Muirkirk, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Muirkirk is an unincorporated area
in northern Prince George's County
, Maryland
, United States
, located between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
in the central part of the state.
It is located along U.S. 1
between Beltsville
and Laurel
. It has a stop on the MARC
commuter rail (on the Camden line).
. After the conflict began, the US government hired a manager from the North to ensure the works were kept under federal control.
Located along Old Muirkirk Road near Muirkirk station is the historic African-American community of Rossville, originally composed mostly of families of men who labored at the ironworks. It has existed for more than 100 years. In 1868 after the Civil War, six black men purchased property for a church and cemetery, forming the Queens Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church
in the rural enclave colloquially referred to as "Swamp Poodle." Part of the property was already in use as a burial ground. They intended to use the church building, originally a small log structure, as a school for their children. This was the start of a postwar cohesive black community in which freedmen established a church independent of white supervision.
Around 1885, the estate of landowner Mark Duvall, who owned considerable property in the Vansville
area, provided for the sale of 28.5 acres (115,335.5 m²) just east of Queen's Chapel. The twelve lots made available were quickly settled by African Americans, many of whom worked at nearby Muirkirk Furnace. Augustus Ross, after whom the community was named, built one of the first houses.
The largest lot was purchased by Rebecca Lodge #6, Benevolent Sons and Daughters of Abraham, a black fraternal organization whose members established the historic Abraham Hall
. The lodge hall functioned for years as the community school for black children, as the state had segregated
facilities. In 1922 the black community raised matching funds and gained white school board members' approval to build a Rosenwald School
to improve the educational facilities for black children. Historically black schools were underfunded.
:
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...
in northern Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, 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...
, located between Baltimore 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....
in the central part of the state.
It is located along U.S. 1
U.S. Route 1 in Maryland
U.S. Route 1 is the easternmost and longest of the major north–south routes of the United States Numbered Highway System, running from Key West, Florida to Fort Kent, Maine. In the U.S...
between Beltsville
Beltsville, Maryland
Beltsville is a census-designated place in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,691 at the 2000 census. Beltsville includes the unincorporated community of Vansville.-Geography:...
and Laurel
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
. It has a stop on the MARC
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
commuter rail (on the Camden line).
History
Muirkirk was the historic location of Muirkirk Furnace, from which the area takes its name. The ironworks were established before the American Civil WarAmerican 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...
. After the conflict began, the US government hired a manager from the North to ensure the works were kept under federal control.
Located along Old Muirkirk Road near Muirkirk station is the historic African-American community of Rossville, originally composed mostly of families of men who labored at the ironworks. It has existed for more than 100 years. In 1868 after the Civil War, six black men purchased property for a church and cemetery, forming the Queens Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
in the rural enclave colloquially referred to as "Swamp Poodle." Part of the property was already in use as a burial ground. They intended to use the church building, originally a small log structure, as a school for their children. This was the start of a postwar cohesive black community in which freedmen established a church independent of white supervision.
Around 1885, the estate of landowner Mark Duvall, who owned considerable property in the Vansville
Beltsville, Maryland
Beltsville is a census-designated place in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,691 at the 2000 census. Beltsville includes the unincorporated community of Vansville.-Geography:...
area, provided for the sale of 28.5 acres (115,335.5 m²) just east of Queen's Chapel. The twelve lots made available were quickly settled by African Americans, many of whom worked at nearby Muirkirk Furnace. Augustus Ross, after whom the community was named, built one of the first houses.
The largest lot was purchased by Rebecca Lodge #6, Benevolent Sons and Daughters of Abraham, a black fraternal organization whose members established the historic Abraham Hall
Abraham Hall (Beltsville, Maryland)
Abraham Hall, constructed in 1889, is located on the northeast side of Old Muirkirk Road in the center of the historic African American community of Rossville, a section of Beltsville in Prince George's County, Maryland....
. The lodge hall functioned for years as the community school for black children, as the state had segregated
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
facilities. In 1922 the black community raised matching funds and gained white school board members' approval to build a Rosenwald School
Rosenwald School
A Rosenwald School was the name informally applied to over five thousand schools, shops, and teachers' homes in the United States which were built primarily for the education of African-Americans in the early twentieth century. The need arose from the chronic underfunding of public education for...
to improve the educational facilities for black children. Historically black schools were underfunded.
Historic sites
The following is a list of historic sites in Rossville, near Muirkirk, identified by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning CommissionMaryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is a bi-county agency that administers parks and planning in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland.-History:...
:
| Site Name | Image | Location | M-NCPPC Inventory Number | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abraham Hall Abraham Hall (Beltsville, Maryland) Abraham Hall, constructed in 1889, is located on the northeast side of Old Muirkirk Road in the center of the historic African American community of Rossville, a section of Beltsville in Prince George's County, Maryland.... |
 |
7612 Old Muirkirk Rd. | 62-023-07 | Located at Rossville. 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... , 2005-03-14 |
| 2 | Thomas Matthews House | 7700 Old Muirkirk Road | 62-23-17 | Located at Rossville. | |
| 3 | Muirkirk School | 7813 Muirkirk Road | 62-23-20 | Located at Rossville. | |
| 4 | Queen's Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church Site and Cemetery | 7410 Old Muirkirk Road | 62-23-21 | Located at Rossville. |