Taneytown, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Taneytown is a city in Carroll County
, Maryland
, United States
. The population was 5,128 at the 2000 census. Taneytown was founded in 1754. Of the town George Washington
once wrote "Tan-nee town is but a small place with only the Street through wch. the road passes, built on. The buildings are principally of wood." Taneytown has a history museum that displays the history of the town for visitors and citizens to see. The Bullfrog Road Bridge
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1978.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 5,128 people, 1,786 households, and 1,387 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,781.1 people per square mile (687.5/km²). There were 1,848 housing units at an average density of 641.9 per square mile (247.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.00% White, 1.74% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.62% from other races
, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.50% of the population.
There were 1,786 households out of which 47.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples
living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,820, and the median income for a family was $49,615. Males had a median income of $31,862 versus $24,261 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,258. About 9.0% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
, born in 1777, shares a common ancestor with him.
Taneytown was the headquarters of Union Army
General George Meade
for a period during the American Civil War
. Fellow Civil War general Jacob G. Lauman
was born in Taneytown.
Taneytown was home to Fr. Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin
, Catholic priest, missionary, and Russian prince during the late 18th century.
Taneytown is the first city in Maryland to make English the official language.
Taneytown is the birthplace of Augustus (Gus) Bowman, recording artist, guitarist, and edgeman
Actor Fred Gwynne
, star of TV's The Munsters
died in Taneytown on July 2, 1993, after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Much of the town was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as the Taneytown Historic District
in 1986.
event called "The Haunted Barn". This is a haunted house tour
through an old warehouse (the original barn location was destroyed by an arsonist in 1986) decorated for the event. The design of the tour changes every year but always ends with visitors being chased by masked attendants with chainsaws.
The city sought to close "The Haunted Barn" after an accident involving two teenaged visitors, one of whom was severely injured. The city decided that the site would be best used as a recreation center for children. The barn is no longer active.
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....
, 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 5,128 at the 2000 census. Taneytown was founded in 1754. Of the town George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
once wrote "Tan-nee town is but a small place with only the Street through wch. the road passes, built on. The buildings are principally of wood." Taneytown has a history museum that displays the history of the town for visitors and citizens to see. The Bullfrog Road Bridge
Bullfrog Road Bridge
The Bullfrog Road Bridge is a historic bridge near Taneytown, Frederick County, Maryland, United States. The bridge crosses the Monocacy River on Bullfrog Road. This bridge is a rare steel Parker through truss structure and is 183 feet in length and 16 feet-5 inches in width...
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...
in 1978.
Geography
Taneytown is located at 39°39′26"N 77°10′14"W (39.657099, -77.170627).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 city has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²), all of it land.
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 5,128 people, 1,786 households, and 1,387 families residing in the city. 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 1,781.1 people per square mile (687.5/km²). There were 1,848 housing units at an average density of 641.9 per square mile (247.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.00% White, 1.74% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.62% 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 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.50% of the population.
There were 1,786 households out of which 47.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% 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, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,820, and the median income for a family was $49,615. Males had a median income of $31,862 versus $24,261 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 city was $16,258. About 9.0% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
History
Taneytown takes its name from Raphael Taney, a recipient of one of the first land grants in the area, though Taney likely never lived in the town that bears his name. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Roger Brooke Taney, author of the Dred Scott decisionDred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott v. Sandford, , also known as the Dred Scott Decision, was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that people of African descent brought into the United States and held as slaves were not protected by the Constitution and could never be U.S...
, born in 1777, shares a common ancestor with him.
Taneytown was the headquarters of Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
General George Meade
George Meade
George Gordon Meade was a career United States Army officer and civil engineer involved in coastal construction, including several lighthouses. He fought with distinction in the Second Seminole War and Mexican-American War. During the American Civil War he served as a Union general, rising from...
for a period during the American 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...
. Fellow Civil War general Jacob G. Lauman
Jacob Gartner Lauman
Jacob Gartner Lauman was a prominent American businessman from Iowa and a controversial general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
was born in Taneytown.
Taneytown was home to Fr. Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin
Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin
Prince Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin was an emigre Russian aristocrat and Catholic priest known as The Apostle of the Alleghenies. Since 2005, he has been under investigation for possible canonization by the Catholic Church...
, Catholic priest, missionary, and Russian prince during the late 18th century.
Taneytown is the first city in Maryland to make English the official language.
Taneytown is the birthplace of Augustus (Gus) Bowman, recording artist, guitarist, and edgeman
Actor Fred Gwynne
Fred Gwynne
Frederick Hubbard "Fred" Gwynne was an American actor. Gwynne was best known for his roles in the 1960s sitcoms Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters, as well as his later roles: Pet Sematary and My Cousin Vinny...
, star of TV's The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
died in Taneytown on July 2, 1993, after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Much of the town 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...
as the Taneytown Historic District
Taneytown Historic District
Taneytown Historic District is a national historic district at Taneytown, Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The district comprises a cohesive group of houses, churches, commercial buildings and industrial structures reflecting the development of this crossroads town from its initial...
in 1986.
Haunted Barn
Every October since 1974 the Taneytown Jaycees organize a HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
event called "The Haunted Barn". This is a haunted house tour
Haunted attraction
A haunted attraction is a form of entertainment that simulates the experience of entering a haunted location that might be inhabited by ghosts, monsters, criminals, humorous characters, and other such creatures...
through an old warehouse (the original barn location was destroyed by an arsonist in 1986) decorated for the event. The design of the tour changes every year but always ends with visitors being chased by masked attendants with chainsaws.
The city sought to close "The Haunted Barn" after an accident involving two teenaged visitors, one of whom was severely injured. The city decided that the site would be best used as a recreation center for children. The barn is no longer active.