Bladensburg

History

Originally called Garrison's Landing, Bladensburg was renamed in honor of Thomas Bladen, governor of Maryland, 1742–1747. Bladensburg was established in 1742 as a regional commercial center by an act of the Maryland General Assembly. The act also authorized the town commissioners to purchase of land to be laid out in lots. The act required that a house covering at least of ground with a brick or stone chimney be constructed within 18 months of the sale of the lot. As of June 6, 1746, only 18 of the lots had been improved according to the stipulations of the act. Christopher Lowndes' house, Bostwick, and those built by David Ross and William Hilleary (the William Hilleary House) were among them. With the establishment in 1747 of a government tobacco inspection system, Bladensburg became a designated tobacco inspection and grading port. The Market Master's House is evidence of that role. The town was a seaport during the colonial period. Bladensburg is best remembered for the Battle of Bladensburg (1814) during the War of 1812, the only battle in US history in which a sitting president (James Madison) rode into battle. The U.S. defeat in the battle, called "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms", cleared the way for the burning of Washington by British troops. Its role as a seaport faded as the Anacostia River silted up and larger ships could no longer reach the port. However, the town remained an important crossroads of routes north to Baltimore and Philadelphia, south and east to the towns of Annapolis and Upper Marlboro, and west to the District of Columbia. The original terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was Bladensburg, forcing all passengers intended for Washington to board carriages to continue on into the city. A sharp decline of…

Geography

Bladensburg is located at (38.941428, −76.930053). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The community is home to the "Bladensburg Waterfront Park" at the confluence of the Northeast Branch and Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River. * Edmonston (northwest) * Hyattsville (northwest) * Rogers Heights (northeast) * Riverdale (northeast) * Cottage City (southwest) * Colmar Manor (southwest) * Cheverly (southeast) * Tuxedo (south) * Woodlawn (east) * Landover Hills (east)

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• High Point High
  High · Beltsville · 3,003 students · 18.4:1 ratio
• Charles Herbert Flowers High
  High · Springdale · 2,569 students · 21.1:1 ratio
• Parkdale High
  High · Riverdale · 2,561 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Eleanor Roosevelt High
  High · Greenbelt · 2,526 students · 20.7:1 ratio
• Duval High
  High · Lanham · 2,503 students · 19.7:1 ratio
• Northwestern High
  High · Hyattsville · 2,346 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Bladensburg High
  High · Bladensburg · 2,164 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Suitland High
  High · Suitland · 1,834 students · 14.4:1 ratio