Mercersville

History

The community of Mercersville, more popularly known today as Taylor's Landing, is located on the third land patent surveyed in what would eventually become Washington County, Maryland. Maj. Edward Sprigg's "Sprigg's Delight" would eventually encompass much of the land from here to near Sharpsburg, but the original is noted in the 1734 survey as "below the fording place of Charles Anderson." Charles Anderson received a patent in Terrapin Neck on the Virginia side of the Potomac this same year. A court order for a new road in 1838 refers to the location as "Zook's Landing." Since the C&O Canal was still under construction at the time and had only reached the area a few years earlier, it is thought this is a reference to the area being used by boatmen of the earlier Patomack Company. Further evidence pointing to a Patowmack Company port is that Henry Zook, operator of Zook's Landing, died in 1825, before the canal was incorporated. He is buried at Salem Lutheran Church cemetery at nearby Bakersville. There remains today an ancient iron ring affixed to the bedrock between the boat ramps at Taylor's Landing, long rumored to be a relic of the Patomack Company days. After the establishment of the C&O Canal the area became locally important as both a shipping and receiving point as well as the home port of many boatmen who lived nearby. The name Mercersville was given in honor of Charles F. Mercer, the first president of the C&O Canal Company. The popular name of Taylor's Landing is credited to John William "Jack" Taylor (1868–1948) who operated a store adjacent to the wharf for many years. During the mid to late 19th century, many of the residents of Bakersville miles away are listed as employed on the canal. Closer, on a now lost road between Bakersville and…

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the community has an area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• South Hagerstown High
  High · Hagerstown · 1,487 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• Williamsport High
  High · Williamsport · 959 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• E. Russell Hicks Middle
  Middle · Hagerstown · 824 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Springfield Middle
  Middle · Williamsport · 748 students · 15.3:1 ratio
• Boonsboro High
  High · Boonsboro · 747 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Rockland Woods Elementary
  Elementary · Hagerstown · 625 students · 16:1 ratio
• Boonsboro Middle
  Middle · Boonsboro · 610 students · 13.9:1 ratio
• Ruth Ann Monroe Primary
  Elementary · Hagerstown · 567 students · 13.2:1 ratio