Berwyn Heights is a town in

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. Per the 2020 census, the population was 3,345. It is bordered by College Park to the west,

Greenbelt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which h ...

to the northeast, and Riverdale Park to the south.

History

Beginning in the 1870s, the area northeast of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

was the scene of active and continuous development as the population of the city increased and railroad suburbs such as Berwyn Heights, originally platted as Charlton Heights, gradually grew and expanded around it. The O'Dea House, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, is one of the homes that was erected in 1888 by the Charlton Heights Improvement Company to spur development in the new subdivision. In 1896, it became the seventh incorporated municipality in Prince George's County. In 1967, it adopted its town seal, which contains three acorns. In 1986, it was awarded the Tree City USA title.

Historic sites

A group of the remaining original houses is located around Ruatan Street. Four of the houses were built from mail-order plans made by R. W. Shoppell's Cooperative Building Plan Association of New York City. The following is a partial list of historic sites in Berwyn Heights 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 ...

Geography

Berwyn Heights is located at (38.993810, -76.912344). According to the

United States 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 ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

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.''

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 3,123 people, 1,002 households, and 681 families in the town. The population density was . There were 1,051 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 56.0% White, 15.1% African American, 0.8% Native American, 8.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 14.4% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.1%. Of the 1,002 households 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.0% were non-families. 20.1% of households were one person and 7.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.42. The median age in the town was 34.9 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 10.8% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.4% male and 47.6% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 2,942 people, 1,022 households, and 713 families in the town. The population density was . There were 1,047 housing units at an average density of . The

of the town was 71.79% White, 12.00% African American, 0.54% Native American, 8.57% Asian, 8.23% Hispanic or Latino, 4.38% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. of the population. Of the 1,022 households 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 19.3% of households were one person and 7.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.19. The age distribution was 20.9% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males. The median household income was $65,744 and the median family income was $69,013. Males had a median income of $42,525 versus $34,831 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,793. About 0.9% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 0.5% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Berwyn Heights is served by the

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 ...

: Berwyn Heights Elementary School, which is located in Berwyn Heights, Greenbelt Middle School (

), and

Parkdale High School Parkdale High School (PHS) is a public high school located in Riverdale Park, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools system. Enrollment was 2,354 students in grades nine through twelve as of 2020. Parkd ...

( Riverdale Park).

Transportation

The only state highway providing direct access to Berwyn Heights is

Maryland Route 193 Maryland Route 193 (MD 193) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as University Boulevard and Greenbelt Road, the state highway runs from MD 185 in Kensington east to MD 202 north of Upper Marlboro. ...

(Greenbelt Road). MD 193 connects eastward to

and westward to College Park. Just east of the town limits, MD 193 has a junction with

Maryland Route 201 Maryland Route 201 (MD 201) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Kenilworth Avenue, the highway runs from the District of Columbia boundary in Tuxedo, where the highway continues south as District ...

(Kenilworth Avenue), which provides access to

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

/ Interstate 495 (the Capital Beltway), D.C. Route 295 (the Kenilworth Avenue Freeway), and

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...

(John Hanson Highway).

Government

The town council consists of five members, who are elected every two years on an at-large plurality voting basis, to govern the town of Berwyn Heights. The member of the council who received the most votes during the election becomes mayor. The mayor serves as the head of the government and presides at all council meetings, but in other respects is an equal member of the Council. The mayor pro tempore assumes the mayoral duties in the absence of the mayor. The current mayor is Amanda Dewey. The town manager is Laura Allen. The town has a police department, a public works department, a code enforcement department, and an administration department.

Past Mayors

*1948–1952 Robert F. Burnette *1952–1954 Charles G. Durbin *1954–1956 Robert F. Burnette *1956–1958 John P. Wintermoyer *1958–1960 H. Dale Smith *1960–1962 Clinton D. Walker *1962–1966 George E. Lauterbach *1966–1968 Kenneth C. Styers *1968–1972 Harry L. Ballew *1972–1974 George E. Lauterbach *1974–1976 Jadie B. Mc Dougald, first elected mayor after change from commissioner government to mayor and council form of government. *1976–1978 Harry L. Ballew *1978–1980 Jadie B. Mc Dougald *1980–1982 Howard G. Wood *1982–1992 William T. Armistead, Jr. *1992–1998 Thomas J. Love *1998–2000 William T. Armistead, Jr. *2000–2001 Tawanna P. Gaines *2001–2002 Ronald M. Shane *2002–2003 Bradley S. Jewitt *2003–2004 Patricia D. Dennison *2004–2015 Cheye M. Calvo *2015–2016 Jodie Kulpa-Eddy *2016–2018 Cheryl Jewitt *2018 Christopher J. Rasmussen (May 9 to July 16, 2018, resigned) *2018 Lynn White (July 16, 2018 to Dec. 6, 2018, resigned) *2018–2020 Stephen Isler *2020–Present Amanda Dewey

Taxation

At 53 cents per $100 per assessed value, Berwyn Heights has one of the lower real property tax rates in Prince George's County. In 2005, the town became the first municipality in Maryland to establish a public safety taxing district, after it was authorized by the general assembly. The district imposes a special tax on businesses to fund the cost of one full-time officer and helps maintain around the clock police coverage.

County 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 1 Station in

Hyattsville Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, and also a close, urban suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 21,187 at the 2020 United States Census. History Before Europeans reached the area, the upper A ...

serves Berwyn Heights.District 1 Station - Hyattsville

. Retrieved on September 9, 2018
Beat map

Civic activities

The town also benefits from numerous town committees and organizations. The town, as of October 2008, has joined a State Retirement Pension, for its employees, and police officers. This was done in order to try to compete and to retain the police officers. Sports Park, which is the home of a Berwyn Heights civic group, is located by Indian Creek. Berwyn Heights Day is a yearly event that celebrates the founding of the town.

References

External links

*

at the ''Maryland State Archives'' *
Berwyn Heights Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) records
at the

University of Maryland libraries The University of Maryland Libraries is the largest university library in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore area. The university's library system includes eight libraries: six are located on the College Park campus, while the Severn Library, an of ...

. Records of an elementary school association in Berwyn Heights.