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Takoma Park, Maryland
 
 
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Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland

Montgomery County of the U.S. state of Maryland is situated just north of Washington, D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the nation, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years old who hold a post-graduate degree....
, Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
. The population was 17,299 at the 2000 census.

ma Park was founded by Benjamin Franklin Gilbert in 1883 and incorporated in 1890. It was the first planned commuter suburb
Suburb

Suburbs are commonly defined as the residential areas which surround the central area of the urban area of a town or city. In the United States, suburbs have a prevalence of usually detached single-family homes.....
 in the area, and also bore aspects of a spa
Thermal bath

A thermal bath is a warm body of water. It is often referred to as a spa, which is traditionally used to mean a place where the water is believed to have special health-giving properties, though note that many spas offer cold water or mineral water treatments....
 and trolley park
Trolley park

In the United States, trolley parks, which started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities....
. For many decades it was world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christianity Religious denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance of Saturday, the original Days of the week of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath and Seventh-day Adventism....
 church denomination, which has a college, hospital, and radio station there.

Since before the incorporation of Takoma Park in 1890, the Montgomery
Montgomery County, Maryland

Montgomery County of the U.S. state of Maryland is situated just north of Washington, D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the nation, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years old who hold a post-graduate degree....
/Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland

Prince George's County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland immediately north, east, and south of Washington, D.C. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it had a population of 828,770 and is the wealthiest county in the nation with an African-American majority....
 boundary cut through the current city boundaries, but pursuant to a popular referendum, and subsequent approval by both counties' councils, and the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly

The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper house, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower house, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives....
, on July 1 1997 the county line was moved to include all of the city in Montgomery County, including some territory newly annexed to the city at the time.






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Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland

Montgomery County of the U.S. state of Maryland is situated just north of Washington, D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the nation, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years old who hold a post-graduate degree....
, Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
. The population was 17,299 at the 2000 census.

History

Takoma Park was founded by Benjamin Franklin Gilbert in 1883 and incorporated in 1890. It was the first planned commuter suburb
Suburb

Suburbs are commonly defined as the residential areas which surround the central area of the urban area of a town or city. In the United States, suburbs have a prevalence of usually detached single-family homes.....
 in the area, and also bore aspects of a spa
Thermal bath

A thermal bath is a warm body of water. It is often referred to as a spa, which is traditionally used to mean a place where the water is believed to have special health-giving properties, though note that many spas offer cold water or mineral water treatments....
 and trolley park
Trolley park

In the United States, trolley parks, which started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities....
. For many decades it was world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christianity Religious denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance of Saturday, the original Days of the week of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath and Seventh-day Adventism....
 church denomination, which has a college, hospital, and radio station there.

Since before the incorporation of Takoma Park in 1890, the Montgomery
Montgomery County, Maryland

Montgomery County of the U.S. state of Maryland is situated just north of Washington, D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the nation, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years old who hold a post-graduate degree....
/Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland

Prince George's County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland immediately north, east, and south of Washington, D.C. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it had a population of 828,770 and is the wealthiest county in the nation with an African-American majority....
 boundary cut through the current city boundaries, but pursuant to a popular referendum, and subsequent approval by both counties' councils, and the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly

The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper house, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower house, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives....
, on July 1 1997 the county line was moved to include all of the city in Montgomery County, including some territory newly annexed to the city at the time. (Residents in the Prince Georges portion disliked having to pay higher insurance rates, and being part of a county noted for its much higher crime and lower public school scores). At one time an extension of Interstate 95, also known as the North Central Freeway, was proposed that would have cut the city in two. Sam Abbott and others successfully campaigned to prevent this.

Also dividing the community is the boundary line of the District of Columbia, which contains part of the original Gilbert tract. This area is now known as Takoma, Washington, D.C. While politically separate from Takoma Park, Maryland, it shares its history and much of its culture.

Much of the old town Takoma Park was incorporated into the Takoma Park Historic District
Takoma Park Historic District (Takoma Park, Maryland)

The Takoma Park Historic District is a national Historic district located at Takoma Park, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland. The district area was platted in 1883 by developer Benjamin Franklin Gilbert, and promoted for its natural environment and healthy setting....
; listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation....
 in 1976.

Geography

Takoma Park is located at (38.980060, -77.002341).

The city of Takoma Park is just northeast 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, founded on July 16, 1790....
 at latitude 38°59' North, longitude 77°0' West. The Takoma Park community (as distinct from the actual incorporated area) spills over the 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, founded on July 16, 1790....
-Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
 line into the Takoma
Takoma, Washington, DC

Takoma is a neighborhood in northern Washington, D.C.. It is located in Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B, in the District's Fourth Ward , within the northwest quadrant....
 neighborhood of the District, the Carole Highlands
Carole Highlands, Maryland

Carole Highlands, Maryland, USA is an unincorporated area partially overlapping the municipal boundaries of the Takoma Park, Maryland. The neighborhood is located inside the Interstate 495 , about a mile from the District of Columbia ....
 neighborhood of Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland

Prince George's County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland immediately north, east, and south of Washington, D.C. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it had a population of 828,770 and is the wealthiest county in the nation with an African-American majority....
, and parts of Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland

Silver Spring is an urbanized, unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. After Baltimore, Maryland and Columbia, Maryland, the Silver Spring Census-designated place is the third most populous place in Maryland....
. However, these neighborhoods are politically separate from the City of Takoma Park, and do not pay the city property tax. (Benjamin Franklin Gilbert's original planned community included land on both sides of the D.C.-Maryland line.)

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 2.1 square miles (5.5 kmē), all land, although Sligo Creek
Sligo Creek

Sligo Creek is a free-flowing tributary of the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River. The creek is approximately 8.3 mile long, with a drainage area of about 11.6 square miles ....
 and Long Branch (both tributaries of the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River
Anacostia River

The Anacostia River is a river that flows about 8.4 mi from Prince George's County, Maryland in Maryland, United States and through Washington, D.C....
) flow through the city.

Demographics

Takoma Park is an ethnically diverse city, with a large proportion of the population being recent immigrants.

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....
 of 2000, there were 17,299 people, 6,893 households, and 3,949 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 8,152.4 people per square mile (3,150.6/kmē). There were 7,187 housing units at an average density of 3,387.0/sq mi (1,308.9/kmē). The racial makeup of the city was 48.79% White, 33.97% African American, 0.44% Native American, 4.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 7.44% from other races
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, and 4.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.42% of the population.

There were 6,893 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
 living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,490, and the median income for a family was $63,434. Males had a median income of $40,668 versus $35,073 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income

Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone....
 for the city was $26,437. About 8.4% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 20.5% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Takoma Park is known as a far left community sometimes called "the Berkeley of the East" , "The People's Republic of Takoma Park", "Marin County East", "Tokeoma Park" and "Tacky Park". The City Council voted unanimously in 1983 to become a nuclear free zone; as a result, no city purchases or investments were to be carried out with entities that make nuclear weapons, components or delivery systems. The resolution has never been enforced.

In accordance with the city's principles, Takoma Park allows non-U.S.-citizen residents to vote in their own municipal elections. The city was also forbidden, by statute, from doing business with any entity having commercial ties with the government of Burma (Myanmar) , though after a United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal United States federal courts. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed with th...
 decision struck down a similar Massachusetts provision, enforcement of the provision was suspended in the year 2000. As of 2007, the Free Burma Committee is inactive. Takoma Park is also forbidden from purchasing any World Bank financial instruments.. In addition, residents must obtain a permit to cut down any tree on their property measuring more than 8 inches in diameter.

Mayor

Takoma Park is governed by a city council composed of a mayor and council members for each of six wards. The city administration is run by a City Manager, since 2004, Barbara Burns Matthews. The current Mayor of Takoma Park is Bruce Williams (2007-). Former mayors are:
  • Benjamin Franklin Gilbert (1890-1892)
  • Enoch Maris (1892-1894)
  • Samuel S. Shedd (1894-1902)
  • John B. Kinnear (1902-1906)
  • Wilmer G. Platt (1906-1912)
  • Stephens W. Williams (1912-1917)
  • Wilmer G. Platt (1917-1920)
  • James L. Wilmeth (1920-1923)
  • Henry F. Taff (1923-1926)
  • Ben G. Davis (1926-1932)
  • Frederick L. Lewton (1932-1936)
  • John R. Adams (1936-1940)
  • Oliver W. Youngblood (1940-1948)
  • John C. Post (1948-1950)
  • Ross H. Beville (1950-1954)
  • George M. Miller (1954-1972)
  • John D. Roth (1972-1980)
  • Sammie A. Abbott (1980-1985)
  • Stephen J. Del Giudice (1985-1990)
  • Edward F. Sharp (1990-1997)
  • Kathy Porter (1997-2007)
  • Bruce Williams (2007-Present)


Representative body

Takoma Park has a non-partisan City Council
City council

A city council is a form of local government, usually covering a city or other urban area, such as a town. The system of government has roots back at least to the Roman Empire....
 elected by wards. Council members serve terms of two years, and are elected in the odd-numbered years. Non-U.S. citizens may register and vote in the municipal election. The members of the council elected in 2007 are:
  • Ward 1: Josh Wright
  • Ward 2: Colleen Clay
  • Ward 3: Dan Robinson
  • Ward 4: Terry Seamens
  • Ward 5: Reuben Snipper
  • Ward 6: Doug Barry


Voting Methods

In the 2005 election, an advisory referendum on the institution of Instant-Runoff Voting
Instant-runoff voting

Instant-runoff voting is the American English term for a voting system used for Single-winner voting system, in which voting rank candidates in an order of preference....
 (IRV) for municipal elections passed with 84% approval (source: ). The City Council is widely expected to pass legislation encoding IRV into law; this will make Takoma Park the first political jurisdiction in the state of Maryland
Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic States of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east....
 to use such a voting system, and it will join a small but growing number of municipalities across the nation who have chosen IRV, such as San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California

The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States, with a 2007 estimated population of 799,183....
, Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont

Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County, Vermont. With a population of 38,889 at the 2000 United States Census, the city is the core of one of the nation's smaller metropolitan areas, and is also the smallest U.S....
 and, more recently, Ferndale, Michigan
Ferndale, Michigan

Ferndale is a city in Oakland County, Michigan of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms part of the Metro Detroit. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city population was 22,105....
.

Neighborhoods and Neighborhood Associations by Ward

Ward 1:
  • Hodges Heights
  • North Takoma


Ward 2:
  • B.F. Gilbert


Ward 3:
  • Pinecrest
  • Westmoreland Area Community Organization (WACO)
  • SS Carroll ("The Generals" streets: Grant Ave, Lee Ave, Sherman Ave, Sheridan Ave)


Ward 4:
  • Ritchie Citizens Association


Ward 5:
  • Between the Creeks


Ward 6:
  • Hillwood Manor
  • New Hampshire Gardens Citizens Association


Sports



Takoma Park and Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland

Silver Spring is an urbanized, unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. After Baltimore, Maryland and Columbia, Maryland, the Silver Spring Census-designated place is the third most populous place in Maryland....
  together host the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts
Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts

The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts is an amateur, wooden-bat baseball team based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks....
 a college wooden-bat baseball team playing in the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League
Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League is an amateur summer baseball league, with eight teams located in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area....
. Home games are played at Montgomery Blair Stadium.

Education


Primary and secondary schools


Public schools
The city is served by the Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools

Montgomery County Public Schools is a school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland, United States. It is currently the largest school district in Maryland serving over 139,000 students....
.

Elementary
Elementary schools that serve the city include:
  • (3-5)
  • (PK-5)
  • (K-5)
  • (PK-2)


Most Takoma Park residents are zoned to Takoma Park ES and Piney Branch.

Middle
Middle schools that serve the city include:
  • Takoma Park Middle School
    Takoma Park Middle School

    Takoma Park Middle School is a middle school in Takoma Park, Maryland in unincorporated Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland, United States, and part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district....
     (most Takoma Park residents are zoned to Takoma Park MS)


High
All of the city is served by Montgomery Blair High School
Montgomery Blair High School

Montgomery Blair High School is a public school high school located in unincorporated Silver Spring, Maryland in Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland....
.

With the Downcounty Consortium
Downcounty Consortium

The Downcounty Consortium is a group of five high schools that rising middle-schoolers in a select part of Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland choose from to attend for high school education....
, students have limited opportunity to enroll in one of four other schools, including Kennedy
John F. Kennedy High School (Montgomery County, Maryland)

John F. Kennedy High School is a public school high school located in unincorporated Silver Spring, Maryland in Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland....
, Northwood, Einstein
Albert Einstein High School

Albert Einstein High School, named after the Germany-United States physicist, Albert Einstein, is a four-year high school located at 11135 Newport Mill Road, near Kensington, Maryland in unincorporated Montgomery County, Maryland....
, and Wheaton
Wheaton High School

Wheaton High School is an United States four-year public high school in Montgomery County, Maryland, Maryland. It is located in the unincorporated Wheaton, Maryland section of Silver Spring, Maryland, about 5 miles north of Washington, D.C.....
.

Colleges and universities

  • Columbia Union College
    Columbia Union College

    Columbia Union College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Takoma Park, Maryland , United States, and associated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church....
    , a private liberal arts college
  • Montgomery College
    Montgomery College

    Montgomery College is a public, open access community college located in Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. in the United States....
     (Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus) (a 2-year institution)
  • Strayer University
    Strayer University

    Strayer University, formerly Strayer College of Washington, D.C., is a private, for-profit college School. The Strayer University campuses are owned by Strayer Education, Inc., headquartered in Arlington, Virginia....
     (Takoma Park Campus), just across the state line in Takoma, DC
  • Washington Theological Union
    Washington Theological Union

    Washington Theological Union is an accredited, Roman Catholic graduate school of theology and ministry educating and forming candidates for the priesthood and other church ministries....
    , just across the state line in Takoma, DC


See also

  • List of Famous People from the Washington Metropolitan Area


External links