Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian

Appalachia

Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...

 portion of Maryland

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...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is the county seat of Allegany County

Allegany County, Maryland

Allegany County is a county located in the northwestern part of the US state of Maryland. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 75,087. Its county seat is Cumberland...

, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a population of 103,299. Cumberland is a regional business and commercial center for Western Maryland

Western Maryland

Western Maryland is the portion of the U.S. state of Maryland that consists of Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties. The region is bounded by the Mason-Dixon line to the north, Preston County, West Virginia to the west, and the Potomac River to the south. There is dispute over the...

 and the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia

Potomac Highlands of West Virginia

The Potomac Highlands of West Virginia centers on five counties in the upper Potomac River watershed in the western portion of the state's Eastern Panhandle, bordering Maryland and Virginia...

. Historically Cumberland was known as the Queen City of the Alleghenies.

Demographics

At the 2000 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. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, there were 21,518 people, 9,538 households and 5,436 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 2,372.7 per square mile (916.0/km²). There were 11,143 housing units at an average density of 1,228.7 per square mile (474.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.54% White, 5.06% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.26% 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 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

There were 9,538 households, of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.90.

City residents have an older demographic profile than the U.S. generally. 22.7% is under the age of 18, 8.2% is from 18 to 24, 25.1% is from 25 to 44, 23.3% is from 45 to 64, and 20.7% is 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years compared to a U.S. average of 35.3. Females outnumber males. For every 100 females there are 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.

Population by year
Year	Cumberland pop.	Allegany pop.	Urban pop.	Rural pop.
1790		4,809
1800		6,303
1810		6,909
1820		8,654
1830	1,162	10,590
1840	2,384	15,690
1850	6,105	22,769
1860	7,300	28,348
1870	8,056	38,536
1880	11,300	38,012
1890	12,729	41,571
1900	17,568	53,694
1910	21,839	62,411
1920	29,837	69,938
1930	37,747	79,098
1940	39,483	86,973	50,705	30,054
1950	37,679	89,556	~52,905	36,651
1960	33,415	84,169	47,723	~36,446
1970	29,724	84,044	44,207	39,304
1980	25,933	80,548	58,777	~22,666
1990	23,706	74,946
2000	21,518	74,930
2010	20,859	75,087

The median household income

Median household income

The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...

 $25,142, and the median family income was $34,500. Males had a median income of $29,484 versus $20,004 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 city was $15,813. About 15.3% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.4% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over. The Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked 305th out of 318 metropolitan areas in per capita income.

In 2007, Forbes

Forbes

Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...

ranked the Cumberland Metro as having the 6th lowest cost of living in the USA based on an index of cost of housing, utilities, transportation and other expenditures

In 2007, The Baltimore Sun newspaper, citing the National Association of Realtors figures on home prices, stated that while most areas were then stagnant, Cumberland home prices were rising by more than 17%, the highest in the country.)

In July 2007, Washington Post writer Stephanie Cavanaugh wrote that the great quality of living in Cumberland had attracted many urbanites to the area.

According to the 2000 Census, educational achievement levels of the city residents lag behind those of Allegany County and the state of Maryland. High school diploma attainment figures for residents 25 years of age and older were lower than the state average (83.8%), with Allegany County at 79.9% and Cumberland at 79.3%. Furthermore, only 13.0% of city residents 25 years of age and older held at least an undergraduate degree. The comparable figures for Allegany County and Maryland residents were 14.1% and 31.4% respectively.

Ancestries are:

• 27.7% German
  German American
  German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
  
  
• 14.5% Irish
  Irish American
  Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
  
  
• 12.3% American
  United States
  The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
  
  
• 9.7% English
• 5.9% African
  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...
  
  
• 4.7% Italian
  Italian American
  An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
  
  
• 2.6% Dutch
  Dutch-Americans
  A Dutch American is an American of Dutch descent.Following the exploration of the American East Coast by Henry Hudson on behalf of the Dutch East India Company in 1609, Dutch settlement in the Americas started in 1613...
  
  

Population trends
Population decline from 1950-1990 was due to a string of industrial plant closures. Unwilling to meet union demands plants such as Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Allegany Munitions and Celanese closed down and relocated. The 1987 closure of the Kelly Springfield Tire Plant

The Kelly Springfield Tire Company

The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company was founded in Springfield, Ohio by Edwin Kelly and Arthur Grant in 1894.-Formation:Edwin Kelly originally called the company The Rubber Tire Wheel Company because it made rubber carriage wheels. Arthur Grant was issued for his solid rubber tire in a rim channel...

 marked a turning point, as the last major manufacturing plant in the city limits to close its doors.

The population of the city has continued to decline since 1990, with the 2010 census population of 20,859 the lowest since the 1900 census.

References:

• For 1870-1960: Allegany County data Historical Census Browser
• For 1930-2000: See Geostat Center Collection: County and City Data Books (1930-2000)
• For 1830-1873: See Lowdermilk
• For 1900-1920: See Maryland Manual, 1928, Volume 144, page 202

Geography

Cumberland is located in the Ridge and Valley

Ridge-and-valley Appalachians

The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...

 physiographic province

Physiographic province

A physiographic province is a geographic region with a specific geomorphology and often specific subsurface rock type or structural elements.A continent may be subdivided into various physiographic provinces, each having a specific character, relief, and environment which contributes to its...

 of the Appalachian Mountains

Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...

 at 39.647687°N 78.762869°W (39.647687, -78.762869), at the junction of the North Branch of 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...

 and Wills Creek

Wills Creek (North Branch Potomac River)

Wills Creek is a tributary of the North Branch Potomac River in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the United States.Wills Creek drops off the Allegheny Mountains of southeastern Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and enters the North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland, Maryland.-History:thumb|220px|Fort...

. Interstate 68

Interstate 68

Interstate 68 is a Interstate highway in the U.S. states of West Virginia and Maryland, connecting in Morgantown to in Hancock. is also Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway System. From 1965 until the freeway's construction was completed in 1991, it was designated as...

 runs through the city in an east/west direction, as does Alternate U.S. 40

U.S. Route 40 Alternate

U.S. Route 40 Alternate may refer to:*U.S. Route 40 Alternate *U.S. Route 40 Alternate *California State Highway 70, formerly U.S. Route 40 Alternate...

, the Old National Road

National Road

The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...

. U.S. Highway 220 runs north/south. The majority of the land within the city lies in a valley created by the junction of these two streams. Parts of Wills Mountain

Wills Mountain

Wills Mountain is a quartzite-capped ridge in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania and Maryland, USA, extending from near Bedford, Pennsylvania to near Cumberland, Maryland...

, Haystack Mountain

Haystack Mountain (Maryland)

Haystack Mountain is a mountain ridge in the Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachian Mountains, located in western Maryland just west of the city of Cumberland...

, and Shriver Ridge are also within the city limits.

The abandoned Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...

, now the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia. The park was established as a National Monument in 1961 by President Dwight D...

, has its western terminus in Cumberland. The canal

Canal

Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...

's towpath

Towpath

A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...

 is still maintained, allowing travel by foot or bicycle between Cumberland and 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....

, a distance of about 185 miles (297.7 km).

The city has a total area of 9.1 square miles (23.6 km²), of which 9.1 square miles (23.6 km²) is land and 0.11% is water.

Cumberland was the terminus, and namesake, of the Cumberland Road (begun in 1811) that extended westward to the Ohio River

Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

 at Wheeling, West Virginia

Wheeling, West Virginia

Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, the first portion of the National Road

National Road

The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...

 which eventually reached Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, and Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

.

Neighborhoods and surrounding areas

• Downtown
  Downtown Cumberland Historic District
  The Downtown Cumberland Historic District, also referred to as the Downtown Cumberland Mall, is the main shopping and dining district for the city of Cumberland, Maryland.-Location:...
  
   -- The Downtown Cumberland Historic District, also referred to as the Downtown Cumberland Mall, is the main shopping and dining district for the city.
• North End is a neighborhood in Cumberland bounded by Wills Creek
  Wills Creek (North Branch Potomac River)
  Wills Creek is a tributary of the North Branch Potomac River in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the United States.Wills Creek drops off the Allegheny Mountains of southeastern Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and enters the North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland, Maryland.-History:thumb|220px|Fort...
  
   to the south, Frederick Street to the East, and the city line on the west and north. Once known as "The Queen City", the neighborhood is a mix of residential, industrial, and commercial buildings. Some of the large industries found in this neighborhood include breweries, glass factories, and tanneries. These industries are now defunct, although many of the industrial buildings are still used for warehousing.

Most of the residential housing stock in North End was constructed to house industrial workers, and date from the middle and late 19th century. The housing stock is characterized by adjoining brick rowhouses and duplex

Duplex (building)

The term duplex can be used to describe several different dwelling unit configurations:A duplex house is defined as a dwelling having apartments with separate entrances for two families. This includes two-story houses having a complete apartment on each floor and also side-by-side apartments on a...

es, set on small lots with narrow streets. As you move east to west through the neighborhood, the house lots become larger, the streets wider, and the housing stock more recent. Due to the age of the housing stock, many North End streets contain large numbers of vacant and deteriorating buildings. This neighborhood has been targeted by the City Government for housing rehabilitation and blight removal.

Most of the commercial businesses in North End are located on Mechanic and Centre streets, including various restaurants, small boutiques, convenience store

Convenience store

A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...

s, and car dealerships.

• South Cumberland, also known as South End, is the largest neighborhood in Cumberland both geographically and by population. It is bounded by the CSX mainline to the south, Williams Street to the north, 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...
  
   to the west, and the city line to the east. It is home to two national historic districts
  Historic district (United States)
  In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
  
  : the Chapel Hill Historic District
  Chapel Hill Historic District (Cumberland, Maryland)
  The Chapel Hill Historic District is a national historic district in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. It is a mixed-use historic district of 810 contributing resources on located on the southeast side of Cumberland. It contains a mix of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings,...
  
   and Rolling Mill Historic District
  Rolling Mill Historic District
  Rolling Mill Historic District is a national historic district located at Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. It is a primarily residential historic district located on the east side of the city of Cumberland. It contains a strong, locally distinctive concentration of wood and brick...
  
  . The neighborhood is historically and currently a mix of residential, industrial, and commercial buildings.

The residential character of the neighborhood is highly varied. Much of the housing stock in the area around Virginia Ave dates from the late 19th and early 20th century and was constructed to house workers from the neighborhood's industrial concerns. As with many of the city's older neighborhoods, this area contains many vacant and deteriorating structures. Local community groups, such as the Chapel Hill West neighborhood group, have taken positive steps to help improve aging structures, and beautify the area. The streets around Memorial Hospital are characterized by larger lots and sizeable free-standing homes. Many of the health care professionals that work at the hospital live in this area. Lastly, the blocks near the eastern edge of the neighborhood were developed in the middle of the 20th century and contain wider streets and a variety of housing styles and materials.

There are still many industrial enterprises located in South End. The western part of the neighborhood specifically contains many warehouses and other small industries.

The commercial main street of South End is Virginia Avenue, which historically acted as the main shopping area for the residents of South End and contained men's and women's clothing stores, movie theaters, and specialty retail stores. Virginia Avenue's commercial importance has declined since the middle of the 20th century due to the opening of enclosed shopping centers and strip malls. The Avenue (as locals call it) still contains numerous antique shops, bars, and specialty stores. Location of Greenway Avenue Stadium, the joint home of the Fort Hill Sentinels and Allegany Campers.

• West Side is a neighborhood in Cumberland bounded by 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...
  
   to the south, Wills Creek
  Wills Creek (North Branch Potomac River)
  Wills Creek is a tributary of the North Branch Potomac River in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the United States.Wills Creek drops off the Allegheny Mountains of southeastern Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and enters the North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland, Maryland.-History:thumb|220px|Fort...
  
   to the north and east, the city line on the west. The neighborhood is a mix of residential, governmental, and some commercial buildings. West Side was the first part of Cumberland to be settled by the British colonists. Fort Cumberland
  Fort Cumberland (Maryland)
  thumb|380px|Fort Cumberland, 1755 Fort Cumberland was an 18th century frontier fort at the current site of Cumberland, Maryland, USA...
  
  , a military and trade outpost was built on a hill just west of Wills Creek in the 1750s. The early growth of the city was centered around the fort. The oldest existing building in West Side, and for that matter, all of Cumberland, The Headquarters of George Washington
  Headquarters of George Washington
  The Headquarters of George Washington is a historic log cabin in Cumberland, Maryland that was built for then Colonel George Washington for his use between 1755 and 1758 during the French and Indian War...
  
   was built during this time period. The ground formerly occupied by Fort Cumberland is now home to many county government offices. The Allegany County Courthouse, County Library, and County Board of Education are among the most government buildings. The majority of the buildings surrounding these governmental offices are used for commercial purposes. Many law offices, accounting firms, real estate offices, doctor's office, and many other small businesses are located in this area. Allegany High School, which serves Cumberland's North and West sides, as well as the outlying communities of La Vale
  La Vale, Maryland
  La Vale is a census-designated place in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'...
  
   and Cresaptown
  Cresaptown, Maryland
  Cresaptown is a community located in Allegany County, Maryland, United States of America. It is an unincorporated community which, for United States Census Bureau purposes, is united with Bel Air to form the census-designated place of Cresaptown-Bel Air. Cresaptown's post office was established...
  
  , is located in this area on Rose Hill.

Residential land use becomes dominant as you move west from the site of former fort. Many of Cumberland's largest and most valuable houses are located here. The housing stock ranges in age from the mid-19th century closer to the former fort, to the middle of the 20th century near the city line to the west. This includes the Greene Street Historic District

Greene Street Historic District (Cumberland, Maryland)

The Greene Street Historic District is a national historic district in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. It is a linear historic district along both sides of Greene Street on the west side of Cumberland. It contains 45 buildings , 37 of which are residential and 8 of which exhibit commercial...

, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and Washington Street Historic District

Washington Street Historic District (Cumberland, Maryland)

The Washington Street Historic District is a national historic district in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. It is an approximately residential area to the west of downtown Cumberland and consists primarily of six blocks of Washington Street...

 listed in 1973. Some of Cumberland's newest developments are located on Haystack Mountain

Haystack Mountain (Maryland)

Haystack Mountain is a mountain ridge in the Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachian Mountains, located in western Maryland just west of the city of Cumberland...

 near the city line.

The only substantial industrial land use in West Side is Riverside Industrial Park. This site was the former location of the Kelly Springfield Tire factory. Most of the factory has been torn down, including its impressive twin smoke stacks. Some of the outbuildings are still standing and used for warehousing.

• East Side is a neighborhood in Cumberland bounded by Williams St. to the south, Frederick St. to the west, and the city line to the north and east. The predominate land uses in East Side are residential and recreational. Two large hills, McKaig's Hill and Fort Hill dominate the landscape of East Side. There is little flat land and thus the residential development is less dense in East Side when compared to other parts of the city. The small amount of at-grade land is located at the western edge of the neighborhood. This area, now known as Decatur Heights, is a mid to late 19th century residential neighborhood contains both rowhouses and impressive free standing homes. The Decatur Heights Historic District
  Decatur Heights Historic District
  The Decatur Heights Historic District is a national historic district in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. It a mixed-use district of located on the northeast side of Cumberland. It contains a total of 377 residential / commercial / industrial historic resources, including five properties...
  
  , 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 2005. East Side contains several new housing developments, one located on Decatur St., the other located towards the top of McKaig's Hill.
  Due to its steep topography, East Side is heavily forested. The largest park in the city, Constitution Park is located in this neighborhood. Constitution Park contains a public swimming pool, basketball courts, tennis courts, and playground equipment.
• Little Egypt
• Bowling Green
• Wills Mountain
  Wills Mountain
  Wills Mountain is a quartzite-capped ridge in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania and Maryland, USA, extending from near Bedford, Pennsylvania to near Cumberland, Maryland...
  
  
• Haystack Mountain
  Haystack Mountain (Maryland)
  Haystack Mountain is a mountain ridge in the Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachian Mountains, located in western Maryland just west of the city of Cumberland...
  
  
• Shriver Ridge

Nearby cities and towns

All of the following cities are in Maryland, unless otherwise noted, and are in order of distance.

Ridgeley, West Virginia

Ridgeley, West Virginia

Ridgeley is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States, and part of the Cumberland Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 762 at the 2000 census but has fallen to 575 with the 2010 census....

 La Vale

La Vale, Maryland

La Vale is a census-designated place in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'...

 Carpendale, West Virginia

Carpendale, West Virginia

Carpendale is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States, and part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 954 at the 2000 census. Carpendale was incorporated on January 2, 1990 by the Circuit Court. The town is a combination of three subdivisions...

 Wiley Ford, West Virginia

Wiley Ford, West Virginia

Wiley Ford is a census-designated place in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States and part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'...

 Evitts Creek

Evitts Creek, Maryland

Evitts Creek is an unincorporated community located on the eastern outskirts of Cumberland, Maryland, USA along Maryland Route 51 and immediately east of the confluence of Evitts Creek and the North Branch Potomac River....

 Bowling Green

Bowling Green, Maryland

The communities of Roberts Place, Bowling Green & Potomac Park are located along McMullen Highway between Cumberland to the north, Cresaptown to the south, the Potomac River to the east and Haystack Mountain to the west. For many years, the community was mostly farmland but was later divided into...

 Potomac Park

Potomac Park, Maryland

Potomac Park is an unincorporated subdivision located on the North Branch Potomac River in Allegany County, Maryland. Potomac Park lies along McMullen Highway between Cresaptown and Cumberland.- See also :Regional Businesses...

 Corriganville

Corriganville, Maryland

Corriganville is an unincorporated town in Allegany County, Maryland, USA. The town lies north of Cumberland at the confluence of Wills Creek and Jennings Run...

 Cresaptown

Cresaptown, Maryland

Cresaptown is a community located in Allegany County, Maryland, United States of America. It is an unincorporated community which, for United States Census Bureau purposes, is united with Bel Air to form the census-designated place of Cresaptown-Bel Air. Cresaptown's post office was established...

 Bel Air

Bel Air, Allegany County, Maryland

Bel Air is a community located in Allegany County, Maryland, United States of America. It is an unincorporated community which, for United States Census Bureau purposes, is united with Cresaptown to form the census-designated place of Cresaptown-Bel Air. Bel Air is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV...

 Ellerslie

Ellerslie, Maryland

Ellerslie is an unincorporated town in Allegany County, Maryland. The town lies north of Cumberland next to the Pennsylvania-Maryland State Line. Ellerslie is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'.-See also:Regional Businesses...

 Spring Gap

Spring Gap, Maryland

Spring Gap is an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland, United States.Spring Gap is located in the Potomac Valley along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal at mile marker 173 where it meets with the Spring Gap Recreational Area. This park offers camping sites and a place to relax for...

 Rocket Center, West Virginia

Rocket Center, West Virginia

Rocket Center, West Virginia is the site of a government installation known as Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, part of the Naval Sea Systems Command which is currently operated by Alliant Techsystems. Rocket Center shares a ZIP Code with Keyser but is located north along the North Branch Potomac...

Pinto

Pinto, Maryland

Pinto is an unincorporated community along the North Branch Potomac River in Allegany County, Maryland across from Rocket Center, West Virginia. While the town is officially named Potomac, its post office is referred to as Pinto because there already exists a Potomac, Maryland. Pinto is located...

 Eckhart Mines

Eckhart Mines, Maryland

Eckhart Mines is an unincorporated town in Allegany County, Maryland, USA. Eckhart Mines lies at the southwestern base of Federal Hill, 2.9 km east of Frostburg and 1.3 km northwest of Clarysville. The town was originally founded as a company town for the nearby Eckhart Mines. The...

 Mount Savage

Mount Savage, Maryland

Mount Savage is an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. A small blue-collar community, Mount Savage lies at the base of Big Savage Mountain in the Allegheny Mountains, between the cities of Frostburg and Cumberland...

 Wellersburg, Pennsylvania

Wellersburg, Pennsylvania

Wellersburg is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 Rawlings

Rawlings, Maryland

Rawlings is an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, on the McMullen Highway . It was originally known as Rawlings Station after a post office was established on the railroad there on March 7, 1856....

 Frostburg

Frostburg, Maryland

Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located at the head of the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,873 at the 2000 census...

 Midlothian

Midlothian, Maryland

Midlothian is a small unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland; at one time called Midlothian Junction. Its ZIP code is 21543.-See also:Regional Businesses...

 Fort Ashby, West Virginia

Fort Ashby, West Virginia

Fort Ashby is an census-designated place in Mineral County, West Virginia along Patterson Creek. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 1,380 at the 2010 census...

 Flintstone

Flintstone, Maryland

Flintstone is a small unincorporated town in Allegany County, Maryland, USA. Flintstone lies between the southern foot of Tussey Mountain and a water gap in the Warrior Mountain formed by Flintstone Creek, north of the North Branch Potomac River and south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Rocky Gap State...

 Hyndman, Pennsylvania

Hyndman, Pennsylvania

Hyndman is a borough in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States. 1005 residents were counted during the 2000 census.- History :The first known settler in the area was Samuel Waters, who lived near Wills Creek and built a bridge across it before 1800. About 1800, Jacob Burkett and Amos Raley...

 Oldtown

Oldtown, Maryland

Oldtown is an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland along the North Branch Potomac River founded in 18th century colonial times. The settlement was initially called "Shawanese Old Town" because it was the site of a Shawnee Amerindian village abandoned about a decade earlier...

 Midland

Midland, Maryland

Midland is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, located along the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 473 at the 2000 census....

 Centerville, Pennsylvania

Centerville, Pennsylvania

Centerville/Centreville is the name of some places in the US state of Pennsylvania:*Centerville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania*Centerville, Washington County, Pennsylvania*Centreville, the original name of the village of Penns Creek, Pennsylvania...

Lonaconing

Lonaconing, Maryland

Lonaconing is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located along the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,205 at the 2000 census.- History :...

 Barton

Barton, Maryland

Barton is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, located along the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 478 at the 2000 census.- History :...

 Fairhope, Pennsylvania

Fairhope, Pennsylvania

Fair Hope is an unincorporated community in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States.-History:Fair Hope is a small railroad community located along the historic B&O Railroad. It was platted in 1891....

 McCoole

McCoole, Maryland

McCoole is an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland, USA. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 220 and the east end of Maryland Route 135. McCoole lies directly across the North Branch Potomac River from Keyser, West Virginia. McCoole had its own post office in operation...

 Keyser, West Virginia

Keyser, West Virginia

Keyser is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,303 at the 2000 census.- History :...

 Westernport

Westernport, Maryland

Westernport is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, located along the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,104 at the 2000 census.-History:...

 Piedmont, West Virginia

Piedmont, West Virginia

Piedmont is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the 'Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 1,014 at the 2000 census. Piedmont was chartered in 1856...

 Luke

Luke, Maryland

Luke is a town in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located along the Georges Creek Valley. Known originally as West Piedmont, the town is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 80 at the 2000 census....

 Grantsville

Grantsville, Maryland

Grantsville is a town in Garrett County, Maryland, United States. The population was 619 at the 2000 census.-History:Grantsville, 1/2 mile west of the Casselman River, began as a small Amish and Mennonite settlement, called Tomlinson's or Little Crossing, along Braddock rd., which wound westward...

 Paw Paw, West Virginia

Paw Paw, West Virginia

Paw Paw is a town in Morgan County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 524 at the 2000 census. The town is known for the nearby Paw Paw Tunnel. Paw Paw was incorporated by the Circuit Court of Morgan County on April 8, 1891 and named for the pawpaw, a wild fruit which formerly grew in...

 Romney, West Virginia

Romney, West Virginia

Romney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 18th century...

 Berlin, Pennsylvania

Berlin, Pennsylvania

Berlin, a borough located approximately 75 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States, was laid out in 1784 and incorporated on February 7, 1833. The population was 2,192 at the 2000 census...

Cumberland Narrows

Cumberland is located at the eastern entrance to the Cumberland Narrows

Cumberland Narrows

The Cumberland Narrows is a water gap in western Maryland in the United States, just west of Cumberland, Maryland. Wills Creek cuts through the central ridge of the Wills Mountain Anticline at a low elevation here between Wills Mountain to the north and Haystack Mountain to the south...

 (or simply "The Narrows"), a water gap

Water gap

A water gap is an opening or notch which flowing water has carved through a mountain range. Water gaps often offer a practical route for road and rail transport to cross mountain ridges.- Geology :...

 along Wills Creek

Wills Creek (North Branch Potomac River)

Wills Creek is a tributary of the North Branch Potomac River in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the United States.Wills Creek drops off the Allegheny Mountains of southeastern Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and enters the North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland, Maryland.-History:thumb|220px|Fort...

 that crosses the central ridge of the Wills Mountain Anticline at a low elevation between Wills Mountain to the north and Haystack Mountain to the south. Cliffs and talus

Scree

Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...

 of the two mountains' Tuscarora

Tuscarora Formation

The Silurian Tuscarora Formation — also known as Tuscarora Sandstone or Tuscarora Quartzite — is a mapped bedrock unit in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia.-Description:...

 quartzite

Quartzite

Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...

 caprock

Caprock

The Caprock is a region in the Panhandle of Texas . It is the land to the west of the Caprock Escarpment, which separates it from plains stretching to the east at a much lower elevation....

 are prominent within the Narrows. These geological features provide Cumberland a western backdrop of the two mountains and the narrow gap between them.

The Cumberland Narrows acts as a western gateway from Cumberland to the Appalachian Plateau

Appalachian Plateau

The Appalachian Plateau is the western part of the Appalachian mountains, stretching from New York and Alabama. The plateau is a second level United States physiographic region....

 and the Ohio River Valley

Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

 beyond. The Old National Road, now Alternate U.S. 40

U.S. Route 40 Alternate

U.S. Route 40 Alternate may refer to:*U.S. Route 40 Alternate *U.S. Route 40 Alternate *California State Highway 70, formerly U.S. Route 40 Alternate...

, passes through the Narrows, along with the former 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...

's main line between Baltimore

Baltimore

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....

 and Pittsburg

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

, now part of the CSX

CSX Transportation

CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

 system, and a former line of the Western Maryland Railroad, now used by the steam- and diesel-powered excursion train

Excursion train

An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose.Examples of excursion trains:* A train to a major sporting event* A train run for railfans or tourism...

s of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Cumberland, Maryland. It operates over ex-Western Maryland Railway trackage to Frostburg, Maryland and back using both steam and diesel locomotives....

.

A prominent rocky outcropping at the south end of Wills Mountain in the Cumberland Narrows is known as Lover's Leap

Lover's Leap

Lovers' Leap , is a toponym given to a number of locations of varying height, usually isolated, with the risk of a fatal fall and the possibility of a deliberate jump...

.

History

Cumberland is named after the son of King George II

George II of Great Britain

George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...

, Prince William, the Duke of Cumberland

Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland

Prince William , was a younger son of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, and Duke of Cumberland from 1726. He is generally best remembered for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rising at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and as such is also known as "Butcher" Cumberland...

. It is built on the site of the old Fort Cumberland

Fort Cumberland (Maryland)

thumb|380px|Fort Cumberland, 1755 Fort Cumberland was an 18th century frontier fort at the current site of Cumberland, Maryland, USA...

, the starting point for British General Edward Braddock

Edward Braddock

General Edward Braddock was a British soldier and commander-in-chief for the 13 colonies during the actions at the start of the French and Indian War...

's ill-fated attack on the French strong-hold of Fort Duquesne

Fort Duquesne

Fort Duquesne was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania....

 (located on the site of present-day Pittsburgh) during the French and Indian War

French and Indian War

The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...

. (See Braddock expedition

Braddock expedition

The Braddock expedition, also called Braddock's campaign or, more commonly, Braddock's Defeat, was a failed British military expedition which attempted to capture the French Fort Duquesne in the summer of 1755 during the French and Indian War. It was defeated at the Battle of the Monongahela on...

.)

Cumberland was also an outpost of Colonel George Washington

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

 during the French and Indian War and his first military headquarters was built here. Washington later returned to Cumberland as President in 1794 to review troops that had been assembled to thwart the Whiskey Rebellion

Whiskey Rebellion

The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...

.
Cumberland was a key road, railroad and canal junction during the 19th century and at one time the second largest city in Maryland (second to the port city of Baltimore — hence its nickname "The Queen City"). The surrounding hillsides provided coal, iron ore and timber that helped supply the Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

. In addition, the city was a major manufacturing center, with industries in glass, breweries, fabrics and tinplate. However, following World War II, it began to lose much of its industrial importance and its population declined from 39,483 in the 1940 census to fewer than 22,000 today.

Climate

Cumberland lies within the southern periphery of the Humid continental climate

Humid continental climate

A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....

 zone, experiencing temperatures significantly lower than the central and eastern part of Maryland and much more like those of south-central Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. The region experiences four distinct seasons, including warm to moderately hot summers and chilly to moderately cold winters. The warmest month is July, with an average temperature of 74.5 °F (23.6 °C). The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of 30 °F (-1.1 °C). Average annual snowfall totals 34.1 inches (866.1 mm).

Education

The offices of Allegany County Public Schools

Allegany County Public Schools

Allegany County Public Schools is a public school district serving Allegany County, Maryland.-High schools:* Allegany High School, Cumberland, Maryland* Fort Hill High School, Cumberland, Maryland* Mountain Ridge High School, Frostburg, Maryland...

 are located in Cumberland. ACPS compete in a number of academic competitions for students, including the Stock Market Game, Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year. Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals...

, Science Fair, Spell-A-Thon, Maryland Facts Quiz Bowl, the National Children's Creative Writing Contest Elementary and Middle School Spectra Quiz Bowl, Math Counts

MathCounts

Mathcounts is a middle school mathematics competition held in the United States. Its founding sponsors include the CNA Foundation, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The competition is designed for sixth, seventh, and eighth...

, Mock Trial Teams, Secretarial Science Contest Scripps-Howard Spelling Bee, Voice of Democracy

Voice of Democracy

Voice of Democracy is an annual nationwide scholarship program sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars . It is an audio-essay contest for high school students in grades 9-12. The program annually provides more than $2.3 million in scholarships...

, and the Maryland Science Quest.

Athletic programs also abound, with competition in everything from football, soccer, baseball, volleyball and track to tennis, bowling, wrestling and golf.

Schools

• High schools
  • Allegany High School
    Allegany High School
    Allegany High School is a public high school in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. Allegany High School was built as Allegany County High School in 1887, hence it is often referred to as 'Alco'....
    
    
  • Fort Hill High School
    Fort Hill High School
    Fort Hill High School is a four-year public high school in Cumberland, Maryland, United States, operating under the direction of the Principal Stephen M. Lewis, with about 900 Negro students in grades 9 through 12.-History:...
    
    

• Private schools
  • Bishop Walsh School
    Bishop Walsh School
    Bishop Walsh School is a K-12 Catholic school located in Cumberland, Maryland, and under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Approximately 600 students attend. The school also hosts a pre-K program and operates the St...
    
    
  • Calvary Christian Academy
    Calvary Christian Academy
    Calvary Christian Academy is a non-profit private school located in Cresaptown, Maryland in Allegany County. It was established as an outreach of Calvary Baptist Church of Cresaptown in 1973.-Purpose:...
    
    
  • Lighthouse Christian Academy

• Middle schools
  • Washington Middle School
  • Braddock Middle School

• Elementary schools
  • Bel Air Elementary School
  • John Humbird Elementary School
  • Northeast Elementary School
  • South Penn Elementary School
  • West Side Elementary School
  • Creasptown Elementary School
  • Cash Valley Elementary School
  • Parkside Elementary School
  • Flintstone Elementary School

Area colleges and universities

All of those listed are within a short drive from Cumberland, though only one is located in Cumberland itself.

• Allegany College of Maryland
  Allegany College of Maryland
  Allegany College of Maryland is a two-year public community college located in Cumberland, Maryland. It was previously known as Allegany Community College .- History :...
  
   (Cumberland and Bedford, Pennsylvania)
• Robert C. Byrd Institute (Rocket Center, West Virginia
  Rocket Center, West Virginia
  Rocket Center, West Virginia is the site of a government installation known as Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, part of the Naval Sea Systems Command which is currently operated by Alliant Techsystems. Rocket Center shares a ZIP Code with Keyser but is located north along the North Branch Potomac...
  
  )
• Frostburg State University
  Frostburg State University
  Frostburg State University is a four-year university located on a campus in Frostburg, Maryland, in Western Maryland, and is part of the University System of Maryland. FSU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.-History:...
  
   (Frostburg, Maryland
  Frostburg, Maryland
  Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located at the head of the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,873 at the 2000 census...
  
  )
• Potomac State College of West Virginia University
  Potomac State College of West Virginia University
  Potomac State College of West Virginia University is a two-year junior college affiliated as a division of West Virginia University. West Virginia's only residential junior college, it is located in Keyser, approximately away from WVU's main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States...
  
   (Keyser, West Virginia
  Keyser, West Virginia
  Keyser is a city in and the county seat of Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,303 at the 2000 census.- History :...
  
  )
• Garrett College
  Garrett College
  Garrett College is a two-year college located in McHenry, Garrett County, in far western Maryland. Established in 1967 as Garrett Community College, it opened its doors in 1971, and took its present name in 2002...
  
    (McHenry, Maryland
  McHenry, Maryland
  McHenry is a small community located in Garrett County, Maryland on the northern most shore of Deep Creek Lake.Located on the outskirts of McHenry is the Garrett County Airport, Wisp Ski Resort, and Golf Club at Wisp....
  
  )

Libraries

Approximately 39,000 people hold library cards in Allegany County ("Most citizens give libraries high grades", Cumberland Times News, October 10, 2006). Regional Libraries include:

• Washington Street Library
• Frostburg Public Library
• Lavale Public Library
• South Cumberland Public Library, Allegany County
• Westernport Public Library, Allegany County
• Lewis J. Ort Library (Frostburg State University)
• Allegany College Library
• Western Maryland Public Library System

Employers

Significant city employers include:

• Western Maryland Health System, which employs approximately 2,300 people, making it Cumberland's largest employer.
• Allegany County government.
• CSX: Located 177 miles (284.9 km) west of Baltimore, Md., the Cumberland Locomotive Maintenance Facility is a vital point on CSX's Chicago to Baltimore mainline. It employs 273 people at Cumberland shops and 600 men and women in Cumberland.
• Allegany College of Maryland
  Allegany College of Maryland
  Allegany College of Maryland is a two-year public community college located in Cumberland, Maryland. It was previously known as Allegany Community College .- History :...
  
   employs approximately 800 people.
• the call center of ACS Inc., which employs about 400 people.
• City of Cumberland, employing approximately 300 people.
• Hunter Douglas
  Hunter Douglas
  Hunter Douglas N.V. is a Dutch public corporation and major worldwide manufacturer of window coverings and architectural products. Hunter Douglas has its head office in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and a management office in Lucerne, Switzerland...
  
  : a 378000 square feet (35,117.3 m²) facility, with 580 plus employees, which makes this location the largest Hunter Douglas fabrication plant in the world. The company is Allegany County's sixth largest employer.
• Western Correctional Institution State Prison, employs 550 people; a number of other people are employed at the Federal Prison and the new Maximum Security Prison all in close proximity to Cumberland
• Infospherix employs approximately 375 - 400 people. Infospherix is a call center that handles inbound reservations for state camp grounds, as well as several Federal contracts. Infospherix was formerly known as BioSpherics.
• Ray Of Hope, Inc. an organization that provides assisted living units for mentally and physically handicapped adults for over 20 years.

Utilities

Water and sewer service is supplied by the City of Cumberland. The municipal watershed is located to the north within the State of Pennsylvania. Water is drawn from two lakes on city land, Gordon and Koon. Electricity service supplied by Allegheny Power, while natural gas service is supplied by Columbia Gas of Maryland. There was once a working oil well that pumped crude oil from a location near the Fruit Bowl in the Cumberland Narrows

Cumberland Narrows

The Cumberland Narrows is a water gap in western Maryland in the United States, just west of Cumberland, Maryland. Wills Creek cuts through the central ridge of the Wills Mountain Anticline at a low elevation here between Wills Mountain to the north and Haystack Mountain to the south...

.

Mayor and City Council

The Mayor and City Council of Cumberland form a part-time government, which only meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. The current mayor is Brian Grim. The current city council members are Butch Hendershot, David Kauffman, Mary Beth Pirolozzi, and Nicholas Scarpelli.

Law enforcement

The city is primarily policed by the Cumberland Police Department (CPD). The CPD is a full-service agency consisting of a patrol section, detective bureau, specialized services

SWAT

A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...

, and other services. It is occasionally aided by the Maryland State Police

Maryland State Police

The Maryland State Police is the official state police force of the state of Maryland. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP in unincorporated Baltimore County.-Organizational structure:...

 and the Allegany County Sheriff's Office as directed by authority.

The Cumberland Police Department was founded by an act of legislation in March 1852. In 1907, Officer August Baker was killed by gunfire while trying to apprehend a drunk and disorderly William Burns from an area that is now known as South Wineow Street. Subsequently, after the officer's death, an angry mob broke Burns out of jail using a telephone pole. After gaining entry into the jail, the mob beat the murder suspect, Burns, almost to death. They then drug him into the street, and shot him twelve times to death.
In 2009, the CPD was involved in the investigation of a local homicide, which is uncommon for the area. The suspect was investigated by CPD C3I detectives and ultimately plead guilty to the first-degree murder. In February 2010, the CPD in conjunction with C3I investigated a double-homicide that garnered state-wide attention.

The Cumberland Police Department is currently headed by Chief Charles H. Hinnant, who is assisted by one Deputy Chief and five Lieutenants. The CPD is a progressive department and has a diverse Specialized Unit Section with the following teams:

• K-9 Unit
  Police dog
  A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
  
  
• Bicycle Patrol
  Police bicycle
  A Police bicycle is a land vehicle used by police departments, most commonly in the form of a mountain bicycle. They are designed to meet the requirements unique to each department....
  
  
• Motorcycle Patrol
  Police motorcycle
  A police motorcycle is a motorcycle used by various police forces and departments. They may be custom designed to meet the requirements unique of a particular use. A police motorcycle is often called a "motor" by police officers in the United States...
  
  
• Cumberland Emergency Response Team (CERT)
  SWAT
  A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
  
  
• Combined County Criminal Investigation Unit (C3I)
• School Resources C3I Narcotics Task Force
  Prohibition (drugs)
  The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent drug use. Prohibition of drugs has existed at various levels of government or other authority from the Middle Ages to the present....
  
  
• Honor Guard
  Honor guard
  An honor guard, or ceremonial guard, is a ceremonial unit, usually military in nature and composed of volunteers who are carefully screened for their physical ability and dexterity...
  
  

State representation

The North Branch Correctional Institution

North Branch Correctional Institution

North Branch Correctional Institution is a high-tech, maximum security prison operated by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services in unincorporated Allegany County, Maryland, near Cumberland. The prison houses the most serious offenders within the State of Maryland...

, operated by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, is located in unincorporated

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...

 Allegany County

Allegany County, Maryland

Allegany County is a county located in the northwestern part of the US state of Maryland. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 75,087. Its county seat is Cumberland...

, near Cumberland. The prison began housing male death row inmates, who were moved from the Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center

Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center

Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center is a maximum level II prison operated by the Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services in Baltimore....

, in June 2010.

Cumberland is Represented by 1 Democrat in the House of Delegates by the name of Kevin Kelly and 1 Republican in the House of Delegates by name of Leroy Myers. Cumberland is also represented in the State Senate by a Republican by the name of George Edwards.

Federal Representation

Cumberland is represented in the US House of Representatives by Republican Roscoe Bartlett. Cumberland lays deep inside of the Maryland 6th Congressional District. Cumberland in the US Senate is Represented by 2 Democrats by the names of Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin.

Local government

The City of Cumberland is run on a non-partisan system of government that was adopted in the early 1980s by voter approval. Prior to the early 1980s Cumberland elected its government by political parties. The government is also a weak-mayor form of government. Day to day operations are headed by a full time City Administrator, a system that was implemented by the old partisan Mayor and City Council in 1979. As of July 20, 2011 Jeff Rhodes was acting City Administrator.

Within the city

The primary public transportation in the City of Cumberland is bus service provided by Allegany County Transit

Allegany County Transit

Allegany County Transit operates in of Allegany County, Maryland, providing the residents of Allegany County with Public Transportation. Allegany County has two types of services, a Fixed Route and a Demand Response Service...

. This service is fairly extensive, consisting of five scheduled routes that reach most areas of the City and providing access to most public facilities. The bus depot is located in the South End to the west of Virginia Avenue on Lafayette Avenue. The Allegany County Transit Authority also serves LaVale, Frostburg, and Cresaptown.

Highways

Cumberland's roadway system consists of a series of interconnected grids defined by natural and man-made barriers including steep slopes, the Potomac River, Wills Creek, rail lines, and I-68. Originally developed for a larger population than currently lives in Cumberland, the overall system is generally adequate to accommodate existing levels of traffic. Major highway arteries serving the Cumberland area include:

• Interstate 68
  Interstate 68
  Interstate 68 is a Interstate highway in the U.S. states of West Virginia and Maryland, connecting in Morgantown to in Hancock. is also Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway System. From 1965 until the freeway's construction was completed in 1991, it was designated as...
  
  
• U.S. Route 40
  U.S. Route 40
  U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
  
  
• U.S. Route 220
  U.S. Route 220
  U.S. Route 220 is a long U.S. Route in the eastern United States.US 220 is a spur route of U.S. Route 20 but at present, the two routes do not intersect nor do they connect via other spurs of US 20. The former U. S. Route 120, which was signed in Pennsylvania between 1926 and 1967, intersected...
  
  

Railways

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...

, the national passenger rail system, provides intercity service to Cumberland via the Capitol Limited

Capitol Limited (Amtrak)

Amtrak's Capitol Limited is one of the railroad's two routes connecting Washington, D.C. to Chicago, running via Cleveland, Ohio . Service began in 1981 and was named after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Capitol Limited which ended in 1971 upon the formation of Amtrak...

, which runs between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Illinois

Union Station (Chicago)

Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...

. The Cumberland Amtrak Station

Cumberland (Amtrak station)

The Cumberland Amtrak station is a train station in Cumberland, Maryland, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. It is also served by Bayrunner Shuttle that starts in Grantsville and ends at BWI Airport...

 is located downtown at Queen City Drive and East Harrison Street.

The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Cumberland, Maryland. It operates over ex-Western Maryland Railway trackage to Frostburg, Maryland and back using both steam and diesel locomotives....

 operates steam and diesel excursion trains from Cumberland to Frostburg

Frostburg, Maryland

Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located at the head of the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,873 at the 2000 census...

 and back.

Airports

Cumberland is almost equidistant from four major airports: Washington National Airport, Dulles International Airport, Baltimore Washington International Airport, and Pittsburgh International Airport

Pittsburgh International Airport

Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...

, all of which are at least two and one-half hours by car from the city. The Greater Cumberland Regional Airport

Greater Cumberland Regional Airport

Greater Cumberland Regional Airport is a public airport located in the town of Wiley Ford in Mineral County, West Virginia. It is two miles south of the larger city of Cumberland in Allegany County, Maryland...

 (Airport-ID: CBE) provides local air transportation to the Cumberland area. The airport is located in West Virginia, to the south of the Potomac River, which forms the boundary between the City of Cumberland and Mineral County, West Virginia

Mineral County, West Virginia

Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 28,212. Its county seat is Keyser.-Ancient history:...

. Formerly owned by the City of Cumberland, the airport is now owned and operated by a bi-state intergovernmental airport authority whose members are four representatives from West Virginia and five from Maryland. In addition, Mexico Farms Airport

Mexico Farms Airport

Mexico Farms Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Cumberland, Maryland, United States. The airport is located immediately south of the larger Greater Cumberland Regional Airport....

 (Airport-ID: 1W3) is also located in Cumberland.

Local media

Cumberland has several media outlets; most carry some form of satellite programming. WCBC-AM and WFRB-FM have some local news content, but do not actively collect it. The closest public radio station is WFWM, Frostburg, MD. Allegany Magazine

Allegany Magazine

Allegany Magazine is an independently operated sister publication of the Cumberland Times-News that publishes the works of writers, artists and photographers from Allegany County, Maryland...

is a recent media addition.

Aside from some local news programming, virtually no mass media content originates from Cumberland. The local media tends to re-broadcast Hagerstown and Washington, D.C. television stations for news coverage.

Cable customers of Cumberland mainly receive service from Atlantic Broadband. Cumberland's Atlantic Broadband customers receive two NBC

NBC

The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 affiliates, WJAC-TV

WJAC-TV

WJAC-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Allegheny area of Pennsylvania that is licensed to Johnstown. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter northwest of the city in Laurel Ridge State Park along the Cambria and Westmoreland County line....

 from Johnstown, PA and WHAG-TV

WHAG-TV

WHAG-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Hagerstown, Maryland. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter on Fairview Mountain west of Clear Spring. Owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group, the station has studios in the Alexander House Hotel on...

 from Hagerstown, MD. ABB customers also receive three CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 affiliates: WTAJ-TV

WTAJ-TV

WTAJ-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Allegheny area of Pennsylvania that is licensed to Altoona, Pennsylvania. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32. It is owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group...

 from Altoona, PA, WJZ-TV

WJZ-TV

WJZ-TV, channel 13, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Baltimore, Maryland. WJZ-TV's studios and offices are located on Television Hill in the Woodberry section of Baltimore, adjacent to the transmission tower it shares with four other Baltimore...

 from Baltimore, MD, and WUSA (TV)

WUSA (TV)

WUSA is a television station broadcasting on channel 9 in Washington, D.C.. Owned by the Gannett Company, WUSA is an affiliate of the CBS television network, and the longest-tenured affiliate of that network...

 from Washington, DC. ABB customers can also receive two Fox

Fox Broadcasting Company

Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...

 affiliates, WTTG

WTTG

WTTG, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...

-TV from Washington, DC and WWCP-TV

WWCP-TV

WWCP-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Allegheny area of Pennsylvania that is licensed to Johnstown. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter on Laurel Mountain along U.S. 30...

 from Altoona, PA, as well as one ABC

American Broadcasting Company

The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 affiliate, WJLA-TV

WJLA-TV

WJLA-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliated television station in Washington, D.C.. It is the flagship station of the Allbritton Communications Company, which also operates local cable station NewsChannel 8. The two stations share broadcast facilities in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, Virginia...

 from Rosslyn, VA.

Tourism

Tourist attractions in the area include:

• Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
  Western Maryland Scenic Railroad
  The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Cumberland, Maryland. It operates over ex-Western Maryland Railway trackage to Frostburg, Maryland and back using both steam and diesel locomotives....
  
  
• Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
  Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
  The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia. The park was established as a National Monument in 1961 by President Dwight D...
  
   Terminus at Canal Place
• Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
  Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
  The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia. The park was established as a National Monument in 1961 by President Dwight D...
  
   Towpath
• Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland
  Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland
  The Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland is a long rail trail from Cumberland to the Mason-Dixon line, where it meets the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Pennsylvania....
  
  
• Allegany Arts Council
• Rocky Gap State Park
  Rocky Gap State Park
  Rocky Gap State Park is a 3,400 acre park in Allegany County, Maryland. It is seven miles east of Cumberland on Interstate 68 , and is about a two-hour drive from Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
  
  
• Cumberland Narrows
  Cumberland Narrows
  The Cumberland Narrows is a water gap in western Maryland in the United States, just west of Cumberland, Maryland. Wills Creek cuts through the central ridge of the Wills Mountain Anticline at a low elevation here between Wills Mountain to the north and Haystack Mountain to the south...
  
   along Wills Creek
  Wills Creek (North Branch Potomac River)
  Wills Creek is a tributary of the North Branch Potomac River in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the United States.Wills Creek drops off the Allegheny Mountains of southeastern Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and enters the North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland, Maryland.-History:thumb|220px|Fort...
  
  , on Alternate U.S. 40
  U.S. Route 40 Alternate
  U.S. Route 40 Alternate may refer to:*U.S. Route 40 Alternate *U.S. Route 40 Alternate *California State Highway 70, formerly U.S. Route 40 Alternate...
  
  
• New Embassy Theater
  New Embassy Theater
  thumbThe New Embassy Theatre is a performance theater located in the downtown mall of Cumberland, Maryland at 49 Baltimore St. It is currently run by Broadway veteran and Tony nominee Mark Baker...
  
  

Annual and seasonal events

• Heritage Day Festival, Washington St. (Mid June)
• Farmer's Market, every Saturday downtown (From June to November)
• Sunday in the Park: free concerts every Sunday evening in Constitution Park
  Constitution Park (Maryland)
  Constitution Park is located in Cumberland, Maryland, in the East Side Cumberland district. The park has two playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, several pavilions, a duck pond and a public swimming pool. A museum area contains a train caboose, fire truck, airplane and World War II tank...
  
   Amphitheater in South Cumberland, sponsored by the Allegany Arts Council
  Allegany Arts Council
  The Allegany Arts Council is a non-profit organization, located in Allegany County, Maryland.Its mission is to promote awareness, understanding and appreciation of the literary, visual and performing arts in Western Maryland to enhance the quality of life in the area...
  
  . (From May to September)
• Canal/Rail Fest, located at Canel Place (mid July)
• Allegany County Fair and Expo (mid July)
• Homecoming: ALCO v. FHS: First or second weekend before Thanksgiving at Greenway Ave Stadium. Homecoming is the final regular season football game for Cumberland's two public high schools Allegany High School
  Allegany High School
  Allegany High School is a public high school in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. Allegany High School was built as Allegany County High School in 1887, hence it is often referred to as 'Alco'....
  
   and Fort Hill High School
  Fort Hill High School
  Fort Hill High School is a four-year public high school in Cumberland, Maryland, United States, operating under the direction of the Principal Stephen M. Lewis, with about 900 Negro students in grades 9 through 12.-History:...
  
  . Attendance at the game averages between 8,000 - 10,000 (approximately one-half of the population of the city).
• Tri-State Concert Series
  Tri-State Concert Series
  The Tristate Concert Association organizes concerts throughout the year in the greater Cumberland, Maryland region. The concert venue is a tribute to music from the golden age of rock-n-roll, swing, and big-band; as well as popular country and chorial music....
  
   concerts throughout the year from the golden age of rock-n-roll, swing, and big-band as well as popular country and choral music.
• Western Maryland Street Rod Roundup: Over 1000 pre-1949 street rods featuring rod jousting, crafts, food, entertainment, parts vendors, vote for your favorite car. Allegany County Fairgrounds (Labor Day Weekend)
• Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and Open-House: This event centers around the annual lighting of the City Christmas Tree
  Christmas tree
  The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
  
   in the heart of Downtown Cumberland where streets filled with Cumberland residents come to see the mayor throw the switch on the tree and participate in the sights, sounds and joy of the holiday season. During the event there are several live musical performances at prominent businesses in the city center, including holiday choral
  Choir
  A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
  
   and jazz vocal
  Vocal jazz
  Jazz singing can be defined by the instrumental approach to the voice, where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics, improvised or otherwise, or through scat singing; that is, the use of nonsensical meaningless non-morphemic syllables to imitate the sound of...
  
   performances; as well as, galleries exhibiting local artists, including ceramics
  Ceramics (art)
  In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
  
  , photography
  Photography
  Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
  
  , metal sculpture
  Sculpture
  Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
  
  , jewelry and water color
  Watercolor painting
  Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
  
  . (First day after Thanksgiving
  Thanksgiving (United States)
  Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
  
  , aka Black Friday
  Black Friday (shopping)
  Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day, most major retailers open extremely early, often at 4 a.m., or earlier, and offer promotional sales to kick off the shopping season, similar to Boxing...
  
  )
• "The Ball Drop" every New Year's Eve in Downtown Cumberland.
• Bluegrass Jam Session: Every Sunday evening at the Queen City Creamery from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm or later. Free admission.
• The Great Allegany Run: Every October. 15K run from Mount Savage, Maryland
  Mount Savage, Maryland
  Mount Savage is an unincorporated community in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. A small blue-collar community, Mount Savage lies at the base of Big Savage Mountain in the Allegheny Mountains, between the cities of Frostburg and Cumberland...
  
   to Downtown Cumberland; 5K run in Cumberland; 2 miles (3.2 km) walk on C&O Canal; and Kids' Run.
• Halloween Parade: Every October in South Cumberland.
• Homecoming Parade: Every November in downtown Cumberland.
• "Firemans Sportsman Bash

Architecture

Some of Cumberland's most architecturally significant homes are located in the Washington Street Historic District

Washington Street Historic District (Cumberland, Maryland)

The Washington Street Historic District is a national historic district in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. It is an approximately residential area to the west of downtown Cumberland and consists primarily of six blocks of Washington Street...

. Considered the elite residential area when the city was at its economic peak, Washington Street was home to the region's leading citizens including the president of the C&O Canal. Significant public buildings include the Allegany County Courthouse, Allegany County Library, and Emmanuel Episcopal Church, located on the site of Fort Cumberland. It features Gothic Revival architecture with three large Tiffany

Tiffany glass

Tiffany glass refers to the many and varied types of glass developed and produced from 1878 to 1933 at the Tiffany Studios, by Louis Comfort Tiffany....

 windows, fort tunnels, and ammunition magazine cellars.

The 1850 Emmanuel Episcopal Church

Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Cumberland)

thumb|rightThe Emmanuel Episcopal Church of Cumberland, Maryland located in Cumberland's Historic District, is built on the foundations of Fort Cumberland, where George Washington began his military career; earthworks from the fort still lie beneath the church...

, standing at the eastern end of the Washington Street Historic District, is one of Maryland's most outstanding examples of early Gothic Revival architecture

Gothic Revival architecture

The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...

.

The Allegany County Courthouse

Allegany County Courthouse

The Allegany County Courthouse is the Maryland Circuit court for Allegany County, Maryland, United States. It is located in Cumberland's Washington Street Historic District. Although many church spires dot the Cumberland landscape, it is the Allegany County Courthouse that dominates this city's...

 dominates the city's skyline. It was designed in 1893 by local architect Wright Butler

Wright Butler

Wright Butler was a prominent architect in Cumberland, Maryland, United States.Born as the son of a furniture manufacturer, Butler studied architecture at the Maryland Institute of Baltimore for three years beginning in 1888...

.

The Queen City Hotel

Queen City Hotel

The Queen City Hotel was constructed in 1871 by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Cumberland, Maryland to serve both as a train station and as a destination. Hosting 174 rooms, it also had such features as formal gardens with a fountain, a ballroom and 400-seat dining room...

 was built by the B&O during the 1870s. The battle to preserve it was lost when the building was demolished in 1972.

Temple B’er Chayim's

B'er Chayim Temple

The B'er Chayim Temple in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland, was built in 1866 for the local Jewish congregation. Originally Orthodox, it is now Reform...

 1865 gothic revival building is one of the oldest

Oldest synagogues in the United States

The designation of the oldest synagogue in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest congregation...

 surviving synagogue buildings in the United States.

Sister city

• Tapa
  Tapa, Estonia
  Tapa is a town in Lääne-Viru County, Estonia. Located at the junction of the country's Tallinn-Narva and Tallinn-Tartu-Valga railway lines, it is an important centre of transit for freight as well as rail passengers...
  
  , Lääne-Viru County, Estonia
  Estonia
  Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
  
  

Noted residents and natives

• Rebeca Arthur
  Rebeca Arthur
  Rebeca Arthur is an American actress. She is best known as Mary Anne Spencer on Perfect Strangers .-Filmography:* 2000 The Watcher * 1997 Men Seeking Women...
  
   (born 1963) actress (Perfect Strangers (television show), Get Shorty)
• J. Glenn Beall, Jr. (1927–2006) former U.S. Senator
• Rob Breedlove (born 1938) former American Football
  American football
  American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
  
   linebacker who played eight seasons in the National Football League
  National Football League
  The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
  
   with the Washington Redskins
  Washington Redskins
  The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
  
   and the Pittsburgh Steelers
  Pittsburgh Steelers
  The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
  
   from 1960 to 1967
• Wright Butler
  Wright Butler
  Wright Butler was a prominent architect in Cumberland, Maryland, United States.Born as the son of a furniture manufacturer, Butler studied architecture at the Maryland Institute of Baltimore for three years beginning in 1888...
  
   architect of Allegany Courthouse
• Kia Corthron
  Kia Corthron
  Kia Corthron is an American playwright, activist, and television writer. She wrote an episode of The Wire entitled, "Know Your Place", as well as an episode of The Jury called, "Lamentation on the Reservation".-Biography:...
  
   (born 1961) playwright, screenwriter, attended Allegany High School
• James Deetz
  James Deetz
  James Deetz was an American anthropologist, often known as one of the fathers of historical archaeology. His work focused on culture change and the cultural aspects inherent in the historic and archaeological record, and was concerned primarily with the Massachusetts and Virginia colonies...
  
   (1930–2000) father of historical archeology
• Eddie Deezen
  Eddie Deezen
  Eddie Deezen is an American character actor, voice actor and comedian, best known for his bit parts as nerd characters in 1970s and 1980s films such as Grease, Grease 2, Midnight Madness, 1941 and WarGames, as well as for larger roles in a number of independent cult films, including Surf II: The...
  
   (born 1958) comic actor
• Patrick Hamill
  Patrick Hamill
  Patrick Hamill was a U.S. Congressman from the fourth district of Maryland, serving one term from 1869—1871....
  
   (1817–1895), U.S. Congressman for Maryland's 4th District
  Maryland's 4th congressional district
  Maryland's 4th congressional district comprises portions of Prince George's and Montgomery County. The seat is currently represented by Donna Edwards, a Democrat, who has represented the district since 2008....
  
   1869-1871, buried in Odd Fellow's Cemetery
• Drew Hankinson
  Drew Hankinson
  Andrew "Drew" Hankinson is an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment , where he appeared under the ring names Festus and Luke Gallows...
  
   (born 1983), wrestles for the World Wrestling Entertainment
  World Wrestling Entertainment
  World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
  
   as Festus
  Drew Hankinson
  Andrew "Drew" Hankinson is an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment , where he appeared under the ring names Festus and Luke Gallows...
  
  
• Tom Hull
  Tom Hull (American football)
  Tom Hull is a former linebacker in the National Football League.-Career:Hull was drafted in the twelfth round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and played that season with the team. The following season he played with the Green Bay Packers....
  
   (born 1952) former American football linebacker who played two seasons in the National Football League with the San Francisco 49ers
  San Francisco 49ers
  The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
  
   and the Green Bay Packers
  Green Bay Packers
  The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
  
   in 1974 and 1975
• William H. Macy
  William H. Macy
  William Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
  
   (born 1950) actor, attended Allegany High School. While at Allegany High School William was a junior and senior class president of his graduating class.
• Mark Manges
  Mark Manges
  Mark Roy Manges is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.-College career:...
  
   (born 1956) quarterback for the University of Maryland, College Park
  University of Maryland, College Park
  The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
  
   (1974–77), appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
  Sports Illustrated
  Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
  
  magazine Oct 1976 issue
• John Van Lear McMahon
  John Van Lear McMahon
  John Van Lear McMahon, lawyer, was born in Maryland in 1800, received his education equipment at Princeton, studied law and achieved eminence at the Maryland Bar. On account of his oratorical gifts, he wielded an influence of wide extent on the politics as a state legislature...
  
   (1800–1871) Maryland legislature and historian
• Kelly L. Moran
  Kelly L. Moran
  Kelly L. Moran is an American artist, author, and builder. The Washington Times newspaper wrote "she is also one heck of a designer." She has a degree in Fine Arts from Frostburg State University graduating in 1982 and continually trains at the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore, Maryland,...
  
   (born 1960) author of the book Shelley Chintz which was published in 2001 ISBN 0-9676925-0-4. Designer/Builder of the Stone Cottage
  Stone Cottage
  The Stone Cottage, an architecturally significant structure, is a Country-French inspired home near Cumberland, Maryland, designed and built by Kelly L. Moran...
  
  . Attended Bruce High School.
• Sam Perlozzo
  Sam Perlozzo
  Samuel Benedict Perlozzo is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball, most recently with the Baltimore Orioles...
  
   (born 1951) former Major League Baseball
  Major League Baseball
  Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
  
   player and former manager of the Baltimore Orioles
  Baltimore Orioles
  The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
  
   (2005–2007) attended Bishop Walsh High School
  Bishop Walsh School
  Bishop Walsh School is a K-12 Catholic school located in Cumberland, Maryland, and under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Approximately 600 students attend. The school also hosts a pre-K program and operates the St...
  
  
• Bruce Price
  Bruce Price
  Bruce Price was the American architect of many of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Château-type stations and hotels...
  
   (1845–1903) architect of Cumberland Emmanuel Church
• Rosenbaum
  Rosenbaum
  Rosenbaum is a surname of German and Yiddish origin, which translates as "rose bush". It is the surname of several people:*Al Rosenbaum, American artist and cofounder of the Virginia Holocaust Museum...
  
   founders of Rosenbaum Brothers Department Store
  Rosenbaum Brothers Department Store
  Rosenbaum Brothers Department Store in its prime was one of the largest department stores between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1848 in the City of Cumberland, Maryland along Baltimore Street, the Rosenbaum Department store once employed over 200 people...
  
   in 1849
• Casper R. Taylor, Jr (born 1934), Member of House of Delegates 1975-2003, Speaker of House 1994-2003
• George L. Wellington (1852–1927) Former United States Senator
• Steve Whiteman- Singer of 80s metal band KIX
• Jane Frazier
  Jane Frazier
  Jane Frazier was a woman captured by the Indians in the 18th century. She lived in a log house built in 1754 just beyond the Cumberland, Maryland city limits. On October 1, 1755, while returning to her home from the Fort Cumberland Trading Post several miles away, Jane was captured by Indians and...
  
   lived in a log house built in 1754 just beyond the Cumberland city limits. It was while returning to her home from the Fort Cumberland
  Fort Cumberland (Maryland)
  thumb|380px|Fort Cumberland, 1755 Fort Cumberland was an 18th century frontier fort at the current site of Cumberland, Maryland, USA...
  
   Trading Post several miles away that Jane was captured by Indians and taken to the Great Miami River
  Great Miami River
  The Great Miami River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long, in southwestern Ohio in the United States...
  
   in Ohio. A Frazier family member later wrote a book about the incident call "Red Morning"
• Indian Will
  Indian Will
  Indian Will is a well-known Native American who lived in a former settlement of the Shawnee Indians at the site of prevent day Cumberland, Maryland in the 18th century. This site was abandoned by the Shawnee's prior to the first white settlers arriving in the region, however 'Indian Will' stayed...
  
   a well-known Native American
  Native Americans in the United States
  Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
  
   who lived in a former settlement of the Shawnee Indians at the site of present day Cumberland, Maryland in the 18th century. Both Wills Creek
  Wills Creek (North Branch Potomac River)
  Wills Creek is a tributary of the North Branch Potomac River in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the United States.Wills Creek drops off the Allegheny Mountains of southeastern Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and enters the North Branch Potomac River at Cumberland, Maryland.-History:thumb|220px|Fort...
  
   and Wills Mountain
  Wills Mountain
  Wills Mountain is a quartzite-capped ridge in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania and Maryland, USA, extending from near Bedford, Pennsylvania to near Cumberland, Maryland...
  
   are named after him.
• Frederick John Bahr
  Frederick John Bahr
  Frederick John Bahr was an inventor from Baden-Wuerttemburg, Germany, who eventually settled on top of Wills Mountain in Cumberland, Maryland....
  
   (1837–1885) an immigrant from Baden, Germany, who bought Wills Mountain
  Wills Mountain
  Wills Mountain is a quartzite-capped ridge in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania and Maryland, USA, extending from near Bedford, Pennsylvania to near Cumberland, Maryland...
  
   including the narrows and Lovers Leap to avoid the encroachment of the Civil War and settled there with his family in a cabin on the top of the mountain.
• J. V. Cunningham
  J. V. Cunningham
  James Vincent Cunningham was an American poet, literary critic, and teacher. Sometimes described as a neo-classicist or anti-modernist, his poetry was distinguished by its clarity, its brevity, and its traditional formality of rhyme and rhythm at a time when many American poets were breaking away...
  
   (1911–1985). poet, writer, and professor for Standford University. Born in Cumberland. (See Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Poetry, page 110)
• Edward Otho Cresap Ord
  Edward Ord
  Edward Otho Cresap Ord was the designer of Fort Sam Houston, and a United States Army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars, and the American Civil War. He commanded an army during the final days of the Civil War, and was instrumental in forcing the surrender of Confederate...
  
   (1818–1883). Born in Cumberland. He was the designer of Fort Sam Houston
  Fort Sam Houston
  Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
  
  , and a U.S. Army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars
  Indian Wars
  American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
  
  , and the American 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...
  
  
• Samuel Magill
  Samuel Magill
  Samuel Magill was the second mayor of Cumberland, Maryland from 1823 to 1824.In 1812, Magill established one of the first newspapers in Cumberland, the Allegany Freeman. This newspaper was Democratic in politics and featured news about the War of 1812, politics, and advertisements...
  
  , established the first newspaper in Cumberland the Allegany Freeman published weekly from 1813 to 1816 (See Lowdermilk, page 301)
• List of mayors of Cumberland, Maryland
• Francis Xavier Seelos
  Francis Xavier Seelos
  Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos was a German-American Roman Catholic priest and Redemptorist missionary....
  
  (1819–1867), pastor of SS. Peter & Paul's Catholic Church 1857-1862, beatified by the Vatican in 2000 (final stage of canonization process)

External links

• Cumberland, Maryland municipal government
• Downtown Cumberland, Maryland