Fort Washington, Maryland
Encyclopedia
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...
and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
in the suburbs of the capital city of the United States of America, 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....
, south of the downtown district. It is a prosperous community with an African American majority population. While the red-highlighted area on this map shows areas west of Maryland Route 210
Maryland Route 210
Maryland Route 210 , or Indian Head Highway, is a state highway in Prince George's and Charles counties in Maryland. At its northern end, MD 210 starts from the end of South Capitol Street in Washington, D.C., connecting the U.S. Capitol with Indian Head, Maryland...
, the Fort Washington community additionally includes areas further east as well . Other communities such as Friendly, MD which have no post office, share zipcodes with Fort Washington.
Fort Washington is the site of Fort Washington Park
Fort Washington Park
Fort Washington, located near the community of Fort Washington, Maryland, USA, was for many decades the only defensive fort protecting Washington D.C. The original fort, overlooking the Potomac River, was completed in 1809, and was named Fort Warburton...
, which upon its completion was the only defensive fort protecting Washington D.C. The fort is a stone structure and offered a good field of range for cannon fire at enemy advances on the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, the Fort was quickly abandoned during a British advance. In 1844, a cannon exploded on the USS Princeton
USS Princeton (1843)
The first Princeton was the first screw steam warship in the United States Navy. She was launched in 1843, decommissioned in 1847, and broken up in 1849....
as it was passing Fort Washington. During World War II, the US Army’s Adjutant General's
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
School was located at the fort, and had billeting for 362 Officers and 2,526 Enlisted Persons.
The very extensive park grounds with their Potomac River view and hiking paths are a scenic place for picnicking, fishing and outdoor recreation. (Admission is free to people entering after business hours and before sunset).
Near the fort are many riverfront homes, two marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
s, two community pools, and the Tantallon country club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
and golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
. The area was rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
until about 1960 when suburban growth began and is continuing to grow, adding new, large family homes in small developments next to older existing developments. Until the founding of the Oxon Hill post office about 1960, the Fort Washington area generally used the mailing address 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....
, except for the few years that Friendly had a post office. About 1980 the postal service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
split the Fort Washington area from Oxon Hill
Oxon Hill, Maryland
Oxon Hill is part of the Oxon Hill-Glassmanor census-designated place in southern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Oxon Hill is a suburb of Washington, DC located southeast of the downtown district and east of Alexandria, Virginia...
, defining it as a separate town name. At that time, to make mail sorting easier, they drew the boundary between the two communities to conform to already existing zip code boundaries. The end result sometimes confuses people, since the northern end of the Fort Washington postal area identifies more instead with the communities Oxon Hill or Temple Hills, MD / Camp Springs, MD but still uses a Fort Washington mailing address.
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) maintains the Harmony Hall Regional Center http://www.pgparks.com/places/artsfac/hhrc.html, including the John Addison Concert Hall, site of community theater ("Tantallon Community Players"), art shows, frequent concerts, and a variety of classes for all ages. A YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
fitness center opened in 2005. The 12,000-member Ebenezer A.M.E. Church http://www.ebenezerame.org/Homepage.htm is also noteworthy, as is a large nursery/landscaping business and a popular motorcycle shop. There is a small 50-bed hospital (Fort Washington Hospital). Many highly successful African-Americans live in Fort Washington; there are also some Ethiopian
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
residents and a large, long-established ethnic Filipino
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
population.
First-time visitors are often confused by Livingston Rd.
Maryland Route 227
Maryland Route 227 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from Marshall Hall east to U.S. Route 301 in White Plains. MD 227 connects the communities of Bryans Road, Pomonkey, and Pomfret in northwestern Charles County...
which repeatedly crosses Route 210
Maryland Route 210
Maryland Route 210 , or Indian Head Highway, is a state highway in Prince George's and Charles counties in Maryland. At its northern end, MD 210 starts from the end of South Capitol Street in Washington, D.C., connecting the U.S. Capitol with Indian Head, Maryland...
, as well as by the two separate "Old Fort Roads" causing them to make wrong turns off of Maryland Route 210
Maryland Route 210
Maryland Route 210 , or Indian Head Highway, is a state highway in Prince George's and Charles counties in Maryland. At its northern end, MD 210 starts from the end of South Capitol Street in Washington, D.C., connecting the U.S. Capitol with Indian Head, Maryland...
. Eventually all roads intersecting Route 210 in the Fort Washington area (from the Beltway as far south as the highway 210 curve at Piscataway Creek
Piscataway Creek
Piscataway Creek is an tributary of the Potomac River in Prince George's County, Maryland. The creek is a tidal arm of the Potomac for its final , entering the Potomac at Fort Washington Park. Tinkers Creek is a tributary to Piscataway Creek, converging from the north upstream of the mouth of the...
) are planned for upgrading to controlled-access interchanges (eliminating all traffic signals).
War of 1812
During the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
Fort Washington, built to protect the capitol from enemy advances on the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
, was captured by the British under the command of Admiral Gordon, just before they advanced on Washington and burned the capitol.
Civil War
Fearing for the safety of 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....
in case of war, Secretary of the Navy Isaac Toucey
Isaac Toucey
Isaac Toucey was an American statesman who served as a U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Navy, Attorney General of the United States and the 18th Governor of Connecticut....
ordered a detachment of US Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
to garrison the fort
In May of 1861 Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles
Gideon Welles
Gideon Welles was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869. His buildup of the Navy to successfully execute blockades of Southern ports was a key component of Northern victory of the Civil War...
ordered the Potomac Flotilla reduced to half strength due to cessation of hostilities. This included the removal of the Marines from Fort Washington.
Geography
Fort Washington is located at 38°44′37"N 77°0′37"W (38.743481, -77.010383).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 CDP has a total area of 16.57 square miles (42.9 km²), of which, 13.79 square miles (35.7 km²) of it is land and 2.78 square miles (7.2 km²) of it (16.8%) is water.
The fort’s land originally included 347 Acres, which was last surveyed in June 1944.
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 2010, there were 23,717 people, 8,135 households, and 6,319 families residing in the CDP. 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 1,719.8 people per square mile (664.3/km²). There were 8,681 housing units at an average density of 523.0 per square mile (245.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 13.40% White, 70.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 9.2% Asian (mostly Filipino
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
), 0.00% Pacific Islander, 3.3% 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 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.6% of the population.
There were 8,135 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% 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, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.3% 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 2.89 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 20 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.3 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
As of 2000 the median income for a household in the CDP was $81,177, and the median income for a family was $88,374 (these figures had risen to $105,475 and $111,227 as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $46,656 versus $42,450 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 CDP was $30,871. About 2.8% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
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- U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
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, while he was world heavyweight boxing champion, lived in Sero Estates with his family during the 1990s. - Charles GittensCharles GittensCharles LeRoy Gittens was an American United States Secret Service agent. Gittens joined the Secret Service in 1956, becoming the agency's first African American agent....
, first black United States Secret Service agent. - Senator John MelcherJohn MelcherJohn Melcher is an American politician of the Democratic Party who represented Montana as a member of the United States House of Representatives, and as a United States Senator from 1977 until 1989.-Early life:...
of Montana. - Steny HoyerSteny HoyerSteny Hamilton Hoyer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1981. The district includes a large swath of rural and suburban territory southeast of Washington, D.C.. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
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, at one time lived in Friendly (source: Washington Post article, 2/26/2007) - Rev. Henry Beecher Hicks, Jr., head pastor of the largest black congregation in Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Baptist Church http://www.metropolitanbaptist.org/
- Rev. C. Anthony Muse: Maryland State Senator http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/elections/2006/maryland/Maryland_State_Senate_District_26.html, pastor of Ark of Safety Church http://www.thearkofsafety.org/home.html in Upper Marlboro, MarylandUpper Marlboro, MarylandUpper Marlboro is a town in and the county seat of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The live-in population of the town core proper was only 648 at the 2000 census, although Greater Upper Marlboro is many times larger....
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- Hollywood actor, attended Friendly High SchoolFriendly High SchoolFriendly High School is a public high school in unincorporated Friendly, Maryland in Prince George's County, a county in the state of Maryland in the United States of America...
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- actor previously seen on My Wife & Kids. - Joe HadenJoe HadenJoseph Walter "Joe" Haden, III is an American football cornerback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Browns in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida.-Early years:Haden was born in Fort Washington, Maryland...
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- former Salisbury UniversitySalisbury UniversitySalisbury University is a public university in Salisbury, Maryland.According to U.S. News and World Report's 2009 America's Best Colleges index, "In guidebooks and surveys by U.S...
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. - Elmo H. Denton, a founder of United Community Bank in Washington D.C. which was formed with the first integrated Board of Directors. Also, the only bank with headquarters east of the Anacostia River. Also a founder of Fort Washington Ambulatory Care Center. Born in Zebulon, NC. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/02/AR2007100202383.html