Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 21,003 at the 2000 census.
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.
Geography
Tarpon Springs is located at 28°8′55″N, 82°45′29″W (28.148658,
-82.758098)1. 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 (45.83%) is water.
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 first Greek immigrants 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 and Kalymnos in particular leading, by the 1930s, to a very productive sponge industry in Tarpon Springs,
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. Led by local businessman George Biliris, in the late 1980's
the sponge industry made a great come back. In the fall of 2007, a record harvest of sponges by a single boat was made. The
industry is alive and well in Tarpon Springs.
National historic status
Sponge diving mural at the Tarpon Springs Sponge Exchange.
There are several locations in Tarpon Springs which have been included to the National Register of Historic Places.
They are:
Remnants of the once thriving sponge industry have also been recognized. They include two packing houses:
- E. R. Meres Sponge Packing House
- N. G. Arfaras Sponge Packing House The Arfaras Sponge Packing
House is still an active sponge warehouse used by George Biliris Sponge Merchant International. Biliris led the new sponge
industry in the late 1980's by massing a fleet for spongefishing the beds which came back after 40 years. In September 2007, the
largest single harvest of sponges by one boat was recorded. Yes, the sponge industry is alive and well in Tarpon Springs.
And five boats:
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
Natural sponges in Tarpon Springs, Florida
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 21,003 people, 9,067 households, and 5,947 families residing
in the city. The population density was 887.2/km² (2,297.1/mi²). There were 10,759
housing units at an average density of 454.5/km² (1,176.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.33% of the population. 11.8% of the total
population reported their ancestry as Greek, which is included in the 90.07% White statistic. 8.87% reported speaking
Greek at home, while 3.46% speak Spanish, and
1.09% French [1].
There were 9,067 households out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were
non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% 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 2.78.
In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,251, and the median income for a family was $46,316. Males had a median
income of $36,356 versus $25,252 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$21,504. About 7.7% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
Media References
In Star Trek: Enterprise, Commander Tucker has a vision where he travels to
Tarpon Springs when an alien being enters his body during the episode "The Crossing".
It is also mentioned in Michael Newcomer's Celebreality Remix Intervet Radio Show.
Gallery
Dodecanese Avenue in Tarpon Springs, FL
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Sponge docks in Tarpon Springs, FL
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Sponger statue and sponge boat on the Sponge Docks, Tarpon Springs
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External links
Coordinates:
28.148658° N 82.758098°
W
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