Mount Airy, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Mount Airy is a town in Carroll
, Frederick
, Howard
, and Montgomery
counties in the U.S. state
of Maryland
.
, the town has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²), all of it land.
on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
(B&O) at Parr’s Ridge. The railroad ran from Baltimore to Frederick
, two popular towns to the east and west, respectively, of Mt. Airy. Following 1830, the town received its official name after the suggestion of "Mount Airy" from an Irish B&O worker who complained about his freezing ears on a windy work day. Over the years, milling
, canning
and sewing
industries initially helped support Mt. Airy’s economy.
The town’s proximity to the National Pike
contributed to its growth. The National Pike was a road that ran west from Baltimore to Illinois
. Beginning in the 1860s, Mt. Airy continued to grow as it became involved in the Civil War
. Three great fires (1903, 1914, and 1925) caused setbacks in growth, but the town rebuilt every time. By the 1890s, the town’s growth had increased significantly and three new churches were built (one Episcopal and two Methodist), along with a very important bridge
, still standing and known by residents as the Twin Arch, that helped with railroad transportation.
The Mount Airy Historic District
that includes the railroad station was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1984.
Currently, Mt. Airy is no longer economically dependent on the railroad, as citizens work a variety of different jobs. Mt. Airy hosts four annual events each year. These events include the Spring Fling in May, Flag Day
in June, Festival on the Ridge in October, and Christmas in Olde Town in December. An all-volunteer staff of townspeople dedicates their time to work at each of these events.
of 2010, there are 9,288 people, with 3107 households in the town. The population density
was 2,211.4 people per square mile (647.7/km²). There were also a total of 3,225 housing units.
As of the census
2000, there were 6,425 people, 2,123 households, and 1,717 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,678.5 people per square mile (647.7/km²). There were 2,179 housing units at an average density of 569.3 per square mile (219.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.71% White, 2.58% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.25% from other races
, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.
There were 2,123 households out of which 51.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 14.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.37.
In the town the population was spread out with 34.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $66,967, and the median income for a family was $76,214. Males had a median income of $52,177 versus $35,054 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $25,380. About 2.0% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.
Carroll County, Maryland
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 167,134. It was named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton , signer of the American Declaration of Independence. Its county seat is Westminster....
, Frederick
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....
, Howard
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, and Montgomery
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...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²), all of it land.
History
Mt. Airy was established in 1830 and continued to develop throughout the decade, beginning with the construction of house settlements along Parr’s Ridge. A man named Henry Bussard built the first of these houses. This town was known for its train stationTrain station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
on 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...
(B&O) at Parr’s Ridge. The railroad ran from Baltimore 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...
, two popular towns to the east and west, respectively, of Mt. Airy. Following 1830, the town received its official name after the suggestion of "Mount Airy" from an Irish B&O worker who complained about his freezing ears on a windy work day. Over the years, milling
Miller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
, canning
Canning
Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances a freeze-dried canned product, such as canned, dried lentils, can last as...
and sewing
Sewing
Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era...
industries initially helped support Mt. Airy’s economy.
The town’s proximity to the National Pike
National Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
contributed to its growth. The National Pike was a road that ran west from Baltimore to Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Beginning in the 1860s, Mt. Airy continued to grow as it became involved in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Three great fires (1903, 1914, and 1925) caused setbacks in growth, but the town rebuilt every time. By the 1890s, the town’s growth had increased significantly and three new churches were built (one Episcopal and two Methodist), along with a very important bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
, still standing and known by residents as the Twin Arch, that helped with railroad transportation.
The Mount Airy Historic District
Mount Airy Historic District (Mount Airy, Maryland)
The Mount Airy Historic District is a national historic district in Mount Airy, located in Carroll and Frederick County, Maryland. The district comprises a cohesive group of commercial, residential, and ecclesiastical buildings dating from the late 19th through early 20th centuries...
that includes the railroad station was added to 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 1984.
Currently, Mt. Airy is no longer economically dependent on the railroad, as citizens work a variety of different jobs. Mt. Airy hosts four annual events each year. These events include the Spring Fling in May, Flag Day
Flag Day in the United States
In the United States Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777...
in June, Festival on the Ridge in October, and Christmas in Olde Town in December. An all-volunteer staff of townspeople dedicates their time to work at each of these events.
Demographics
As of the latest 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 2010, there are 9,288 people, with 3107 households 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 2,211.4 people per square mile (647.7/km²). There were also a total of 3,225 housing units.
As of the census
Census
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...
2000, there were 6,425 people, 2,123 households, and 1,717 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 1,678.5 people per square mile (647.7/km²). There were 2,179 housing units at an average density of 569.3 per square mile (219.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.71% White, 2.58% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.25% 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 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.
There were 2,123 households out of which 51.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% 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, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 14.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.37.
In the town the population was spread out with 34.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $66,967, and the median income for a family was $76,214. Males had a median income of $52,177 versus $35,054 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 $25,380. About 2.0% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Josh BooneJosh BooneOscar Joshua "Josh" Boone is an American professional basketball player. He was a forward–center for the Connecticut Huskies, where he played for three years. He declared for the 2006 NBA Draft after his junior season, forgoing his final year of college...
(1984- ), NBA Player - Joe AlexanderJoe Alexander (basketball)Joe Alexander is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for BC Krasnye Krylya Samara of the Russian Professional Basketball League. Alexander, who at and plays both forward positions, was selected for the 2007 All-Big East squad during his collegiate career with West...
(1986- ), NBA Developmental League Player - Adriene B, star of the Baltimore Ravens cheerleading squad since 2006 (stunt team)