Chillum, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Chillum is an unincorporated area
and census-designated place
(CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland
, United States
. The population was 34,252 at the 2000 census. The Chillum CDP includes the communities of Avondale
, Carole Highlands
, Green Meadows
, and Lewisdale
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 4 square miles (10.4 km²), of which, 4 square miles (10.4 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.50%) is water.
, the old home of Sir Dudley Digges
an ancestor of William Dudley Digges, in Kent County, England.
The manor house for the Henrietta Maria parcel was named Green Hill. It was home to William Dudley Digges, and was the place where Pierre L'Enfant, designer of nearby Washington, D.C.
, died in destitution in 1825. He remained buried at the Green Hill property until being reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery
in 1909. The Green Hill plantation was subsequently purchased by George Washington Riggs
, who built the present Green Hill historic home in 1868.
Since this area was not serviced by public transportation, such as a streetcar, Chillum remained rural in character into the 1930s. Beginning in the mid 1930s, the area of Chillum that is close to the District of Columbia border was subdivided into lots. Developers promoted the area’s convenient access into the city as well as its water, gas, and electricity supply. The first platted developments in the late 1930s included Chillum Gardens and Oakdale Terrace. The developers of these communities sold the lots but left the construction of houses to the lot owners. Consequently, the communities were slow to develop. In contrast, the developer-built Green Meadows
and Brookdale Manor were platted in the early 1940s and completed by 1942. Other developer-built communities begun in the 1940s include Chillumgate (1946) and Michigan Hills Park (1940s). Several subdivisions were constructed along Riggs Road, Sargent Road, and Sligo Creek Park in the 1950s, including Sargent Knolls (1950), Bel Air Estates (1955), Parkland (1955), Carrington (1957), and Miller Estates (mid-1950s-early 1960s). The street pattern of these communities are typical of their period. They have a grid pattern of streets broken by a few curvilinear roadways, and cul-de-sac. In addition to single-family residences, two apartment communities were constructed in 1949. The Chillum Heights Apartments and Ager Terrace Apartments consist of three story brick structures containing a combined total of 1,147 units. Larger-scale apartment complexes and mid-rise structures were constructed in the 1960s.
Commercial activity in the Chillum area is concentrated in shopping centers located at the intersections of the principal
roadways. Two of the shopping centers, Riggs Plaza Shopping Center (1960s) and the Riggs-Sargent Shopping Center
(1970s), contain supermarkets, drug stores and other retail outlets. Other establishments such as gas stations and
restaurants are scattered throughout the community.
:
of 2000, there were 34,252 people, 12,080 households, and 7,900 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 8,527.2 people per square mile (3,289.7/km²). There were 12,524 housing units at an average density of 3,117.9 per square mile (1,202.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 14.34% White, 62.68% African American, 0.47% Native American, 2.88% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 14.49% from other races
, and 5.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.67% of the population.
There were 12,080 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples
living together, 21.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.40.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,307, and the median income for a family was $46,329. Males had a median income of $29,546 versus $28,069 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $17,915. About 8.5% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 34,252 at the 2000 census. The Chillum CDP includes the communities of Avondale
Avondale, Maryland
Avondale is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. For statistical purposes, it is part of the Chillum census-designated place .-History:...
, Carole Highlands
Carole Highlands, Maryland
Carole Highlands, Maryland, USA is an unincorporated community partially overlapping the municipal boundaries of the City of Takoma Park. The neighborhood is located inside the Capital Beltway, about a mile from the District of Columbia...
, Green Meadows
Green Meadows, Prince George's County, Maryland
Green Meadows is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. For statistical purposes, it is part of the Chillum census-designated place .-History:...
, and Lewisdale
Lewisdale, Maryland
Lewisdale is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. For statistical purposes, it is part of the Chillum census-designated place ....
.
Geography
Chillum is located at 38°58′6"N 76°58′45"W (38.968210, -76.979046).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 4 square miles (10.4 km²), of which, 4 square miles (10.4 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.50%) is water.
History
Chillum takes its name from "Chillum Castle Manor," the 4443 acres (18 km²) land patent established in 1763, by William Dudley Digges. It included lands in present day District of Columbia and in Prince George's County, and was composed of previously established land patents such as Henrietta Maria, Widows Purchase, and Yarrow Farm and Yarrow Swamp. Chillum Castle Manor was named after Chilham CastleChilham Castle
Chilham Castle is a manor house and keep in the village of Chilham, between Ashford and Canterbury in the county of Kent, England. The polygonal Norman keep of the Castle, the oldest building in the village, dates from 1174; still inhabited, it was said to have been built for King Henry II...
, the old home of Sir Dudley Digges
Dudley Digges
Sir Dudley Digges , of Chilham Castle, Kent , was a Member of Parliament, elected to the Parliament of 1614 and that of 1621, and also a "Virginia adventurer," an investor who ventured his capital in the Virginia Company of London...
an ancestor of William Dudley Digges, in Kent County, England.
The manor house for the Henrietta Maria parcel was named Green Hill. It was home to William Dudley Digges, and was the place where Pierre L'Enfant, designer of nearby Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, died in destitution in 1825. He remained buried at the Green Hill property until being reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
in 1909. The Green Hill plantation was subsequently purchased by George Washington Riggs
George Washington Riggs
George Washington Riggs was an American businessman and banker. He was known as "The President's Banker."- Life and work :...
, who built the present Green Hill historic home in 1868.
Since this area was not serviced by public transportation, such as a streetcar, Chillum remained rural in character into the 1930s. Beginning in the mid 1930s, the area of Chillum that is close to the District of Columbia border was subdivided into lots. Developers promoted the area’s convenient access into the city as well as its water, gas, and electricity supply. The first platted developments in the late 1930s included Chillum Gardens and Oakdale Terrace. The developers of these communities sold the lots but left the construction of houses to the lot owners. Consequently, the communities were slow to develop. In contrast, the developer-built Green Meadows
Green Meadows, Prince George's County, Maryland
Green Meadows is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. For statistical purposes, it is part of the Chillum census-designated place .-History:...
and Brookdale Manor were platted in the early 1940s and completed by 1942. Other developer-built communities begun in the 1940s include Chillumgate (1946) and Michigan Hills Park (1940s). Several subdivisions were constructed along Riggs Road, Sargent Road, and Sligo Creek Park in the 1950s, including Sargent Knolls (1950), Bel Air Estates (1955), Parkland (1955), Carrington (1957), and Miller Estates (mid-1950s-early 1960s). The street pattern of these communities are typical of their period. They have a grid pattern of streets broken by a few curvilinear roadways, and cul-de-sac. In addition to single-family residences, two apartment communities were constructed in 1949. The Chillum Heights Apartments and Ager Terrace Apartments consist of three story brick structures containing a combined total of 1,147 units. Larger-scale apartment complexes and mid-rise structures were constructed in the 1960s.
Commercial activity in the Chillum area is concentrated in shopping centers located at the intersections of the principal
roadways. Two of the shopping centers, Riggs Plaza Shopping Center (1960s) and the Riggs-Sargent Shopping Center
(1970s), contain supermarkets, drug stores and other retail outlets. Other establishments such as gas stations and
restaurants are scattered throughout the community.
Historic sites
The following is a list of historic sites in Chillum identified by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning CommissionMaryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is a bi-county agency that administers parks and planning in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland.-History:...
:
| Site name | Image | Location | M-NCPPC Inventory Number | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Green Hill | 2009 Van Buren Street | 65-008 | Located in Lewisdale / West Hyattsville. | |
| 1 | Green Hill Overseer’s House | 6606 22nd Place | 65-013 | Located in Lewisdale / West Hyattsville. |
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 34,252 people, 12,080 households, and 7,900 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 8,527.2 people per square mile (3,289.7/km²). There were 12,524 housing units at an average density of 3,117.9 per square mile (1,202.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 14.34% White, 62.68% African American, 0.47% Native American, 2.88% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 14.49% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 5.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.67% of the population.
There were 12,080 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 21.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.40.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,307, and the median income for a family was $46,329. Males had a median income of $29,546 versus $28,069 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $17,915. About 8.5% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.