Garrett Park, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Garrett Park is a town
in Montgomery County, Maryland
. It was named for a former president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
, but whether specifically for John Garrett or Robert W. Garrett is a matter of some disagreement between sources. The population was 917 at the 2000 census. Garrett Park is home to Garrett Park Elementary School, just outside the town proper.
. It was named for John w. Garrett, a former President of the B&O. It was a planned community from the beginning - when the land it was built on was purchased by a businessman named Henry W. Copp in 1886, he intended to build a suburban development reminiscent of an English village. Copp even went so far as to name the streets after locations in the novels of the English author Walter Scott, such as Kenilworth
and Strathmore. He also limited commercial development, and even today there is only one store in the town. Builders were given reduced rates to transport workers and materials to the town site, and new residents were given free trips to move in. Rail suburbs did not catch on in the area, however, and the community stagnated somewhat as automobiles replaced trains and streetcars as the primary means of commuting. In the 1920s, another company built approximately 50 more houses, these with garages. Much of the town is included in the Garrett Park Historic District
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975.
In May 1982 the townspeople of Garrett Park voted 245 to 46 to ban the production, transportation, storage, processing, disposal, or use of nuclear weapons within the town. This made Garrett Park the first nuclear-weapons free zone in the United States.
Garrett Park is located at 39°2' North, 77°6' West. It is just west of Kensington
, due north of Bethesda
, northwest of Silver Spring
, and southeast of Rockville
. It is approximately halfway between Rockville and Silver Spring. Rock Creek Park
is located along the town's southeast borders.
Its land area is 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²). According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²), all of it land.
Garrett Park is primarily a residential town, with a post office, and a few small businesses. The only road open to automotive traffic into or out of Garrett Park is Maryland State Highway 547 (Strathmore Avenue). The town is served by the MARC train
Brunswick line. The town is unusual in that residents prefer picking up their mail at the post office in person, rather than having home delivery.
of 2000, there were 917 people, 347 households, and 266 families residing in the town. The population density
was 3,427.8 people per square mile (1,311.3/km²). There were 356 housing units at an average density of 1,330.8 per square mile (509.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.82% White, 0.87% Black or African American
, 0.22% Native American, 3.05% Asian, 1.53% from other races
, and 2.51% from two or more races. 2.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 347 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples
living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% 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 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $106,883, and the median income for a family was $126,662. Males had a median income of $96,588 versus $66,563 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $50,305. None of the families and 0.8% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 2.6% of those over 64.
.
Schools that serve the town include:
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
. It was named for a former president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
, but whether specifically for John Garrett or Robert W. Garrett is a matter of some disagreement between sources. The population was 917 at the 2000 census. Garrett Park is home to Garrett Park Elementary School, just outside the town proper.
History
Garrett Park was incorporated as a town in 1898, with sponsorship by the Baltimore and Ohio RailroadBaltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
. It was named for John w. Garrett, a former President of the B&O. It was a planned community from the beginning - when the land it was built on was purchased by a businessman named Henry W. Copp in 1886, he intended to build a suburban development reminiscent of an English village. Copp even went so far as to name the streets after locations in the novels of the English author Walter Scott, such as Kenilworth
Kenilworth (novel)
Kenilworth. A Romance is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, first published on 8 January 1821.-Plot introduction:Kenilworth is apparently set in 1575, and centers on the secret marriage of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, and Amy Robsart, daughter of Sir Hugh Robsart...
and Strathmore. He also limited commercial development, and even today there is only one store in the town. Builders were given reduced rates to transport workers and materials to the town site, and new residents were given free trips to move in. Rail suburbs did not catch on in the area, however, and the community stagnated somewhat as automobiles replaced trains and streetcars as the primary means of commuting. In the 1920s, another company built approximately 50 more houses, these with garages. Much of the town is included in the Garrett Park Historic District
Garrett Park Historic District
The Garrett Park Historic District is a national historic district located at Garrett Park, Montgomery County, Maryland. It is a residential community incorporated in 1891, along the B & O Railroad. The older community includes a number of late Victorian homes. During the 1920s, the town expanded...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975.
In May 1982 the townspeople of Garrett Park voted 245 to 46 to ban the production, transportation, storage, processing, disposal, or use of nuclear weapons within the town. This made Garrett Park the first nuclear-weapons free zone in the United States.
Geography
Kensington, Maryland
Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 zip code and its population is an order of magnitude larger than that of the town at its center....
, due north of Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, northwest of Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
, and southeast of Rockville
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
. It is approximately halfway between Rockville and Silver Spring. Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Park
Rock Creek Park is a large urban natural area with public park facilities that bisects Washington, D.C. The park is administered by the National Park Service.-Rock Creek Park:The main section of the park contains , or , along the Rock Creek Valley...
is located along the town's southeast borders.
Its land area is 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²). 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 town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²), all of it land.
Garrett Park is primarily a residential town, with a post office, and a few small businesses. The only road open to automotive traffic into or out of Garrett Park is Maryland State Highway 547 (Strathmore Avenue). The town is served by the MARC train
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
Brunswick line. The town is unusual in that residents prefer picking up their mail at the post office in person, rather than having home delivery.
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 917 people, 347 households, and 266 families residing in the town. 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 3,427.8 people per square mile (1,311.3/km²). There were 356 housing units at an average density of 1,330.8 per square mile (509.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.82% White, 0.87% Black or African American
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...
, 0.22% Native American, 3.05% Asian, 1.53% 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 2.51% from two or more races. 2.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 347 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% 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, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% 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 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $106,883, and the median income for a family was $126,662. Males had a median income of $96,588 versus $66,563 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 town was $50,305. None of the families and 0.8% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 2.6% of those over 64.
Law and government
The Garrett Park Chapel was purchased by the town in 1968, and now serves as the Town Hall.Mayor or City Executive
Recent Mayors of Garrett Park:- Nancy M. Floreen (elected to the County Council of Montgomery County in the 2002 election)
- Peter Benjamin (2003–2004)
- Carolyn Shawaker ([2005])-[(2007])
- Chris Keller (current)
Education
Garrett Park is served by the Montgomery County Public SchoolsMontgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools ' is a school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. It is the largest school district in Maryland. As of the 2009–2010 school year, the district had 11,500 FTE teachers serving 141,777 students at 200 schools.Students in the district score among the...
.
Schools that serve the town include:
- Garrett Park Elementary School
- Tilden Middle School
- Walter Johnson High SchoolWalter Johnson High SchoolWalter Johnson High School is located at 6400 Rock Spring Drive in Bethesda, an unincorporated region of Montgomery County, Maryland.WJHS serves areas in Bethesda and Rockville, as well as the towns of Garrett Park and Kensington.-History:...
External links
- Town of Garrett Park
- Garrett Park at the Maryland State Archives
- MARYLAND - Montgomery County - Historic Districts at the National Register of Historic Places
- "Seeing a Future Along Old Tracks" Sowers, Scott, Washington Post, July 8, 2006, Page F01