Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Fairport Harbor is a village in Lake County
, Ohio
, United States
, along Lake Erie
at the mouth of the Grand River
. The population was 3,180 at the 2000 census.
Fairport Harbor is home to two lighthouses: the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light in Painesville Township, operated by the United States Coast Guard
and the Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light
operated by the Fairport Harbor Historical Society. It is also the home of the Finnish Heritage Museum
.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), of which, 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (7.14%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,180 people, 1,404 households, and 839 families residing in the village. The population density
was 3,052.2 people per square mile (1,180.6/km²). There were 1,546 housing units at an average density of 1,483.8 per square mile (574.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.96% White, 0.57% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races
, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.38% of the population. 15.9% were of German
, 12.3% Finnish, 11.5% Hungarian, 11.2% Irish
, 9.3% Italian and 5.2% English
ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.5% spoke English
, 2.4% Finnish
and 2.1% Hungarian
as their first language.
There were 1,404 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,205, and the median income for a family was $45,142. Males had a median income of $31,971 versus $24,657 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $20,722. About 5.9% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
by the Connecticut Land Company
in 1796–1797, the town of Grandon was platted there on May 16, 1812. When the town incorporated in 1836, the name was changed to "Fairport."
After receiving federal sponsorship, the village's port flourished, and an influx of Finns, Hungarians, and Slovaks
arrived there. The port also imported iron ore for use at area steel
mills. The port continues operation at a more limited capacity.
Later in the village's history, the Diamond Alkali
Company operated from 1912 to 1976.
In recent years Fairport Harbor has hosted the Lake County Perch Fest and opened the Finnish Heritage Museum
.
On January 24, 2011, an overpressurized Dominion East Ohio
natural gas
pipeline caused devices in at least least 17 dwellings to explode, causing the structures to burn and leading to a mass evacuation. The excess pressure has been attributed to ice present in a sensor line causing a false reading in a pressure regulator. The backup regulator for the pipeline also failed. While no injuries were reported in the community, the cost of damage was placed at approximately $1.2 million.
Lake County, Ohio
Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 230,041. The county seat is Painesville, and the county name comes from its location on the southern shore of Lake Erie....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, along Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
at the mouth of the Grand River
Grand River (Ohio)
The Grand River is a tributary of Lake Erie, 102.7 miles long, in northeastern Ohio in the United States. Via Lake Erie, the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, it is part of the watershed of the St. Lawrence River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
. The population was 3,180 at the 2000 census.
Fairport Harbor is home to two lighthouses: the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light in Painesville Township, operated by the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
and the Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light
Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light
The Grand River Light is located in the village of Fairport Harbor, Ohio. The lighthouse was built in 1871 and has a 60 foot tower with a detached keeper's house...
operated by the Fairport Harbor Historical Society. It is also the home of the Finnish Heritage Museum
Finnish Heritage Museum
The Finnish Heritage Museum of Fairport Harbor, Ohio, United States is an incorporated non-profit organization founded to preserve and perpetuate Finnish heritage and cultural traditions....
.
Geography
Fairport Harbor is located at 41°45′1"N 81°16′24"W (41.750302, -81.273198), within Painesville TownshipPainesville Township, Lake County, Ohio
Painesville Township is one of the five townships of Lake County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 18,562 people in the township, 15,037 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), of which, 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (7.14%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,180 people, 1,404 households, and 839 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,052.2 people per square mile (1,180.6/km²). There were 1,546 housing units at an average density of 1,483.8 per square mile (574.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.96% White, 0.57% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.38% of the population. 15.9% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 12.3% Finnish, 11.5% Hungarian, 11.2% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, 9.3% Italian and 5.2% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.5% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 2.4% Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
and 2.1% Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
as their first language.
There were 1,404 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,205, and the median income for a family was $45,142. Males had a median income of $31,971 versus $24,657 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $20,722. About 5.9% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Organizations
The Fairport Harbor Historical Society operates the Marine Museum in the Grand River Lighthouse and keeper's house. The village is home to seven churches. The Fairport Harbor Business Association supports various business within the village.History
Fairport Harbor's location at the mouth of the Grand River made it an ideal place for a settlement. After being claimed as part of the Connecticut Western ReserveConnecticut Western Reserve
The Connecticut Western Reserve was land claimed by Connecticut from 1662 to 1800 in the Northwest Territory in what is now northeastern Ohio.-History:...
by the Connecticut Land Company
Connecticut Land Company
The Connecticut Land Company was formed in the late eighteenth century to survey and encourage settlement in the Connecticut Western Reserve, part of the Old Northwest Territory. The Western Reserve is located in Northeast Ohio with its hub being Cleveland. In 1795, the Connecticut Land Company...
in 1796–1797, the town of Grandon was platted there on May 16, 1812. When the town incorporated in 1836, the name was changed to "Fairport."
After receiving federal sponsorship, the village's port flourished, and an influx of Finns, Hungarians, and Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
arrived there. The port also imported iron ore for use at area steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
mills. The port continues operation at a more limited capacity.
Later in the village's history, the Diamond Alkali
Diamond Alkali
Diamond Alkali Company was an American chemical company incorporated in 1910 in West Virginia by a group of glass industry businessmen from Pittsburgh. The company soon established a large chemical plant at Fairport Harbor, Ohio, which would operate for over sixty years. In 1948, the headquarters...
Company operated from 1912 to 1976.
In recent years Fairport Harbor has hosted the Lake County Perch Fest and opened the Finnish Heritage Museum
Finnish Heritage Museum
The Finnish Heritage Museum of Fairport Harbor, Ohio, United States is an incorporated non-profit organization founded to preserve and perpetuate Finnish heritage and cultural traditions....
.
On January 24, 2011, an overpressurized Dominion East Ohio
Dominion Resources
Dominion Resources Inc. , commonly referred to as Dominion, is a power and energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia and North Carolina and supplies natural gas to parts of West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and eastern North Carolina...
natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
pipeline caused devices in at least least 17 dwellings to explode, causing the structures to burn and leading to a mass evacuation. The excess pressure has been attributed to ice present in a sensor line causing a false reading in a pressure regulator. The backup regulator for the pipeline also failed. While no injuries were reported in the community, the cost of damage was placed at approximately $1.2 million.