Cottage City, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Cottage City is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland
, United States
. The population was 1,136 at the 2000 census. Cottage City is a small, quiet community lying between Eastern Avenue (the border with Washington, D.C.), Brentwood
, Colmar Manor
, and the Anacostia River
. Cottage City was developed beginning in 1870 under the name of "The Highlands." The area was incorporated in 1924 as Cottage City.
Indian tribes. With the coming of European settlers, the area became noted for its deep-water Anacostia River
port, known then as Harrison’s Landing. Contributing to the economy of Harrison’s Landing was Moyer's Grist Mill located in Yarrow, the very first mill of its type, between Baltimore and Alexandria, Virginia. Yarrow was renamed several times, but today we know Yarrow as Cottage City.
Known as the Dark and Bloody Grounds, the former site of the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds
was located along Dueling Creek
and Bladensburg Road; the historic location now shares the present-day boundary of the towns of Cottage City and Colmar Manor, Maryland
. Cottage City and Moyer's Mill played a key role in the Battle of Bladensburg
during the War of 1812. The mill acted as a hospital
for wounded American militia
, as well as an artillery battery
. American forces were repulsed in a bitter fight in Mr. Moyer's orchards, an event that resulted ultimately in the burning of the nation's capital.
During the post-Civil War
years, President Ulysses S. Grant
stayed at a summer retreat known as the Friendship House
located in Cottage City. Friendship House is long gone, replaced in the 1940s by an apartment house located on 38th Avenue and Parkwood Street.
During the 1870s, groups of developers
began to promote a residential community with large lots and a grid pattern of streets, stating the advantages of the community. "The Highlands" would feature cottage
s and villa
s on wide avenues, a good view, nominal taxes, and was close to Washington, D.C., the historic Bladensburg battlefield, spa spring, and dueling ground. The development failed despite the advertising campaign. In 1886, Colonel Gilbert Moyer bought the Highland tract
, and incorporated the Highland Company in 1888. The land was re-subdivided
into smaller lots, and Moyer promoted the land by including information that a streetcar line was soon to be developed in the area. This attempt to develop the area also failed. A few houses were developed on the Moyer property beginning in 1904 with broad streets laid out in a grid and trees planted along the street. A single-track trolley line ran through the community from Washington to Bladensburg. Called the Washington, Spa Spring and Gretta Railroad, the trolley was eventually discontinued in 1923, partially due to competition from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
and the streetcar line in Mount Rainier
.
In 1915, Charles Lightbrown borrowed money and attempted to market the subdivision plat from 1888 with a few minor changes. This attempt succeeded where the two earlier attempts had failed. Lightbrown built most of the housing in the community. Consisting of one-story cottages with four rooms and no running water, the housing was attractive to veteran
s returning from World War I
who needed economical homes which were ready to inhabit. Electric service was introduced to the community in 1914. In 1919, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
installed water service to the town; sewer
service was added the following year. The town was incorporated in 1924, taking its name from the uniform cottages built by Charles Lightbrown.
The story that was the basis for the 1971 novel and 1973 movie The Exorcist
has its roots in Cottage City.
In 1999, Cottage City, Bladensburg
, and Colmar Manor
were lauded by the Joint Center for Sustainable Communities for their collaboration with Prince George's County for the Port Towns Revitalization Initiative, which created a common Port Towns identity for the towns; encouraged businesses development through infrastructure and façade improvements; acquisition of historic properties and plans for their reuse; and reconstruction of the Bladensburg waterfront
and marina
.
Today, Cottage City is a small, ethnically mixed community with old cottage-style homes that sit comfortably on tree-lined streets. The community is an active and enthusiastic partner with the county in the Port Towns Redevelopment Plan, an effort to revitalize the neighborhoods while preserving their historic heritages. The riches that the town hopes to gain by this effort are an improved environment and an improved quality of life for its citizens—the people who define Cottage City, who take pride in what they are, where they have been, and where they are going.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,136 people, 465 households, and 248 families residing in the town. The population density
was 4,613.5 people per square mile (1,754.4/km²). There were 503 housing units at an average density of 2,042.8 per square mile (776.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 28.61% White, 54.75% African American, 0.88% Native American, 4.05% Asian, 7.57% from other races
, and 4.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.29% of the population.
There were 465 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% were married couples
living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 41.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% 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 3.39.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,594, and the median income for a family was $47,639. Males had a median income of $33,438 versus $34,519 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,166. About 11.0% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 23.8% of those age 65 or over.
to write the fictionalized book, The Exorcist
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....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,136 at the 2000 census. Cottage City is a small, quiet community lying between Eastern Avenue (the border with Washington, D.C.), Brentwood
Brentwood, Maryland
Brentwood is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,844 at the 2000 census. Brentwood is less than away from Washington, DC...
, Colmar Manor
Colmar Manor, Maryland
Colmar Manor is a town located in Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,257. As the town developed at the beginning of the 20th century, it assumed a name derived from its proximity to the District of Columbia—the first syllable of Columbia...
, and the Anacostia River
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
. Cottage City was developed beginning in 1870 under the name of "The Highlands." The area was incorporated in 1924 as Cottage City.
History
Its history dates to pre-revolutionary America; old records indicate that the area was home to several of the Potomac RiverPotomac 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...
Indian tribes. With the coming of European settlers, the area became noted for its deep-water Anacostia River
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
port, known then as Harrison’s Landing. Contributing to the economy of Harrison’s Landing was Moyer's Grist Mill located in Yarrow, the very first mill of its type, between Baltimore and Alexandria, Virginia. Yarrow was renamed several times, but today we know Yarrow as Cottage City.
Known as the Dark and Bloody Grounds, the former site of the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds
Bladensburg dueling grounds
Bladensburg Dueling Grounds is a small spit of land, along Dueling Creek formerly, in the town of Bladensburg, Maryland and now within the town of Colmar Manor, which is northeast of Washington, D.C., United States, an area which hosted over fifty bloody pistol duels mostly fought using a duelling...
was located along Dueling Creek
Dueling Creek
Dueling Creek is a tributary of the Anacostia River in southern Maryland in the United States.Dueling Creek is located in what is now Colmar Manor, Maryland....
and Bladensburg Road; the historic location now shares the present-day boundary of the towns of Cottage City and Colmar Manor, Maryland
Colmar Manor, Maryland
Colmar Manor is a town located in Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,257. As the town developed at the beginning of the 20th century, it assumed a name derived from its proximity to the District of Columbia—the first syllable of Columbia...
. Cottage City and Moyer's Mill played a key role in the Battle of Bladensburg
Battle of Bladensburg
The Battle of Bladensburg took place during the War of 1812. The defeat of the American forces there allowed the British to capture and burn the public buildings of Washington, D.C...
during the War of 1812. The mill acted as a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
for wounded American militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
, as well as an artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
. American forces were repulsed in a bitter fight in Mr. Moyer's orchards, an event that resulted ultimately in the burning of the nation's capital.
During the post-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...
years, President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
stayed at a summer retreat known as the Friendship House
Friendship House
Friendship House is a missionary movement founded in the early 1930s by Catholic social justice activist Catherine de Hueck Doherty, one of the leading proponents of interracial justice in pre-Martin Luther King, Jr...
located in Cottage City. Friendship House is long gone, replaced in the 1940s by an apartment house located on 38th Avenue and Parkwood Street.
During the 1870s, groups of developers
Real estate development
Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...
began to promote a residential community with large lots and a grid pattern of streets, stating the advantages of the community. "The Highlands" would feature cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s and villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
s on wide avenues, a good view, nominal taxes, and was close to Washington, D.C., the historic Bladensburg battlefield, spa spring, and dueling ground. The development failed despite the advertising campaign. In 1886, Colonel Gilbert Moyer bought the Highland tract
Tract
Tract may refer to:* Land lot, a section of land* Census tract, a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census* Tract , a short written work, usually of a political or religious nature...
, and incorporated the Highland Company in 1888. The land was re-subdivided
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
into smaller lots, and Moyer promoted the land by including information that a streetcar line was soon to be developed in the area. This attempt to develop the area also failed. A few houses were developed on the Moyer property beginning in 1904 with broad streets laid out in a grid and trees planted along the street. A single-track trolley line ran through the community from Washington to Bladensburg. Called the Washington, Spa Spring and Gretta Railroad, the trolley was eventually discontinued in 1923, partially due to competition from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
and the streetcar line in Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier, Maryland
Mount Rainier is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 8,498 at the 2000 census. Bordering Washington, DC, Mount Rainier got its start as a streetcar suburb. According to local tradition, surveyors from the Pacific Northwest named the town, giving the...
.
In 1915, Charles Lightbrown borrowed money and attempted to market the subdivision plat from 1888 with a few minor changes. This attempt succeeded where the two earlier attempts had failed. Lightbrown built most of the housing in the community. Consisting of one-story cottages with four rooms and no running water, the housing was attractive to veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s returning from World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
who needed economical homes which were ready to inhabit. Electric service was introduced to the community in 1914. In 1919, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission provides safe drinking water and wastewater treatment for Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland. It was established on May 1, 1918. It is the eighth largest water and wastewater utility in the United States. The WSSC serves about 1.8 million...
installed water service to the town; sewer
Sewer
Sewer may refer to:* Part of sewerage, the infrastructure that conveys sewage*Effluent sewer, a collection system that transports only the liquid portion of wastewater through small-diameter pipes laid at contour...
service was added the following year. The town was incorporated in 1924, taking its name from the uniform cottages built by Charles Lightbrown.
The story that was the basis for the 1971 novel and 1973 movie The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
has its roots in Cottage City.
In 1999, Cottage City, Bladensburg
Bladensburg, Maryland
Bladensburg is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 7,661 at the 2000 census.Bladensburg is from central Washington, DC...
, and Colmar Manor
Colmar Manor, Maryland
Colmar Manor is a town located in Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,257. As the town developed at the beginning of the 20th century, it assumed a name derived from its proximity to the District of Columbia—the first syllable of Columbia...
were lauded by the Joint Center for Sustainable Communities for their collaboration with Prince George's County for the Port Towns Revitalization Initiative, which created a common Port Towns identity for the towns; encouraged businesses development through infrastructure and façade improvements; acquisition of historic properties and plans for their reuse; and reconstruction of the Bladensburg waterfront
Waterfront
-In music:*Waterfront , a 1980s British pop duo*Waterfront Records, an Australian record label*"Waterfront" , by Simple Minds*Waterfront Blues Festival, in Portland, Oregon-In film and television:*Waterfront , directed by William A...
and 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....
.
Today, Cottage City is a small, ethnically mixed community with old cottage-style homes that sit comfortably on tree-lined streets. The community is an active and enthusiastic partner with the county in the Port Towns Redevelopment Plan, an effort to revitalize the neighborhoods while preserving their historic heritages. The riches that the town hopes to gain by this effort are an improved environment and an improved quality of life for its citizens—the people who define Cottage City, who take pride in what they are, where they have been, and where they are going.
Geography
Cottage City is located at 38°56′11"N 76°57′2"W (38.936261, -76.950606).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 town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
Bordering Areas
- Washington, DC (South)
- Colmar ManorColmar Manor, MarylandColmar Manor is a town located in Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,257. As the town developed at the beginning of the 20th century, it assumed a name derived from its proximity to the District of Columbia—the first syllable of Columbia...
(Southeast) - BrentwoodBrentwood, MarylandBrentwood is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,844 at the 2000 census. Brentwood is less than away from Washington, DC...
(Southwest) - North BrentwoodNorth Brentwood, MarylandNorth Brentwood is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 469 at the 2000 census. The municipality of North Brentwood is located north of Washington, D.C., and is surrounded by the communities of Hyattsville, Brentwood, and Cottage City...
(West) - Mount RainierMount Rainier, MarylandMount Rainier is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 8,498 at the 2000 census. Bordering Washington, DC, Mount Rainier got its start as a streetcar suburb. According to local tradition, surveyors from the Pacific Northwest named the town, giving the...
(Southwest)
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 1,136 people, 465 households, and 248 families residing in the town. 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 4,613.5 people per square mile (1,754.4/km²). There were 503 housing units at an average density of 2,042.8 per square mile (776.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 28.61% White, 54.75% African American, 0.88% Native American, 4.05% Asian, 7.57% 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 4.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.29% of the population.
There were 465 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% 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, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 41.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% 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 3.39.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,594, and the median income for a family was $47,639. Males had a median income of $33,438 versus $34,519 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 town was $17,166. About 11.0% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 23.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Cottage City is zoned to Prince George's County Public SchoolsPrince George's County Public Schools
The Prince George's County Public Schools system is a large school district administered by the government of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States and is overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education...
- Rogers Heights Elementary School
- William Wirt Middle School
- Bladensburg High SchoolBladensburg High SchoolBladensburg High School is a secondary school located in Bladensburg, Maryland.The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district....
Notable people
Robbie Mannheim, a.k.a. Roland Doe, alleged demonically possessed boy who inspired William Peter BlattyWilliam Peter Blatty
William Peter Blatty is an American writer and filmmaker. The novel The Exorcist, written in 1971, is his magnum opus; he also penned the subsequent screenplay version of the film, for which he won an Academy Award....
to write the fictionalized book, The Exorcist
The Exorcist
The Exorcist is a novel of supernatural suspense by William Peter Blatty, published by Harper & Row in 1971. It was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit school...
External links
- Cottage City Police Department
- Town of Cottage City History
- Cottage City History
- http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/16784/mr-satans-neighborhood/"Mr. Satan's Neighborhood: After 50 years of silence, Cottage City finally lets go of its demons," by Eddie Dean, Washington City PaperWashington City PaperThe Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Founded in 1981, and published for its first year under the masthead 1981, taking the City Paper name in volume 2, by Russ Smith, it shared ownership with the Chicago Reader from 1982...
, February 26, 1999]