	Maryland
County	Harford
Founded	1780
Incorporated	1874
Government
• Type	b
• Chairman of Board of Commissioners	Edward Hopkins
Area
• Total	2.94 sq mi (7.61 km2)
• Land	2.93 sq mi (7.59 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	10,120
• Estimate (2013)	10,307
• Density	3,453.9/sq mi (1,333.6/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
FIPS code	24-05825

The town of Bel Air is the county seat of Harford County, Maryland. According to the 2010 United States Census the population of the town was 10,120.

Geography

Bel Air is located at (39.536707, -76.348280).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.94 square miles (7.61 km²), of which, 2.93 square miles (7.59 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water.

Climate

Bel Air is a transition between the humid continental and humid subtropical climates. Bel Air features hot, often humid summers, mild, wet springs, pleasant falls and cool to cold winters. The average precipitation for Bel Air is around 40-43 inches while snowfall averages 19–24 inches.

Transportation

Bel Air is located on U.S. Route 1, and several miles north of Interstate 95. Route 1 has both a bypass around Bel Air and Hickory, and a business route snaking through downtown. Both are connected to I-95 by Maryland Route 24 (at Edgewood) and Maryland Route 543 (at Riverside).

In the mid 20th century the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad ("Ma and Pa") ran through town, but the tracks were dismantled in 1958. The station was located (at milepost 26.5) on Rockspring Ave. between Broadway and Ellendale St. Much of the railroad's former route in and around Bel Air is now the Ma and Pa walking trail, which cuts through various wooded sections of town in and around Heavenly Waters Park.

A six-level parking garage is located on Hickory Avenue downtown, and there are plans to build a second parking garage elsewhere in town.

Government

Bel Air Police Department

Bel Air's primary law enforcement agency is the Bel Air Police Department which was established in 1874. Its headquarters is located at 39 N. Hickory Avenue.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	255		—
1860	197		−22.7%
1870	633		221.3%
1890	1,416		—
1900	961		−32.1%
1910	1,005		4.6%
1920	1,091		8.6%
1930	1,650		51.2%
1940	1,885		14.2%
1950	2,578		36.8%
1960	4,300		66.8%
1970	6,307		46.7%
1980	7,814		23.9%
1990	8,860		13.4%
2000	10,080		13.8%
2010	10,120		0.4%
Est. 2014	10,264		1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 10,120 people, 4,491 households, and 2,568 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,453.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,333.6/km²). There were 4,744 housing units at an average density of 1,619.1 per square mile (625.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.8% White, 4.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.7% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.3% of the population.

There were 4,491 households of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.8% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the town was 40.3 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 18.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

The census of 2000 reports that there were 10,080 people, 4,235 households, and 2,511 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,583.7 people per square mile (1,385.0/km²). There were 4,444 housing units at an average density of 1,580.0 per square mile (610.6/km²).

There were 4,235 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.94.

White	92.8%
African American	4.4%
Asian	1.4%
Native American	0.2%
Pacific Islander	< 0.1%
Other	0.3%
Two or more races	0.9%
TOTAL	100.0%
(Hispanic or Latino, any race	1.2%)

Under 18 years		22.1%
18-24		8.2%
25-44		30.5%
45-64		21.8%
65 or over		17.4%

The median age was 39 years.

Age Group		Females	Males
All ages		51.5%	48.5%
18 years or over		52.3%	47.7%

Per capita	$23,737
Median household	$44,135
Median family	$58,299
Median male	$42,412
Median female	$29,207

6.4% of the population and 4.0% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the individuals living in poverty, 7.6% were under the age of 18 and 6.5% were 65 or older.

History

Bel Air's identity has gone through several incarnations since 1780. Aquilla Scott, who had inherited land known as "Scott's Improvement Enlarged," planned the town on a portion that he called "Scott's Old Fields." Four years later, the town had expanded as local politicians, merchants, and innkeepers purchased lots from Scott, and the county commissioners decided to change its name to the more appealing "Belle Aire." In his deeds, Scott dropped one letter, renaming the town, "Bell Aire." Around 1798, court records dropped two more letters, and "Bel Air" was born.

During this period, Bel Air began to rise in prominence. In 1782, just two years after its founding, it became Harford's county seat, and Daniel Scott (Aquilla's son) started building a courthouse on Main Street. Although the town limits in the late 18th century encompassed nothing more than the two sides of Main Street, the days following the Civil War saw a building and land-development boom that remains in full swing to this day.

In the early 20th century, several fires swept through the downtown area, notably in 1900 and 1942. In 1972, another fire struck, decimating the east side of Main Street and causing $2 million in damage.

In 1970, H. Rap Brown, a member of the Black Panthers, was charged with instigating a riot after a rally in Cambridge; a change in venue brought his trial to Bel Air. In an attempt to assassinate Brown, radicals drove to Bel Air in a car laden with plastic explosives, intending to take down the courthouse. The car exploded prematurely, about a mile from the courthouse, and left a crater in the road. The trial was eventually moved again.

Into the 1950s, the town hosted horse racing at Bel Air Racetrack, which stood where the Harford Mall is today.

The Bel Air Armory, Bel Air Courthouse Historic District, Broom's Bloom, D. H. Springhouse, Dibb House, Graham-Crocker House, Graystone Lodge, Harford Furnace Historic District, Harford National Bank, Hays House, Hays-Heighe House, Heighe House, Joshua's Meadows, Liriodendron, Mount Adams, Norris-Stirling House, Odd Fellows Lodge, Priest Neal's Mass House and Mill Site, Proctor House, Thomas Run Church, Tudor Hall, The Vineyard, and Woodview are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Notable people

• John Archer, United States representative and physician—recipient of the first medical diploma issued in the United States, from what is now the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; 1741 – 1810.
• Lisa Aukland, professional bodybuilder and powerlifter
• Edwin Thomas Booth, brother of John Wilkes Booth and son of Junius Brutus Booth. Considered one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the 1800s.
• John Wilkes Booth, American stage actor and assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.
• Augustus Bradford, 32nd Governor of Maryland, 1862 – 1866.
• Cigar, champion racehorse
• Kimmie Meissner, figure skating Olympian, 2006 World Champion and 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Champion
• Melvin Mora, former Baltimore Orioles player
• Julienne Irwin, America's Got Talent finalist and world-renowned country music singer.
• Herman Stump, Congressman; U.S. Commissioner-General of Immigration under President Grover Cleveland
• Jay Witasick, former pitcher for Tampa Bay Rays
• Pat Healey, Midfielder for Crystal Palace Baltimore, and Baltimore Blast
• Drew Westervelt, professional lacrosse player as an attackman for the Chesapeake Bayhawks and a forward for the Colorado Mammoth
• Mark Weider and Darin Reagan, members of the Pop-Punk band Chasing Morgan

Small airports

The three small plane airports in the metropolitan area are:

• Forest Hill Industrial Airpark
• Fallston Airport
• Harford County Airpark

External links

• Official website of The Aegis

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons