West Friendship, Maryland
Encyclopedia
West Friendship is an affluent semi-rural community in western Howard County, Maryland
. West Friendship is located at the junction of Interstate 70
/U.S. Highway 40/Maryland Route 144
and Maryland Route 32
.
In the 19th Century, the main road through West Friendship was filled with travelers who could find comfort at mile houses along the route. Some came to settle; others, like the circuit rider ministers, rode on horseback from church to church, making it more convenient for residents to attend the nearest service. Early travel was rough, but most residents were adept at horseback riding. Many traveled over the Frederick turnpike built in the 1790s. Empty land soon gave way to a general store and post office in West Friendship.
In the 20th Century, paved roads and the automobile replaced country roads and the horse and buggy. The paving of the West Friendship-Sykesville
Road (MD 32) by the State in 1910, was an important development for the community. West Friendship's one-room school house provided a primary education for many residents in the early 1900s. By 1925, the town's high school replaced all nearby one-room schools, and area residents came by school bus to attend one of the first consolidated schools in Howard County.
Social gatherings continued to center around farming in the 1940s. Before then, the Howard County Grange Competitions were held at Brendel Manor Park and in one resident's front yard. Later in the 1950s, residents set up the groundwork for the present Howard County Fair held annually in West Friendship.
-Washington
corridor, West Friendship is seeing a steady rise of residential development. Suburban subdivisions, many with 4000+ square foot homes on 1+ acre lots, are becoming increasingly common. Homes in the community are among the most highly sought after in the Baltimore area. In 2011, West Friendship was ranked the most expensive suburb in the Baltimore metropolitan area according to the Baltimore Sun. The median home sale price in July 2011 was $815,000. In the newer subdivisions, homes commonly sell for over $1 million.
, 3.5% African American
, 9.1% Asia
n, and 0.3% Hispanic
. 90.6% of the population speak English at home. Foreign-born residents compose of 7.9% of the community. The most common countries of origin were Nigeria
(23%), United Kingdom
(22%), Taiwan
(14%) and Canada
(10%).
The median household income in 2009 was $169,324, one of the highest in Maryland. An estimated 0.6% of residents have an income below 50% of the poverty level. Most West Friendship residents commute to work in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The mean commute is 30–34 minutes, with 88% of residents driving a car to work, and 34.7% of residents working within Howard County, Maryland
.
or Marriotts Ridge High School
.
Private school options in the area include Glenelg Country School
, Woodmont Academy (catholic school), and Glenwood Country Day School. 28% of local students attend private school.
. The Howard County Living Farm Heritage Museum is located across from the Howard County Fairgrounds.
The community is close to several parks. West Friendship Park offers hiking and nature walks. Western Regional Park offers a large children's playground and several sports field. Senior activities can be found in the Glenwood Community Center on Route 97.
West Friendship is served by the West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department which has been in service since 1944.
The community has a small shopping center which houses the West Friendship branch of the US Post Office, several restaurants and stores, medical offices, and a gas station. The nearby Cattail Creek Country Club serves many of the community's affluent residents.
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:...
. West Friendship is located at the junction of Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
/U.S. Highway 40/Maryland Route 144
Maryland Route 144
Maryland Route 144 is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of old alignment of U.S. Route 40 between Cumberland and Baltimore...
and Maryland Route 32
Maryland Route 32
Maryland Route 32 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from Interstate 97 and MD 3 in Millersville west and north to Washington Road in Westminster. The east–west portion of MD 32 is the Patuxent Freeway, a four- to six-lane...
.
History
Like many small communities in Howard County, West Friendship developed slowly as settlers moved west. As adventurers set out to survey the area, they established land tracts in the 1700s, many before the Revolutionary War. Stein's history (1972) lists land grants given to families whose descendants live in the area today. The families of Warfield, Ridgely, Selby, Hobbs, Cross, and Cissel helped create what is now West Friendship.In the 19th Century, the main road through West Friendship was filled with travelers who could find comfort at mile houses along the route. Some came to settle; others, like the circuit rider ministers, rode on horseback from church to church, making it more convenient for residents to attend the nearest service. Early travel was rough, but most residents were adept at horseback riding. Many traveled over the Frederick turnpike built in the 1790s. Empty land soon gave way to a general store and post office in West Friendship.
In the 20th Century, paved roads and the automobile replaced country roads and the horse and buggy. The paving of the West Friendship-Sykesville
Sykesville, Maryland
Sykesville is a town in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,197 at the 2000 census.-History:The land on which Sykesville sits started out as part of a Springfield Estate, owned by wealthy Baltimore shipbuilder William Patterson...
Road (MD 32) by the State in 1910, was an important development for the community. West Friendship's one-room school house provided a primary education for many residents in the early 1900s. By 1925, the town's high school replaced all nearby one-room schools, and area residents came by school bus to attend one of the first consolidated schools in Howard County.
Social gatherings continued to center around farming in the 1940s. Before then, the Howard County Grange Competitions were held at Brendel Manor Park and in one resident's front yard. Later in the 1950s, residents set up the groundwork for the present Howard County Fair held annually in West Friendship.
Today
Strict zoning regulations have largely limited sprawl and perserved the community's rural character. Large farms and historic homes still cover the area's gently rolling hills and many farms remain inhabited by descendants of the earlier aristocratic families. Wide expanses of farmland, open space, woods and parks abound. However, as with most areas within an hour's drive of the BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
-Washington
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....
corridor, West Friendship is seeing a steady rise of residential development. Suburban subdivisions, many with 4000+ square foot homes on 1+ acre lots, are becoming increasingly common. Homes in the community are among the most highly sought after in the Baltimore area. In 2011, West Friendship was ranked the most expensive suburb in the Baltimore metropolitan area according to the Baltimore Sun. The median home sale price in July 2011 was $815,000. In the newer subdivisions, homes commonly sell for over $1 million.
Demographics
In 2009, the estimated population of West Friendship (zip code 21794) was 2,777 persons with 1,763 households. The median age is 36.5 years. The racial make-up of West Friendship was 87.1% WhiteWhite
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
, 3.5% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 9.1% Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n, and 0.3% Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
. 90.6% of the population speak English at home. Foreign-born residents compose of 7.9% of the community. The most common countries of origin were Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
(23%), United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(22%), Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
(14%) and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(10%).
The median household income in 2009 was $169,324, one of the highest in Maryland. An estimated 0.6% of residents have an income below 50% of the poverty level. Most West Friendship residents commute to work in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The mean commute is 30–34 minutes, with 88% of residents driving a car to work, and 34.7% of residents working within Howard County, Maryland
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:...
.
Education
West Friendship is located in the highly acclaimed Howard County Public School District. Elementary school children in West Friendship are zoned for West Friendship Elementary School, Bushy Park Elementary School or Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School. Middle school students attend Mount View Middle School or Folly Quarter Middle School. Most high school students attend Glenelg High SchoolGlenelg High School
Glenelg High School is located in the "west side" portion of Howard County, Maryland. The second high school in Howard County, after Howard High School, Glenelg opened its doors in 1958...
or Marriotts Ridge High School
Marriotts Ridge High School
Marriotts Ridge High School is a secondary school located in Marriottsville, Maryland. It is part of the Howard County Public School System. It is known for academic excellence, character growth, and its athletic teams...
.
Private school options in the area include Glenelg Country School
Glenelg Country School
Glenelg Country School is a nonsectarian, co-educational independent day school in Howard County, Maryland, adjacent to Columbia, Maryland and between Baltimore and Washington, D.C...
, Woodmont Academy (catholic school), and Glenwood Country Day School. 28% of local students attend private school.
Attractions
The Howard County Fairgrounds is located on Route 144 in West Friendship, and is the home of the annual Howard County Fair and the Maryland Sheep and Wool FestivalMaryland Sheep and Wool Festival
The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival is largest and longest-running showcase of domestic sheep and wool in the United States. The 2010 festival was the 37th consecutive. It is held at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, Maryland.-History:...
. The Howard County Living Farm Heritage Museum is located across from the Howard County Fairgrounds.
The community is close to several parks. West Friendship Park offers hiking and nature walks. Western Regional Park offers a large children's playground and several sports field. Senior activities can be found in the Glenwood Community Center on Route 97.
West Friendship is served by the West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department which has been in service since 1944.
The community has a small shopping center which houses the West Friendship branch of the US Post Office, several restaurants and stores, medical offices, and a gas station. The nearby Cattail Creek Country Club serves many of the community's affluent residents.