Jefferson, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Jefferson is an unincorporated
community
located in Frederick County
, Maryland
, established in 1774, incorporated as a town in 1831. However, a year later, in 1832, the citizens of the town decided that municipal government was unnecessary, thus, it was disincorporated.
Jefferson’s growth in the 19th century was due largely to traffic on the road between Frederick and the railroad town of Brunswick. Wagon traffic and livestock drives were frequent. Concomitantly, commercial development intensified to serve the surrounding farms as well as travelers. It was during this mid 19th century period of commercial growth during which Hemp's Meats was established in 1849. This butchering shop has continuously served the local community under Hemp family ownership since it opened its doors in 1849.
As a center of agricultural mercantilism, throughout most of the late 18th and 19th century Jefferson was also home to a sizable population of slaves.
The Hagerstown and Frederick Railway
linked Jefferson to Frederick
and Hagerstown
in 1907. However, MD 180 remained the only link to the closest steam powered rail station in Brunswick
.
Examined historic maps (Griffith 1795; Bond 1858; Martenet 1865, 1885; Lake 1873; USGS1910) depict Jefferson on what is now MD 180 as early as 1795. It is designated Trap Town at the close of the 18th century by Griffith (1795). Local history suggests that the name derives from the large number of taverns operating at the time. Purportedly, taverns were situated at both ends of town. Consequently, a traveler could be “trapped” on the way in or out of town.
The Lewis Mill Complex
and the George Willard House
are National Register of Historic Places
properties near Jefferson.
Mar-Lu-Ridge Summer Camp and Education and Conference Center
, located in Jefferson, has been a main retreat and outdoor ministry site for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America since 1959.
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...
community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
located in Frederick County
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, established in 1774, incorporated as a town in 1831. However, a year later, in 1832, the citizens of the town decided that municipal government was unnecessary, thus, it was disincorporated.
History of Jefferson
According to archaeologist Mary F. Barse, Jefferson was initially laid out in 1774 on a 96 acres (388,498.6 m²) tract owned by Mrs. Eleanor Medley and called New Town. It contained 40 rectangular lots – 20 aligned on each side of MD 180 – stretching between what are now Lander Road and Old Middletown Road. In 1795, twenty-two additional lots were platted by Elias Delashmutt on the western end of the original section, and called New Freedom. It was not until 1831 that both sections were incorporated as Jefferson by the Maryland Legislature.Jefferson’s growth in the 19th century was due largely to traffic on the road between Frederick and the railroad town of Brunswick. Wagon traffic and livestock drives were frequent. Concomitantly, commercial development intensified to serve the surrounding farms as well as travelers. It was during this mid 19th century period of commercial growth during which Hemp's Meats was established in 1849. This butchering shop has continuously served the local community under Hemp family ownership since it opened its doors in 1849.
As a center of agricultural mercantilism, throughout most of the late 18th and 19th century Jefferson was also home to a sizable population of slaves.
The Hagerstown and Frederick Railway
Hagerstown and Frederick Railway
The Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, now defunct, was an American railroad of central Maryland built in the 19th and 20th centuries.-Early development:...
linked Jefferson to Frederick
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
and Hagerstown
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Washington County, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the...
in 1907. However, MD 180 remained the only link to the closest steam powered rail station in Brunswick
Brunswick, Maryland
Brunswick is a city in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,870 at the 2010 census.- History :The area now known as Brunswick was originally home to the Susquehanna Indians. In 1728 the first settlement was built, and the region became known as Eel Town, because the...
.
Examined historic maps (Griffith 1795; Bond 1858; Martenet 1865, 1885; Lake 1873; USGS1910) depict Jefferson on what is now MD 180 as early as 1795. It is designated Trap Town at the close of the 18th century by Griffith (1795). Local history suggests that the name derives from the large number of taverns operating at the time. Purportedly, taverns were situated at both ends of town. Consequently, a traveler could be “trapped” on the way in or out of town.
The Lewis Mill Complex
Lewis Mill Complex
Lewis Mill Complex is a historic grist mill complex located at Jefferson, Frederick County, Maryland. The complex consists of seven standing structures, a house foundation, and the remains of an earlier millrace. It centers on an early-19th century three-story brick mill structure with a gabled...
and the George Willard House
George Willard House
The George Willard House, also known as New Freedom Spring, is a Federal style house with Greek Revival details near Jefferson, Maryland. Built about 1818 for farmer and tanner George Willard, the house was altered by Willard's son after 1845 with Greek Revival remodeling.-External links:*,...
are 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...
properties near Jefferson.
Mar-Lu-Ridge Summer Camp and Education and Conference Center
Mar-Lu-Ridge Summer Camp and Education and Conference Center
Mar-Lu-Ridge Summer Camp and Education and Conference Center is an outdoor ministry site of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America located in Jefferson, Maryland. Mar-Lu-Ridge, an abbreviation for either Martin Luther or Maryland Lutheran, sits atop a mountain in the Catoctin Mountain range...
, located in Jefferson, has been a main retreat and outdoor ministry site for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America since 1959.