Woodwardville, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Woodwardville is a small, unincorporated rural community situated in western Anne Arundel County, Maryland
, containing 27 structures, 16 of which are historic and included in the Woodwardville Historic District
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003. Most of the structures are located adjacent to Patuxent Road, which runs through the center of the community. On the north end of the district, a small street, 5th Avenue, runs west from Patuxent Road underneath the train tracks. Prior to the establishment of what would be later known as Fort George G. Meade
in 1917, the road once continued on to Laurel
. Three of the seven buildings along 5th Avenue are historic. Woodwardville's building stock consists principally of late-19th and early-20th century domestic architecture. Good examples of the Bungalow
, Foursquare
, Tudor Revival, and Queen Anne
styles are present, as well as older traditional vernacular classifications such as the I-house
. These older forms are supplemented by a handful of post-World War II era structures. Woodwardville also features several public or commercial buildings including a church, a former schoolhouse, the ruins of a store and storage or service buildings associated with the railroad. Many of Woodwardvilles' older buildings fell into decline following World War II
, but in recent years, due to its close proximity to commuter rail service, Woodwardville has evolved into a bedroom community for persons working in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Investment by new residents resulted in the restoration and renovation of many buildings which had formerly been in deteriorating condition. Despite the intense development a few miles away in Piney Orchard, this quaint community retains its ability to communicate its historic qualities and distinct sense of place.
system, and is now operated by Amtrak
. A station, known as Patuxent, was established in 1872 and three years later, the name of Woodwardville was given to the emerging village when a post office opened in the Abram G. Woodward General Store
. Woodward, a descendant of the prominent Woodward family in Maryland, served as a tobacco inspector in 1866-1867, a property assessor in 1876, and a census enumerator in 1880. He served as postmaster from 1875 until his death in 1906.
The village grew along Patuxent Road, paralleling the railroad and centered around the station, store, and Methodist Church. By 1878, the population of Woodwardville had grown to 50. The Maryland Directory of that year lists a machinist
, shoemaker, blacksmith
, wheelwright
, miller
, attorney
, and physician
in the town, in addition to A. G. Woodward as postmaster
and seller of general merchandise. In 1879, Public School #8 was built near Patuxent Station, with William T. Anderson serving as the first schoolteacher. Although in ruinous condition, the school structure still survives on the east side of Patuxent Road.
In 1882, Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church
South was dedicated. Today known as the Trinity United Methodist Church, it remains the centerpiece of the village. The general store, which unfortunately does not survive, was located on the west side of the road, just south of where 5th Avenue runs under the railroad track. The empty structure of the A.D. Riden Hardware Store and Office, a molded concrete block building built in the 1920s, still remains at the northern end of town.
The construction of Fort George G. Meade
in 1917, west of Odenton, involved the usurping of farmland owned by many of the residents of Woodwardville. Furthermore, the siting of Fort Meade closed off the area between Woodwardville and Laurel
, prompting the Pennsylvania Railroad
to eventually close Patuxent Station. In 1927, the Woodwardville Post Office closed, after which the town became known as Patuxent
. During the 1980s, at the behest of local residents, the town was renamed Woodwardville.
The architectural character of Woodwardville's surviving buildings, its setting, and physical arrangement evoke a palpable image of late-19th century rural villages that once were typical on the Anne Arundel County landscape. Of these, Woodwardville, Davidsonville
, and Owensville
are the only three surviving crossroads communities
in the county that still retain a significant degree of architectural and historical integrity.
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...
, containing 27 structures, 16 of which are historic and included in the Woodwardville Historic District
Woodwardville Historic District
Woodwardville Historic District is a national historic district at Woodwardville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The district consists of 16 historic structures, most of which are located adjacent to Patuxent Road, which runs through the center of the village of Woodwardville...
, 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 2003. Most of the structures are located adjacent to Patuxent Road, which runs through the center of the community. On the north end of the district, a small street, 5th Avenue, runs west from Patuxent Road underneath the train tracks. Prior to the establishment of what would be later known as Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation that includes the Defense Information School, the United States Army Field Band, and the headquarters of United States Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Courier Service...
in 1917, the road once continued on to Laurel
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
. Three of the seven buildings along 5th Avenue are historic. Woodwardville's building stock consists principally of late-19th and early-20th century domestic architecture. Good examples of the Bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
, Foursquare
American Foursquare
The American Foursquare or American Four Square is an American house style popular from the mid-1890s to the late 1930s. A reaction to the ornate and mass produced elements of the Victorian and other Revival styles popular throughout the last half of the 19th century, the American Foursquare was...
, Tudor Revival, and Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
styles are present, as well as older traditional vernacular classifications such as the I-house
I-house
The I-house is a vernacular house type, popular in the United States from the colonial period onward. The I-house was so named in the 1930s by Fred Kniffen, a specialist in folk architecture who identified and analyzed the type in his 1936 study of Louisiana house types...
. These older forms are supplemented by a handful of post-World War II era structures. Woodwardville also features several public or commercial buildings including a church, a former schoolhouse, the ruins of a store and storage or service buildings associated with the railroad. Many of Woodwardvilles' older buildings fell into decline following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but in recent years, due to its close proximity to commuter rail service, Woodwardville has evolved into a bedroom community for persons working in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Investment by new residents resulted in the restoration and renovation of many buildings which had formerly been in deteriorating condition. Despite the intense development a few miles away in Piney Orchard, this quaint community retains its ability to communicate its historic qualities and distinct sense of place.
History
Woodwardville's development is directly related to the construction of the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad, initiated in 1867 and completed in 1872. This line later became part of the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
system, and is now operated by 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...
. A station, known as Patuxent, was established in 1872 and three years later, the name of Woodwardville was given to the emerging village when a post office opened in the Abram G. Woodward General Store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
. Woodward, a descendant of the prominent Woodward family in Maryland, served as a tobacco inspector in 1866-1867, a property assessor in 1876, and a census enumerator in 1880. He served as postmaster from 1875 until his death in 1906.
The village grew along Patuxent Road, paralleling the railroad and centered around the station, store, and Methodist Church. By 1878, the population of Woodwardville had grown to 50. The Maryland Directory of that year lists a machinist
Machinist
A machinist is a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts, primarily metal parts, a process known as machining. This is accomplished by using machine tools to cut away excess material much as a woodcarver cuts away excess wood to produce his work. In addition to metal, the parts may...
, shoemaker, blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, wheelwright
Wheelwright
A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the archaic word "wright", which comes from the Old English word "wryhta", meaning a worker or maker...
, miller
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...
, attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in the town, in addition to A. G. Woodward as postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
and seller of general merchandise. In 1879, Public School #8 was built near Patuxent Station, with William T. Anderson serving as the first schoolteacher. Although in ruinous condition, the school structure still survives on the east side of Patuxent Road.
In 1882, Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
South was dedicated. Today known as the Trinity United Methodist Church, it remains the centerpiece of the village. The general store, which unfortunately does not survive, was located on the west side of the road, just south of where 5th Avenue runs under the railroad track. The empty structure of the A.D. Riden Hardware Store and Office, a molded concrete block building built in the 1920s, still remains at the northern end of town.
The construction of Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade
Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation that includes the Defense Information School, the United States Army Field Band, and the headquarters of United States Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Courier Service...
in 1917, west of Odenton, involved the usurping of farmland owned by many of the residents of Woodwardville. Furthermore, the siting of Fort Meade closed off the area between Woodwardville and Laurel
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
, prompting the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
to eventually close Patuxent Station. In 1927, the Woodwardville Post Office closed, after which the town became known as Patuxent
Patuxent
-People:* Patuxent people, an Algonquian people indigenous to what is now the Mid-Atlantic United States-Places and geological features:* Patuxent, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Charles County* Patuxent Range, a mountain chain in Antarctica...
. During the 1980s, at the behest of local residents, the town was renamed Woodwardville.
The architectural character of Woodwardville's surviving buildings, its setting, and physical arrangement evoke a palpable image of late-19th century rural villages that once were typical on the Anne Arundel County landscape. Of these, Woodwardville, Davidsonville
Davidsonville, Maryland
Davidsonville is an unincorporated community in central Anne Arundel County, Maryland, USA. It is a semi-rural community composed mostly of farms and suburban-like developments and is a good example of an "exurb." Davidsonville has relatively little commercial development and no high-density housing...
, and Owensville
Owensville, Maryland
Owensville is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States....
are the only three surviving crossroads communities
Crossroads village
Crossroads village is a term that refers to a settlement, primarily in U.S. American history, that was situated where two or more roads would intersect...
in the county that still retain a significant degree of architectural and historical integrity.
