Sandy Hook

History

Sandy Hook was briefly important as, for a few years, it was the end of the line for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then under construction. This period ended with the B & O Railroad Potomac River Crossing opening in 1837. During John Brown's 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, just to the west, across the bridge, a special train that had carried soldiers was parked at Sandy Hook. It carried the telegraph that reporters used to send out voluminous stories. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad night watchman Patrick Higgins (1832- 1915) lived in Sandy Hook from 1853 until 1915. At his death, he was the longest-tenured Baltimore and Ohio Railroad employee. Patrick has been written about extensively for his role in John Brown's Raid of 1859.

Geography

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

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  16,061
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  14,788
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  12,413
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,138
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  11,794
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  11,450
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,557
• Eastern Bluebird

  Sialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,427

Largest nearby schools

• Sharpsburg Elementary
  Elementary · Sharpsburg · 349 students · 20.5:1 ratio
• Pleasant Valley Elementary
  Elementary · Knoxville · 212 students · 15.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-10-27
  4 km E of Riverside, Maryland
• M 2.6 — 2021-06-25
  2 km SE of Woodlawn, Maryland
• M 2.81 — 2019-09-15
  5 km ESE of East Berlin, Pennsylvania
• M 3.03 — 2016-01-17
  3 km NE of Ranson, West Virginia
• M 3.6 — 2010-07-16
  5 km NNW of Barnesville, Maryland