Aquasco is an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

in southeastern

Prince George's County ) , demonym = Prince Georgian , ZIP codes = 20607–20774 , area codes = 240, 301 , founded date = April 23 , founded year = 1696 , named for = Prince George of Denmark , leader_title = Executive , leader_name = Angela D. Alsobrook ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, United States, surrounding the town of Eagle Harbor and bordering

Charles County Charles County is a county in Southern Maryland. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 166,617. The county seat is La Plata, Maryland, La Plata. The county was named for Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, Charle ...

. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 913. Aquasco was home to the

Aquasco Speedway Aquasco Speedway, no longer in operation, was the first quarter-mile dragstrip on the United States East Coast. It was built in the mid-1950s and was home to the President's Cup Nationals, which are now held at Maryland International Raceway. ...

Geography

Aquasco occupies the southeastern corner of Prince George's County and is centered on the intersection of

Maryland Route 381 Maryland Route 381 (MD 381) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Brandywine Road, the highway runs from Maryland Route 231, MD 231 at Patuxent, Maryland, Patuxent north to U.S. Route 301 in Maryland, U.S. Route 301 (US 301) ...

, Aquasco Road, and Maryland Route 233, Dr. Bowen Road. The

Patuxent River The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington, D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast ...

forms the eastern boundary of the community. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total area of , of which was land and , or 10.55%, was water, consisting primarily of the Patuxent River. The Aquasco CDP contains the

Chalk Point Generating Station The Chalk Point Generating Station is an electricity-generating plant, comprising oil and natural gas fired units, owned by NRG Energy, located near the town of Eagle Harbor, Maryland, United States, on the Patuxent River. Plant operator GenOn En ...

and surrounds the tiny incorporated town of Eagle Harbor.

Demographics

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

History

Aquasco is named for a nearby tract first surveyed and patented in 1650. The name is derived from the Native American name ''Aquascake''. Located between Swanson's Creek and the Patuxent River, the community developed as an agricultural center for the production of

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

. The main roads connecting the widely scattered tobacco

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

s were established in the 18th century and, in the early 19th century, the village of Woodville began to form. It was named after the Wood family, early settlers of Aquasco. By mid-century, the village had a grist mill, several small stores, a tavern, blacksmith, school, post office, and Methodist and Episcopal churches.M-NCPPC African-American Heritage Survey, October 1996: Properties Within or Closely Associated With Historic Communities (Prince George's County, Maryland), 1996
Because of the number of plantations, the slave population was relatively high in this section of Prince George's County. The

Freedmen's Bureau The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was an agency of early Reconstruction, assisting freedmen in the South. It was established on March 3, 1865, and operated briefly as a ...

established a school at Woodville in 1867. The school later became home to

John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church at 101 E. Court Street in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. The church was founded in 1866 by James R. Rosemond, who was a former slave. It was originally named Silver Hill Un ...

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

also worshiped at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, established in 1848 as a mission church of St. Paul's Parish Church, which later became St. Phillip's Episcopal Church.

Historic sites

The following is a list of historic sites in Aquasco identified by the

Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is a bi-county agency that administers parks and planning in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland. History The commission was formed in 1927 by the Maryland G ...

Government

Prince George's County Police Department The Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD) is the primary law enforcement agency in Prince George's County, Maryland in the United States, servicing a population of over 900,000 residents and visitors within 498 square miles (1,290&n ...

District 5 Station in Clinton CDP serves the community. The

U.S. Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...

operates the Aquasco Post Office.AQUASCO
"

. Retrieved on September 11, 2018. "22503 AQUASCO RD AQUASCO, MD 20608-9998"

Education

Aquasco residents are assigned to schools in

Prince George's County Public Schools Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is a large public school district administered by the government of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, and is overseen by the Maryland State Department of Education. The school system is ...

.2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): Aquasco CDP, MD
"

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

. Retrieved on September 2, 2018. Pages
1234
an
5
Residential areas of the CDP area are zoned to Baden Elementary School,NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019
"

. Retrieved on September 2, 2018. Gwynn Park Middle School,NEIGHBORHOOD MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019
"

. Retrieved on September 2, 2018. and

Gwynn Park High School Gwynn Park High School (GPHS) is in Brandywine census-designated place, Prince George's County, Maryland,NEIGHBORHOOD HIGH SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019
"

. Retrieved on September 2, 2018.

Notable person

Leonard Covington Leonard Wailes Covington (October 30, 1768 – November 14, 1813) was a United States Army brigadier general and a member of the United States House of Representatives. Biography Born in Aquasco, Prince George's County, in what was then the Bri ...

, American brigadier general and member of the House of Representatives from Maryland

References

External links

Villa de Alpacas Farm at Historic Villa De Sales circa 1877, Aquasco, MD

St. Dominic Catholic Mission Church circa 1879, Aquasco, MD

Detailed history of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Aquasco, MD

{{authority control Census-designated places in Maryland Census-designated places in Prince George's County, Maryland