Boonsboro is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, located at the foot of South Mountain. It nearly borders Frederick County and is proximate to the Antietam National Battlefield. The population was 3,779 at the 2020 census.

History

Local lore asserts Boonsboro was founded by George Boone, a cousin of Daniel Boone, and was originally named "Margaretsville" after his wife, Margaret. The town was incorporated as Boonesborough in 1831. Local newspapers and villagers preferred the name Boonsboro. The former name was used on some documents as late as 1903. Boonsboro was a key town during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. Two battles were fought in its present borders. The town was also used to keep wounded soldiers after the Battle of Antietam in September 1862. Southeast of the town was the site of the Battle of South Mountain. Boonsboro lies on what used to be the National Road. Today it is known as either the Old National Pike or Alt-U.S. 40. In Boonsboro, it is Main Street. The route was originally established as a road improvement project in 1758 to shorten travel between Fredericktown and Fort Frederick during the Seven Years' War. The route began from the existing (old) road at today's Marker road, passed through Turner's Gap, Boonsboro and turned west along today's MD. Rt. 68 to Williamsport. The route from Boonsboro to Funkstown was later adopted as part of the National Turnpike route. The town suffered a fire at the former Asaro's (its successor Vesta moved to the building across) in 2007, and another fire at the former inn in 2008. That fire completely gutted the inn, which was on the verge of being renovated and reopened. The Inn BoonsBoro finally opened a year later; it is owned by best-selling romance novelist Nora Roberts. Recently, Boonsboro gained national attention as a literary and tourist destination due to the influence of the novelist. Apart from owning the inn, Nora Roberts has also revitalized serval businesses in town such as a gift shop and a bookstore, establishing attention from fans and visitors across the country. The Boonsboro Historic District, Bowman House, Ingram-Schipper Farm, Keedy House, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continen ...

are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Boonsboro is the starting point for the JFK 50 mile race held every year in November.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 3,336 people, 1,237 households, and 879 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 1,327 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.1%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.1% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.5% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population. There were 1,237 households, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.9% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age in the town was 40.8 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,803 people, 1,068 households, and 723 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,109 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.04%

, 0.75%

, 0.11% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.04%

, 0.14% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population. There were 1,068 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.04. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $40,476, and the median income for a family was $48,155. Males had a median income of $37,683 versus $25,673 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $19,430. About 7.8% of families and 7.9% 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 ...

, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Boonsboro has a seven-member Town Council, which serves as the legislative body of the Town. In Boonsboro, from 1831 through 1939, Mayors (originally called Burgesses) were elected annually. From 1940 through 1975, they served two-year terms. Since 1976, Mayors have been chosen for four-year terms, except for the previous mayor, who had been in office from 1988 through 2016. Boonsboro's current mayor is Howard W. Long. Previous Mayors include: * 1831–1835 Jonathan Shafer * 1835–1836 David Brookhart * 1836–1837 Lewis Fletcher * 1837–1838 Joseph O'neal * 1838–1839 Anthony McBride * 1839–1840 Joseph Knox * 1840–1841 Charles Perry * 1841–1843 Jacob Smith * 1843–1845 James Chambers * 1845–1846 Andrew Newcomer * 1846–1847 Lewis Fletcher * 1847–1848 James Chambers * 1848–1850 David Gilbert * 1850–1851 David H. Keedy * 1851–1852 J. C. Brining * 1852–1853 William H. Miller * 1853–1854 P. B. Stuffing * 1854–1855 J. C. Brining * 1855–1856 John Stonesifer * 1856–1857 Lauton Miller * 1857–1859 James Chambers * 1859–1862 Joseph O'helper * 1862–1864 James Chambers * 1864–1865 George Numan * 1865–1867 Josiah Knodle * 1867–1868 Jacob Blecman * 1868–1869 David Schlosser * 1869–1872 John H. Smith * 1872–1874 Anslem Watery * 1874–1876 Elias Cost * 1876–1877 George Hoffmeister * 1877–1880 William Welck * 1880–1881 Thomas E. Smith * 1881–1882 John Murdock * 1882–1883 George Nyman * 1883–1885 John H. Lakin * 1885–1886 John C. Brining * 1886–1887 William E. Itnyre * 1887–1888 A. M. V. B. Deaner * 1888–1889 Frank Smith * 1889–1891 John R. Fletcher * 1891–1892 John E. Smith * 1892–1893 Matthew O'Brn * 1893–1894 M. L. Storm * 1894–1895 Eli Wade * 1895–1897 James P. Ford * 1897–1898 Frank E. Newcomer * 1898–1899 William L. Irwin * 1899–1901 John R. Fletcher * 1901–1902 O. J. Stotlemyer * 1902–1904 Elias E. Martz * 1904–1905 C. C. Ford * 1905–1906 George M. Stover * 1906–1909 G. J. Roudabush * 1909–1910 Elias E. Martz * 1910–1911 G. J. Roudabush * 1911–1912 H. G. Routzahn * 1912–1916 G. J. Roudabush * 1916–1917 George M. Stover * 1917–1919 J. L. Danner * 1919–1920 H. P. Lynch * 1920–1921 Harvey J. Huffer * 1921–1925 George McBride * 1925–1926 Oscar Morgan * 1926–1929 George McBride * 1929–1934 H. S. Bomberger * 1934–1935 Alfred C. Huffer * 1935–1938 D. Frank Miller * 1938–1940 John Hershberger * 1940–1942 John Hershberger * 1942–1960 John B. Wheeler * 1960–1970 John L. Herr * 1970–1974 Kenneth E. Ramsburg * 1974–1976 Edward T. Weaver * 1976–1980 Stuart L. Mullendore * 1980–1988 John L. Herr * 1988–2016 Charles F. (Skip) Kauffman, Jr. * 2016–Present Howard W. Long

Education

Boonsboro is served by a educational complex. It consists of the following schools: * Boonsboro Elementary School * Boonsboro Middle School * Boonsboro High School

Transportation

The primary means of travel to and from Boonsboro is by road. Five main highways serve the town, with the most prominent of these being U.S. Route 40 Alternate. US 40 Alt follows Main Street through central Boonsboro, linking westward to Hagerstown and eastward to Frederick. In addition to US 40 Alt, Maryland Route 34 connects Boonsboro to Sharpsburg, Maryland Route 66 connects the town to Interstate 70, Maryland Route 67 connects it to U.S. Route 340, and Maryland Route 68 links to

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40, I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee, Dandridge, Tennessee; its nort ...

and Williamsport.

Notable people

* Janet Doub Erickson, co-founder of the Blockhouse of Boston, artist and educator (born in Hagerstown Hospital to a Boonsboro farming family, she spent her childhood there). * William Thomas Hamilton, 38th Governor of Maryland, U.S. Senator, & U.S. Congressman for Maryland's 2nd District and 4th District. Born in Boonsboro on 8 September 1820. * Edwin R. Keedy (1880–1958), Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School * Nora Roberts, author of over 170 romantic novels and entrepreneur of several businesses in Boonsboro. * The late Charlotte Winters, 109, once the oldest surviving female American World War I veteran. Served in the navy.

Area attractions

* Boonsboro Trolley Museum * Boonesborough Museum of History * National Road Museum * Bowman House * Crystal Grottoes * Greenbrier State Park * South Mountain State Battlefield * Stoney Creek Farm * Washington Monument State Park

References

External links

* *
Town of Boonsboro Website
{{authority control Towns in Washington County, Maryland Hagerstown metropolitan area South Mountain Range (Maryland−Pennsylvania) Towns in Maryland 1790s establishments in Maryland 1792 establishments in the United States