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city in southeastern Maryland, United States
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Salisbury ( SAWLZ-bə-ree) is a city in and the county seat of Wicomico County, Maryland, United States. Salisbury is the largest city in the state's Eastern Shore region, with a population of 33,050 at the 2020 census. Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is a commercial hub of the Delmarva Peninsula.
Salisbury's location at the head of Wicomico River was a major factor in growth. At first, it was a small colonial outpost set up by Lord Baltimore. Salisbury was established in 1732.
Salisbury's location at the head of the Wicomico River was seen to be a convenient location for trading purposes. Due to the similar physical attributes as well as the nationality of Salisbury's founders, many historians believe that the name was inspired by the city of Salisbury, England, an ancient cathedral city.
Salisbury was officially incorporated as a city in 1854.
Salisbury also had a role in the American Civil War, as it served as a location where Union forces encamped to search for sympathizers from the South. These Union forces also worked to inhibit the movement of contraband to Confederate forces in the South.
Fires struck Salisbury in both 1860 and 1886, burning through two-thirds of the Town. Despite the fires, Salisbury and the country that surrounded it continued to grow, and Salisbury was considered to be the major town of the county. In 1909, the Humphrey's Dam burst, flooding portions of Salisbury.
In 1867, when Wicomico County was formed out of parts of both Somerset and Worcester Counties, Salisbury became the government seat.
In 1898 and 1931, three Black men were lynched in Salisbury. Town leaders, including the fire chief and police chief, were allegedly complicit in the lynchings.
In 1968, protests occurred in Salisbury after a police officer fatally shot a deaf and mute African-American man. The protests prompted Maryland Governor Spiro Agnew to declare Martial Law and send the Maryland National Guard to Salisbury.
Today, Salisbury attracts a wide variety of different businesses in addition to the county, state, and federal government offices.
Adding to the diversity of Salisbury, the City is host to a wide variety of events celebrating local culture and the arts. These events include 3rd Friday, an event held in downtown Salisbury on the third Friday of each month, celebrating local music, artists, and nonprofit organizations.
Salisbury is also home to a historical City Park, the Salisbury Zoo, The Centre at Salisbury shopping mall, and the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center.
The Gillis-Grier House, Honeysuckle Lodge, Sen. William P. Jackson House, Pemberton Hall, Perry-Cooper House, Poplar Hill Mansion, Union Station, and F. Leonard Wailes Law Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On 7 August 2017, an EF1 tornado went through Salisbury. The damage marker leading to the rating goes as follows, "Small Retail Building [Fast Food Restaurants] Uplift of roof decking; significant loss of roof covering." The tornado reached maximum intensity over Dogwood Park, Salisbury.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.87 square miles (35.92 km2), of which 13.40 square miles (34.71 km2) is land and 0.47 square miles (1.22 km2) is water. The city is situated 17 to 45 feet (5.2 to 13.7 m) above sea level.
The nearest major cities are Baltimore, 106 miles (171 km) away, Washington, D.C., 119 miles (192 km) away, and Philadelphia, 128 miles (206 km) away.
Salisbury's location on the Atlantic Coastal Plain in Maryland gives it a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with hot, humid summers and, on average, cool to mild winters. The monthly daily average temperature at nearby Wicomico Regional Airport ranges from 36.8 °F (2.7 °C) in January to 77.9 °F (25.5 °C) in July; on average, there are 30 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs annually and 7 days where the high fails to rise above freezing. On average, Salisbury annually receives around 47.49 in (1,210 mm) of precipitation, with 8.0 in (20.3 cm) of snowfall per year. Record temperatures range from −10 °F (−23 °C) on January 11, 1942, up to 106 °F (41 °C) on July 21, 1930 and August 7, 1918. However, temperatures reaching 0 °F (−18 °C) and lower, or 100 °F (37.8 °C) and higher, are rare, having last occurred January 9, 2017 and July 27, 2012, respectively.
Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties in Maryland and Sussex County in Delaware.
As of the 2020 census, Salisbury had a population of 33,050 and a population density of 2,265.2 inhabitants per square mile (874.6/km2). The median age was 32.8 years. 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 81.6 males age 18 and over; males made up 45.7% of the population and females 54.3%.
There were 13,578 households in Salisbury, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 26.4% were married-couple households, 21.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 42.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older; the average household had 2.50 persons.
There were 15,062 housing units, of which 9.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
As of the census of 2010, there were 30,343 people, 11,983 households, and 6,040 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,264.4 inhabitants per square mile (874.3/km2). There were 13,401 housing units at an average density of 1,000.1 per square mile (386.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55.7% White, 34.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.0% of the population.
There were 11,983 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.4% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04.
The median age in the city was 28.1 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 22.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 18.8% were from 45 to 64; and 11.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.3% male and 53.7% female.
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,743 people, 9,061 households, and 4,802 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,145.5 inhabitants per square mile (828.4/km2). There were 9,612 housing units at an average density of 868.6 per square mile (335.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 60.71% White, 32.32% African American, 0.23% Native American, 3.19% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.39% of the population.
There were 9,061 households, out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.4% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.00. In 2005, 324 new single family homes were built, with an average value of $119,358.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 21.8% under the age of 18, 21.8% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,191, and the median income for a family was $35,527. Males had a median income of $26,829 versus $21,920 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,228. About 16.5% of families and 23.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Garfield King (c. 1880 – May 25, 1898) was a black man lynched by a mob in Salisbury. He was hung next to the courthouse after he reportedly shot Herman Kenney, a 22-year-old white man, with a revolver after arguing with him.
In December 1931, Salisbury was the site of another lynching of a black man. Matthew Williams was accused of murdering his white employer, Daniel J. (DJ) Elliot, at his office on Lake Street. The authorities found D.J. Elliot dead at his desk, his son, James Elliot present, and Matthew Williams incapacitated by several gunshot wounds. After being taken to Peninsula General Hospital, a 300-man white mob threw Williams from a second-floor window to the crowd below, where he was stabbed, tied to a truck and dragged three blocks to the county court house. There they hanged him from a tree, before he had any chance of a trial. The mob paraded Williams' body through the black part of Salisbury for intimidation, and mutilated and burned him. It was the 32nd lynching in Maryland since 1882. No one was prosecuted for Williams' killing, as was typical in lynchings. As of 2007, there was no commemoration of the extrajudicial killing.
A 2017 memorial for Matthew Williams reignited the call for commemoration of the lynchings, with the known location of Matthew Williams' lynching (Wicomico County Circuit Courthouse lawn) emerging as the focal point. On this site, however, stood a sign some saw as antithetical to the sacred nature of the site as the location of one of the last lynchings in Maryland: a marker commemorating Confederate General John H. Winder. A 2018 documentary film (The Sign) was produced, documenting and unraveling the complexities of this conflict, "exposing deep wounds from the complicated history of the Eastern Shore."
In January 2020, Mayor Jake Day announced the formation of a Lynching Memorial Task Force which was tasked with "coordinating with the Equal Justice Initiative's Community Remembrance Project to facilitate the creation of a permanent monument in honor and solemn remembrance of the three American citizens who lost their lives at the hands of lynch mobs in Wicomico County."
On July 5, 2023, a mass shooting occurred during a block party just outside of the city limits, leading to the death of a 14-year-old child and seven other injuries. Following an investigation involving the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office and the Salisbury Police Department, the suspected shooter was arrested on September 11.
Crime in 2019 was the lowest in the city's history, with the five safest years on record being 1986, 1996, 2016, 2018, and 2019. Part One crimes, which are included in the table to the right, consist of the more serious crimes, including shoplifting, burglary, assault, theft, and rape.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Salisbury, Maryland”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.