Clarksburg

History

Clarksburg is named for trader John Clarke, and was established at the intersection of the main road between Georgetown and Frederick and an old Seneca trail. One of its earliest white inhabitants was a man named Michael Ashford Dowden, who in 1752 received a patent for from the colonial government called "Hammer Hill", and two years later permission to build an inn. The inn itself is a footnote in history, hosting the army of General Edward Braddock during the French and Indian War, serving as a meeting place for local Sons of Liberty in the years before the American Revolution, and possibly serving dinner to President Andrew Jackson on his way to his inauguration. Jamie, grandson of the trader, built a general store in the area around 1770, and over the next thirty years enough people moved to the area that Clark was appointed postmaster for the community. By 1875, Clarksburg was a major town in the northern part of the county, but the construction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad undermined its economy. In 1964, the Montgomery County planning commission decided that Clarksburg would be the last community along Interstate 270 that would have large-scale development. The Montgomery County Council adopted a master plan for Clarksburg in 1968, which rezoned land for a mix of townhouses and single-family houses. Another master plan was adopted in 1994. A Harris Teeter-anchored shopping center opened in 2013, and a large mall called Clarksburg Premium Outlets opened in October 2016. The shopping complex has over 90 stores and provides jobs for the region. In June 2015, the Clarksburg Chamber of Commerce held a contest and chose a flag designed by Shaneea Peek. The inspiration of the flag was derived from Dowden's Ordinary which is a historic landmark of the community…

Geography

As an unincorporated area, Clarksburg's boundaries are not officially defined. Clarksburg is, however, recognized by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place, and by the United States Geological Survey as a populated place. According to the United States Census Bureau, it has a total area of , of which is land and (1.82%) is water. Roads in Clarksburg include MD 355, I-270, and MD 121.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Northwest High
  High · Germantown · 2,484 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• Gaithersburg High
  High · Gaithersburg · 2,436 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• Clarksburg High
  High · Clarksburg · 2,251 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• Seneca Valley High
  High · Germantown · 2,239 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Quince Orchard High
  High · Gaithersburg · 2,154 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Watkins Mill High
  High · Gaithersburg · 1,715 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Damascus High
  High · Damascus · 1,414 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• Poolesville High
  High · Poolesville · 1,309 students · 18.4:1 ratio