Essex

History

Essex is located on a peninsula bodied by the Middle River to the east and the Back River to the west. Essex was originally ten blocks, running from Mace Avenue to Marlyn Avenue. It began in 1909 by the Taylor Land Company for the residents in Baltimore who wanted a place outside the city limits to perhaps grow a garden or to pursue some other rural activity. Land was cheap, and sales were enhanced by a promotional pamphlet. Henry Guttenberger built the first general store in Essex in 1910 on the corner of Eastern Boulevard and Mace Avenue. Between 1911 and 1912, the Taylor Land Company donated the lots for Essex Methodist and St. John's Lutheran churches. They also donated the land where the volunteer fire department built their station. The permanent fire station opened in 1921. With the ever-growing population came the need to build schools. The elementary school opened in 1925 with 400 students. Essex Community College, now CCBC-Essex, was founded in 1957. Classes were first held at Kenwood High School, with fifty part-time and nine full-time students. In 1961, the college moved to Dorsey Avenue, and in 1968 moved to its present location, in Rossville. This site was owned by the Mace family, and the family burial plot is maintained and protected by the college. A fire in August 1957 destroyed an entire block of businesses on Eastern Boulevard, and the town's business district never fully recovered from that catastrophe. The ten-alarm blaze caused a half million dollars in damages, in the time it took to repair the buildings new shopping centers were built changing the buying habits of consumers. The Glenn L. Martin Company was the single biggest reason for the rapid growth of the area. Employment at the company peaked at more than 53,000 workers during World…

Geography

Essex is located at (39.307737, −76.451710). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 22.16%, is water. The town is on mostly flat to gently rolling terrain, transitioning to marshland at the tip of the peninsula close to the Chesapeake Bay. Essex has a small island on the Chesapeake Bay named Hart Miller Island. The island is only accessible by boat, and the closest boat launch is located in Rocky Point. The island boasts an observation tower, beaches, and hiking trails. A made landfill linking two Chesapeake islands consisting of Hart and Miller island.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  46,448
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  39,010
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  37,440
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  36,793
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  33,639
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  29,347
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  29,001
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  27,746

Largest nearby schools

• Parkville High
  High · Baltimore · 2,200 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Dundalk High
  High · Baltimore · 2,193 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• Perry Hall High
  High · Baltimore · 2,029 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• Kenwood High
  High · Baltimore · 1,908 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Perry Hall Middle
  Middle · Baltimore · 1,754 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Overlea High
  High · Baltimore · 1,365 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• Patapsco High and Center for Arts
  High · Baltimore · 1,312 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• Eastern Technical High School
  High · Baltimore · 1,262 students · 18.6:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-10-27
  4 km E of Riverside, Maryland
• M 2.6 — 2021-06-25
  2 km SE of Woodlawn, Maryland
• M 2.81 — 2019-09-15
  5 km ESE of East Berlin, Pennsylvania
• M 4.1 — 2017-11-30
  3 km NNE of Little Creek, Delaware
• M 3.6 — 2010-07-16
  5 km NNW of Barnesville, Maryland
• M 3.05 — 2010-06-03
  4 km ENE of Franklintown, Pennsylvania