< Back to Tarpon Springs Real Estate and Homes for Sale Page

Tarpon Springs is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 21,003. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 22,554. Tarpon Springs is notable for having the largest percentage of Greek-Americans of any city in the U.S.

History

The region, with a series of bayous feeding into the Gulf of Mexico , first attracted attention as a place for winter homes about 1876. Some of the newly arrived visitors spotted fish jumping out of the waters and so named the location Tarpon Springs. The Greek population first arrived to this city during the 1880s, when they were hired to work as divers in the growing sponge harvesting industry. In 1905 , John Cocoris introduced the technique of sponge diving to Tarpon Springs. Cocoris recruited Greek sponge divers from the Dodecanese Islands . By the 1930s, the sponge industry of Tarpon Springs was very productive, generating millions of dollars a year.

When a red tide algae bloom occurred in 1947, wiping out the sponge fields in that region of the Gulf of Mexico , most of the sponge boats and divers switched to fishing and shrimping for a livelihood. The city then converted most of its sponge-related activities, especially the warehouses where they were sold, into tourist attractions. The Sponge Docks are now mostly shops, restaurants, and museums dedicated to the memory of Tarpon Springs' earlier industry. Most sponges sold on the docks are now imports: Very few sponges are harvested from the area. Attempts have been made in recent years to restart local sponge harvesting.

Geography

Tarpon Springs is located at 28°8'55" North, 82°45'29" West (28.148658, -82.758098) GR1 . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 43.7 km² (16.9 mi² ). 23.7 km² (9.1 mi²) of it is land and 20.0 km² (7.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 45.83% water.

Epiphany Celebration

Tarpon Springs is known for elaborate religious ceremonies related to the Greek Orthodox Church such as Epiphany celebrated every January 6 with the blessing of the waters and the boats. Since the livelihood of the initial Greek immigrants hinged around the sea and their boats, their attachment to a religious service centered at requesting divine protection for what used to be a highly risky job can be easily explained.

The celebration attracts Greek Americans from across the country, and the city's population is known to triple in size for that day. The Metropolitan of Atlanta usually presides over the blessings, sometimes joined by the Archbishop of America . The blessings conclude with the ceremonial throwing of a wooden cross into the city's Spring Bayou, and young men dive in to retrieve it: whoever recovers the cross is said to be blessed for a full year. Following the blessings, the celebration moves to the Sponge Docks where food and music are made part of the festivities.

On January 6th, 2006, for the 100th anniversary celebration of the Epiphany services in Tarpon Springs, his all-holiness Bartholomew I, the Patriarch of Constantinople , who is considered "first among equals" of all hierarchs of the Orthodox Church , visited Tarpon Springs to preside over the Epiphany services. Bartholomew's visit to Tarpon Springs was one of the few visits to America by an Ecumenical Patriarch thus far in history.

Demographics

As of the census GR2 of 2000 , there are 21,003 people, 9,067 households, and 5,947 families residing in the city. The population density is 887.2/km² (2,297.1/mi²). There are 10,759 housing units at an average density of 454.5/km² (1,176.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 90.07% White , 6.15% African American , 0.29% Native American , 1.04% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 0.81% from other races , and 1.57% from two or more races. 4.33% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 9,067 households out of which 22.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% are married couples living together, 10.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% are non-families. 29.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.27 and the average family size is 2.78.

In the city the population is spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 45 years. For every 100 females there are 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $38,251, and the median income for a family is $46,316. Males have a median income of $36,356 versus $25,252 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,504. 9.8% of the population and 7.7% of families are below the poverty line . Out of the total population, 16.1% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License .