Salisbury, MD

Covering 11 square miles, the city of Salisbury is the county seat of Maryland's Wicomico County on Chesapeake Bay. The city sits roughly 115 miles southeast of Baltimore in the heart of the Delmarva Peninsula, and boasts the second-largest port in Maryland.

Salisbury was founded in 1732 with the official designation of a port, sparking huge growth as more colonists came in search of land and economic opportunity. Salisbury was incorporated in 1854 and is currently the largest city on Maryland's Eastern Shore. With a quiet, outdoors oriented community, a major university, several local wineries, and numerous unique local shopping districts, Salisbury continues to be one of the most popular tourist and residential destinations in Maryland. The city is home to just under 28,000 people.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

The leading industries in Salisbury are electronic component manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding and agriculture. Major companies that have a headquarter or division in the city are Purdue Farms, Powerwave Technologies, Verizon, Navtrak Inc., K&L Microwave, Spartech Polycom FCD, Plymouth Tube, Tishcon Corporation, Trinity Sterile and Sharp Water.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

The Downtown Plaza has government buildings, eateries and retail in a landscaped pedestrian mall. The Port of Salisbury Marina is located at the headwaters of the Wicomico River, a short distance from the Plaza. The Newtown and Camden historic districts contain hundreds of Victorian-style homes. Salisbury University is on U.S. Route 13 at the southern edge of the city. The major local shopping mall is The Center at Salisbury on Route 13 near the crossing with Route 50.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Salisbury is an active town with lots to offer. Numerous contributions to civic pride come from the many scholars and performers associated with Salisbury University. Renowned for its extensive collection of plants, the university was awarded national arboretum status in 1988. The arboretum is open to the public and is dedicated to plant education.

The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art contains the largest collection of wildfowl carvings in the world. The museum was named for Lem and Steve Ward, both aficionados in the art of decoy carving.

Other notable attractions in Salisbury include:

• Edward H. Nabb Center for Delmarva History and Culture
• Chipman Cultural Center
• Poplar Hill Mansion
• Eastern Shore Baseball Hall of Fame

BEST BETS

There are numerous parks for residents and visitors to enjoy:

• City Park
• Doverdale Park and Playground
• Elizabeth W. Woodcock Park
• Jeannete Chipman Playground
• Lake Street Park
• Newtown Park
• Newtown-Camden Tot Lot Park and Playground
• Waterside Park
• Shumaker Pond
• Pemberton Historical Park
• Parker Athletic Complex
• The River Walk

EVENTS

Salisbury's calendar of annual events revolves around the city's deep appreciation of the outdoors. Many Salisbury residents participate in Critical Mass, a monthly bike ride that takes place in cities around the globe. The free events are aimed at promoting cycling. The Sea Gull Century also features a 100k bicycle ride.

Pork in the Park is an annual three-day barbecue festival in Winterplace Park. The event includes more than 80 competitive teams.

Other events include:

• Victorian Tea and Yuletide Open House: Held in April and December, respectively, at Poplar Hill Mansion, a sprawling four-and-a-half story home constructed in the late 1700s by Major Levin Handy.
• Salisbury Festival: The largest festival in Wicomico County, drawing an estimated crowd of 25,000 per year.
• Autumn Wine Festival: Held yearly at Pemberton Park, with over 19 wineries and numerous arts, crafts and food vendors.
• Christmas Parade

EDUCATION

In addition to Salisbury University, higher education institutions include:

• Wor-Wic Community College
• Sojourner-Douglass College
• Eastern Bible Institute

SHOPPING

There are a wide variety of shopping centers in Salisbury, including:

• Allenwood Shopping Center
• Clairmont Shopping Center
• The Center at Salisbury
• Centre Square
• The Commons
• Court Plaza
• Lotus Plaza
• Downtown Plaza/ Main Street
• North Point Plaza
• Pecan Square
• The Shops at Salisbury
• South Commons Shopping Center
• South Salisbury Plaza
• University Square
• Waverly Plaza

LOCAL MEDIA

• The Daily Times, published in Salisbury with a circulation of over 24,000 copies, is the city's primary newspaper.

Radio stations in Salisbury include:

• W204AY - 88.7 FM - Religious
• WSCL - 89.5 FM - National Public Radio
• WDIH - 90.3 FM - Religious
• WXSU - 96.3 FM - College
• WICO - 97.5 FM - Country
• WSBY - 98.9 FM - Urban Adult Contemporary
• WQHQ - 104.7 FM - Adult Contemporary
• WDKZ - 105.5 FM - Top 40
• WTGM - 960 AM - Sports
• WICO - 1320 AM - Talk
• WJDY - 1470 AM - Traditional Pop

Television stations include:

• WBOC Channel 16, CBS
• WMDT Channel 47, ABC
• WCPB Channel 28
• PAC14 Public Access Channel 14

DID YOU KNOW?

• Salisbury chicken businessman Frank Perdue developed a special chicken feed that contained marigold blossoms; the petals gave his chicken its unique golden-hued skin. While the feed did not change the taste of the chicken, sales increased on aesthetic appeal alone.
• In the late 1930s, working-class blacks and whites dined together at a downtown Salisbury coffee shop called "English Grill." It was a notable progressive event, even for a border state, considering that policies of racial segregation continued in parts of the nation into the early 1960s.