Fairhope, Alabama

Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, along the cliffs and shoreline of Mobile Bay. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 13,480.

Geography

Fairhope is located at 30°31'35.018" North, 87°53'44.473" West (30.526394, -87.895687).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.5 km² (11.0 mi²). 28.5 km² (11.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.09% is water.

Nearby towns include Point Clear, Daphne, Spanish Fort, Silverhill, Loxley, Robertsdale, Summerdale, and Foley.

History

Fairhope was founded in November, 1894 as a utopian single tax colony by the "Fairhope Industrial Association": a group of 28 followers of economist Henry George who had incorporated earlier that year in Des Moines, Iowa. Their corporate constitution explained their purpose in founding a new colony:

"to establish and conduct a model community or colony, free from all forms of private monopoly, and to secure to its members therein equality of opportunity, the full reward of individual efforts, and the benefits of co-operation in matters of general concern."

In forming their demonstration project, they pooled their funds to purchase land at "Stapleton's pasture" on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay and then divided it into a number of long-term leaseholds. The corporation payed all governmental taxes from rents paid by the lessees, thus simulating a single-tax. In doing so, the purpose of which was to eliminate disincentives for productive use of land and thereby retain the value of land for the community, offering "a fair hope of success" and a clear vision.

"Fairhope Street" was one of the properties on the 1906 version of the board game "The Landlord's Game". Today this game is known as "Monopoly".

In 1907 educator Marietta Johnson founded the School for Organic Education in Fairhope. The school was praised in John Dewey's influential 1915 book Schools of Tomorrow. Dewey and Johnson were founding members of the Progressive Education Association.

The Fairhope Single-Tax Corporation still operates, with 1800 leaseholds covering more than 4000 acres in and around the current city of Fairhope. Despite the ideals of the corporation, the process of land speculation has propelled the transformation of Fairhope from utopian experiment to artist's and intellectual's colony, to boutique resort and affluent suburb of Mobile. In fact, some local residents refer to Fairhope as "Carmel-by-the-Bay" alluding to Carmel-by-the-Sea on the Monterey Peninsula in California.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,480 people, 5,345 households, and 3,575 families residing in the city. The population density was 438.1/km² (1,135.1/mi²). There were 6,000 housing units at an average density of 210.6/km² (545.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.22% White, 7.79% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,345 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,913, and the median income for a family was $56,976. Males had a median income of $41,692 versus $27,959 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,237. About 4.9% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Fairhope's public schools are part of the Baldwin County Public Schools system.

Fairhope High School (9-12), 1,142 students, Principal Beverly Thomas.
Fairhope Middle School (6-8), 642 students, Principal Deadra Powe.
J. Larry Newton School (K-8), 731 students, Principal Suellen Brazil.
Fairhope Intermediate School (4-5), 397 students, Principal Gartrell Austin Agee.
Fairhope Elementary School (2-3), 278 students, Principal Terry E. Beasley.
Fairhope K-1 Center (K-1), 411 students, Principal Linda Daugherty.

Other schools in Fairhope include:

Baldwin County Alternative School (6-12)
The Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education continues to operate as a private school with approximately 51 students.
The University of South Alabama has a branch campus in Fairhope providing graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses in education, counseling, nursing and business alongside non-credit and community service programs.

Notable residents

Marshall Chapman. songwriter and musician
Ernest B. Gaston, founder of Fairhope
Marie Howland, utopian and journalist
Marietta Johnson, educator and reformer
Anna Braune, children's book author and illustrator
Upton Sinclair, author (winter visitor)
Winston Groom, author
Rick Bragg, author

References

Dian Arnold (1999) "Fairhope: A Sentimental Review." link
Paul E. and Blanche R. Alyea. (1956) "Fairhope, 1894-1954: The Story of a Single Tax Colony." Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.
Paul M. Gaston. (1984) Women of Fair Hope. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press. Black Belt Press, 1993.
Paul M. Gaston. (1993) Man and Mission: E. B. Gaston and the Origins of the Fairhope Single Tax Colony. Montgomery, Alabama: Black Belt Press.
Paul M. Gaston. (2004) "My Yellow Ribbon Town: A Meditation on My Country and My Home." in Where We Stand: Voices of Southern Dissent. Montgomery, Alabama: New South Books. link
Paul M. Gaston. (1985) "Gaston, Ernest Berry." in "Alden Whitman, ed., "American Reformers. New York: The H.W. Wilson Co.

Mary Lois Timbes and Robert E. Bell. (2001) "Meet Me at the Butterfly Tree: A Fairhope Memoir." Fairhope: Over the Transom.

External links

Baldwin County, Alabama | Cities in Alabama | Micropolitan areas of Alabama | Utopian communities

Fairhope | Fairhope, Alabama