Kensington, Maryland
Encyclopedia
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.
The area around the Rock Creek
basin where Kensington is located was primarily agricultural until 1873, when the B&O Railroad
completed the Metropolitan Branch which traversed Montgomery County. A community arose where the new railroad line intersected the old Rockville-to-Bladensburg road. This early settlement was first known as Knowles Station. In the early 1890s, Washington, D.C.
developer Brainard Warner began purchasing land parcels to build a planned Victorian
community, complete with church, library, and a local newspaper. Fascinated by a recent trip to London, Warner first named his town Kensington Park. Upon incorporation in 1894, the town was renamed Kensington. The historic core of Kensington was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, as the Kensington Historic District
in 1980.
Initially Kensington was a summer refuge for Washington, D.C., residents wishing to escape the capital's humid summers. As years passed and its residents increasingly remained year round, Kensington evolved into a commuter suburb. The large southernmost section originally mapped out by Warner remains largely unchanged since inception, and is a historically preserved zone. Indeed the only major changes in the town's basic layout have been the bridging over of the original railroad crossing in 1937, and the extension and widening of Connecticut Avenue, the town's main thoroughfare, in 1957.
The little town gained national attention three times in a 10-month span early in the 21st century as a result of events which occurred within a mere quarter-mile radius. In December 2001, the town responded to complaints from anonymous citizens by banning Santa Claus
from the annual holiday parade. Protesters arrived at the parade en masse, including hundreds of Santas riding everything from motorcycles to fire trucks. Eight months later, a Amtrak
train derailed adjacent to the town center when the tracks separated at an overheated joint, sending over a hundred victims to area hospitals. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Then, on October 2, 2002, Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera became the fifth victim of the snipers who terrorized the Washington area that month, while cleaning her auto at a Kensington gas station. (See Beltway sniper attacks
.)
, northeast of Bethesda
, southwest of Wheaton
, and southeast of Rockville
. Its latitude is 39o1'48" N, longitude 77o4'30" W.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.3 square kilometre (0.501932806170296 sq mi), all land.
While the town proper is but one-half square mile in size, the Kensington Post Office services a much larger area and extends into North Bethesda, MD and the Wheaton Planning District. Residents within this ZIP code
(20895) generally refer to Kensington as their home town even though they technically do not reside in Kensington.
Significant through roads in Kensington include Maryland Routes 185
(Connecticut Avenue), 193
(University Boulevard West), and 547
(Knowles Avenue).
of 2000, there were 1,873 people, 729 households, and 467 families residing in the town. The population density
was 3,668.6 people per square mile (1,418.0/km²). There were 768 housing units at an average density of 1,504.3 per square mile (581.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.96% White, 2.51% Black or African American
, 0.59% Native American, 2.94% Asian, 1.49% from other races
, and 2.51% from two or more races. 4.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 729 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples
living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $76,716, and the median income for a family was $96,394. Males had a median income of $65,804 versus $41,364 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $35,919. About 0.9% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.
The Town of Kensington hosts a farmer's market on Saturday mornings between 8am and noon at the historical train station which is still in use today as part of the MARC commuter train network. The town is also home to the Noyes Library for Young Children http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Libraries/branchinfo/no.asp.
Kensington has a four-member council, elected for two-year terms. Terms are staggered. Every year there are two council seats up for election.
system, specifically:
Montgomery County Public Schools
serving Greater Kensington include:
Kensington is also home to Holy Redeemer School (link), a Roman Catholic parochial school, and Grace Episcopal
Day School (link).
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...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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.
History
Rock Creek (Potomac River)
Rock Creek is a free-flowing tributary of the Potomac River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the Chesapeake Bay. The creek is long, with a drainage area of about...
basin where Kensington is located was primarily agricultural until 1873, when the B&O 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...
completed the Metropolitan Branch which traversed Montgomery County. A community arose where the new railroad line intersected the old Rockville-to-Bladensburg road. This early settlement was first known as Knowles Station. In the early 1890s, 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....
developer Brainard Warner began purchasing land parcels to build a planned Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
community, complete with church, library, and a local newspaper. Fascinated by a recent trip to London, Warner first named his town Kensington Park. Upon incorporation in 1894, the town was renamed Kensington. The historic core of Kensington was 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...
, as the Kensington Historic District
Kensington Historic District
The Kensington Historic District is a national historic district located at Kensington, Montgomery County, Maryland. The district includes the core of the original town that was incorporated in 1894, It is dominated by large late-19th and early-20th century houses, many with wraparound porches,...
in 1980.
Initially Kensington was a summer refuge for Washington, D.C., residents wishing to escape the capital's humid summers. As years passed and its residents increasingly remained year round, Kensington evolved into a commuter suburb. The large southernmost section originally mapped out by Warner remains largely unchanged since inception, and is a historically preserved zone. Indeed the only major changes in the town's basic layout have been the bridging over of the original railroad crossing in 1937, and the extension and widening of Connecticut Avenue, the town's main thoroughfare, in 1957.
The little town gained national attention three times in a 10-month span early in the 21st century as a result of events which occurred within a mere quarter-mile radius. In December 2001, the town responded to complaints from anonymous citizens by banning Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
from the annual holiday parade. Protesters arrived at the parade en masse, including hundreds of Santas riding everything from motorcycles to fire trucks. Eight months later, a Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
train derailed adjacent to the town center when the tracks separated at an overheated joint, sending over a hundred victims to area hospitals. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Then, on October 2, 2002, Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera became the fifth victim of the snipers who terrorized the Washington area that month, while cleaning her auto at a Kensington gas station. (See Beltway sniper attacks
Beltway sniper attacks
The Washington sniper attacks took place during three weeks in October 2002 in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Ten people were killed and three others critically injured in various locations throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area and along Interstate 95 in Virginia...
.)
Geography
Kensington is located in Montgomery County, northwest of Silver SpringSilver 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...
, northeast 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...
, southwest of Wheaton
Wheaton, Maryland
Wheaton is an unincorporated, urbanized area in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, north of Washington, D.C., northwest of Silver Spring. Wheaton takes its name from Frank Wheaton , a career officer in the United States Army and volunteer from Rhode Island in the Union Army who rose to the rank of...
, 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...
. Its latitude is 39o1'48" N, longitude 77o4'30" W.
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 1.3 square kilometre (0.501932806170296 sq mi), all land.
While the town proper is but one-half square mile in size, the Kensington Post Office services a much larger area and extends into North Bethesda, MD and the Wheaton Planning District. Residents within this ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
(20895) generally refer to Kensington as their home town even though they technically do not reside in Kensington.
Significant through roads in Kensington include Maryland Routes 185
Maryland Route 185
Maryland Route 185 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Connecticut Avenue, the state highway runs from Chevy Chase Circle at the Washington, D.C. border north to MD 97 in Aspen Hill...
(Connecticut Avenue), 193
Maryland Route 193
Maryland Route 193 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as University Boulevard and Greenbelt Road, the state highway runs from MD 185 in Kensington east to MD 202 in Greater Upper Marlboro...
(University Boulevard West), and 547
Maryland Route 547
Maryland Route 547 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 355 in North Bethesda east to MD 185 in Kensington.-Route description:...
(Knowles Avenue).
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 1,873 people, 729 households, and 467 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 3,668.6 people per square mile (1,418.0/km²). There were 768 housing units at an average density of 1,504.3 per square mile (581.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.96% White, 2.51% 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...
, 0.59% Native American, 2.94% Asian, 1.49% 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 2.51% from two or more races. 4.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 729 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% 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 35.9% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $76,716, and the median income for a family was $96,394. Males had a median income of $65,804 versus $41,364 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 $35,919. About 0.9% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.
Commerce
Kensington is primarily a bedroom community for workers who commute to jobs in the Washington, D.C., area, but it is not without its own commercial enterprises, which include "Antique Row" on Howard Avenue, the West Howard Antique District, and Kaiser-Permanente's Kensington facility, plus art shops, restaurants, supermarkets, auto repair shops, hardware stores, and others.The Town of Kensington hosts a farmer's market on Saturday mornings between 8am and noon at the historical train station which is still in use today as part of the MARC commuter train network. The town is also home to the Noyes Library for Young Children http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Libraries/branchinfo/no.asp.
Elected Officials
A mayoral election is held in even years for a two year term.Kensington has a four-member council, elected for two-year terms. Terms are staggered. Every year there are two council seats up for election.
Education
The Town of Kensington 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...
system, specifically:
- Kensington-Parkwood Elementary School (link)
- North Bethesda 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:...
Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery 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...
serving Greater Kensington include:
- Rock View Elementary School
- Oakland Terrace Elementary School
- Kensington-Parkwood Elementary School (link)
- North Chevy Chase Elementary School
- North Bethesda 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:...
- Bethesda-Chevy Chase High SchoolBethesda-Chevy Chase High SchoolBethesda-Chevy Chase High School is a Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, public school named for two of the towns it serves along with Kensington and Silver Spring, Maryland. It is located at 4301 East-West Highway, in Bethesda, an unincorporated community in Montgomery County...
- Albert Einstein High SchoolAlbert Einstein High SchoolAlbert Einstein High School, named after the German-American physicist, Albert Einstein, is a four-year high school located at 11135 Newport Mill Road, near Kensington in unincorporated Montgomery County, Maryland. The principal is James G. Fernandez, and the assistant principals are Linda Jasper,...
- Newport Mill Middle School
Kensington is also home to Holy Redeemer School (link), a Roman Catholic parochial school, and Grace Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
Day School (link).
Places of Worship
- Saint Paul's United Methodist Church
- Temple Emmanuel
- Kensington Baptist Church
- Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church
- Holy Redeemer Parish (Roman Catholic)
- First Baptist Church, Kengar
- Jehovah's Witnesses
- Lee Memorial AME Church
- Washington D.C. TempleWashington D.C. TempleThe Washington D.C. Temple is the 18th constructed and 16th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Kensington, Maryland, USA, near the Capital Beltway just north of Washington, D.C...
of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church
See also
- Kensington StationKensington StationKensington Station is a railroad passenger station located at 10417 Howard Avenue in Kensington, Maryland, United States. It was built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ....
- List of people from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area