Fairport Harbor, Ohio

Fairport Harbor is a village in Lake County, Ohio, United States, along Lake Erie at the mouth of the Grand River. The population was 3,108 at the 2020 census. A far-eastern suburb of Cleveland, it is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area.

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.

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 Reserve 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."<ref name=hist>History of Fairport HarborVillage of Fairport Harbor website. Retrieved on August 16, 2019.</ref> Fairport is a commendatory name.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The current name was adopted in 1959.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name=hist/>

Later in the village's history, the Diamond Alkali Company operated from 1912 to 1976.<ref name=hist/>

In recent years Fairport Harbor has hosted the Lake County Perch Fest<ref>Lake County Perch Fest website. Retrieved on April 26, 2011.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and opened the Finnish Heritage Museum.

On January 24, 2011, an overpressurized Dominion East Ohio natural gas pipeline caused devices in at least 17 dwellings to explode, causing the structures to burn and leading to a mass evacuation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=ap>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The excess pressure has been attributed to ice present in a sensor line causing a false reading in a pressure regulator.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The backup regulator for the pipeline also failed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While no injuries were reported in the community,<ref name=ap/><ref>Template:Cite news Article excerpt</ref> the cost of damage was placed at approximately $1.2 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

Fairport Harbor is located within Painesville Township.<ref>Detailed Census Bureau map</ref>

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert are land and Template:Convert are water.<ref name="Gazetteer 2019">Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

File:Hungarian Reformed Church Fairport Harbor.jpg

Hungarian Reformed Church in Fairport Harbor

2010 census

As of the census<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2010, there were 3,109 people, 1,427 households, and 764 families living in the village. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,677 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the village was 94.7% White, 2.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.

There were 1,427 households, of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.5% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the village was 41 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.7% were from 25 to 44; 29.8% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 3,180 people, 1,404 households, and 839 families living in the village. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,546 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Further reading

• Fairport Harbor Historical Society, Fairport Harbor Images of America, Arcadia Publishing (March 5, 2003), 128 pp., Template:ISBN

External links

• Template:Official website