Centreville is an

incorporated town An incorporated town is a town that is a municipal corporation. Canada Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government. United Kingdom United States An in ...

Queen Anne's County Queen Anne's County is located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,874. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensville i ...

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 on the

Delmarva Peninsula The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a large peninsula and proposed state on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the vast majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore regions of Maryland and Virginia ...

. Incorporated in 1794, it is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Queen Anne's County. The population was 4,285 at the 2010 census. The ZIP code is 21617 and the area codes are 410 and 443. The primary local telephone exchange is 758. It hosts the Queen Anne's County Fair each summer and was home to three franchises during the existence of the

Eastern Shore Baseball League The Eastern Shore Baseball League was a class D minor league baseball league that operated on the Delmarva Peninsula for parts of three different decades. The league's first season was in 1922 and the last was in 1949, although the years were not ...

—the Colts, Red Sox, and Orioles.

Geography

Centreville is located at (39.046206, −76.064345). 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.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Centreville has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 4,285 people, 1,568 households, and 1,102 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,694 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 85.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 10.6%

African American 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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.5% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.7% of the population. There were 1,568 households, of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.7% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age in the town was 39.5 years. 27.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,970 people, 807 households, and 497 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 866 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 78.68%

, 19.24%

, 0.10% Native American, 0.56%

, 0.15% from

, and 1.27% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.81% of the population. There were 807 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.84. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $41,100, and the median income for a family was $55,595. Males had a median income of $37,011 versus $25,625 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $20,630. About 8.1% of families and 15.4% 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 17.3% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.

History

Centreville's name was derived from the relocation of the county seat in 1782 from Queenstown to a more central part of the county. Saint Paul's Parish was established on the site that would later become known as Centreville, Maryland.Centreville
." Historic Sites and Landmarks. 16 March 2008. It was almost 100 years later, in 1782, that the Maryland State Assembly passed an Act to relocate both the courthouse and all government functions of the county to Centreville from Queenstown, making Centreville the new county seat.
" Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County 2006 18 March 2008. However, it took a decade for the appropriate land to be acquired and for the change to take place. A plantation called Chesterfield was chosen as the land to use for the new town which would hold the county's courthouse. Once the town and court house were completed, on the first of June 1796, the county court, "ordered he courthouseto be ‘taken, held and deemed to be the proper Court House of Queen Anne's County’". In 1782, the Queen Anne's county courthouse was moved from its original location in Queenstown, Maryland to an area that would, twelve years later, be named Centreville. The building's location, at the head of the Corsica River, encouraged population growth in the area.Arnett, Earl, Brugger, Robert J., and

Edward C. Papenfuse Edward C. Papenfuse (born October 15, 1943) is the retired Maryland State Archivist and Commissioner of Land Patents. Papenfuse received his undergraduate degree from the American University, an M.A. from the University of Colorado, and a Ph.D. ...

. ''Maryland: A New Guide to the Old Line State'' (2nd ed.) The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999 p. 153-154 Centreville became an incorporated town in 1794, two years after the courthouse was completed. At the same time, the town laid out, including four streets that remain today: MD 213, S. Liberty St., N. Commerce St., Water St. (MD 304). Once Centreville was officially home to Queen Anne's county government, lawmakers and officials decided it was appropriate to name the new town in accordance with the new location. Centreville (named partly due to the town's central location) was also chosen because of its prime location on the Corsica River. Easy access to shipping, trading, and naval waters allowed the town to flourish and to become an important Maryland location.Centreville
." The Maryland Municipal League. 2008. 17 March 2008. Today, Centreville is the largest town in Queen Anne's county, with a population of 2,097. 2017 has become an all time high for the small town, with a population of 4,767. The Maryland Municipal League's Website, "The Association of Cities and Towns", notes that Centreville's, " story is reflected in the diverse architecture seen along the streets of the town—elegant Victorian homes with their wrap-around porches, neo-classical public buildings, late-19th-century commercial rows, late-20th-century institutional and government structures, and all the variations and curiosities in between". Much of the town was added to 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 ...

as the Centreville Historic District in 2004. In addition to the Centreville Historic District, Bachelor's Hope, Captain's Houses, Centreville Armory, Jackson Collins House,

Content Content or contents may refer to: Media * Content (media), information or experience provided to audience or end-users by publishers or media producers ** Content industry, an umbrella term that encompasses companies owning and providing mas ...

Female Seminary A female seminary is a private educational institution for women, popular especially in the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when opportunities in educational institutions for women were scarce. The movement was a sign ...

, Keating House,

Lansdowne Lansdowne or Lansdown may refer to: People * Lansdown Guilding (1797–1831), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines naturalist and engraver *Fenwick Lansdowne (1937–2008), Canadian wildlife artist * George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne (1666–1735) ...

, Lexon, Capt. John H. Ozmon Store, Readbourne,

Reed's Creek Farm Reed's Creek Farm is a historic home located at Centreville, Queen Anne's County, Maryland, United States. It is a late Georgian style brick house reputedly begun in 1775. It is composed of two portions, the larger of the two being a five bay ...

, and Stratton are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "Centreville was the home of

American Impressionist American Impressionism was a style of painting related to European Impressionism and practiced by American artists in the United States from the mid-nineteenth century through the beginning of the twentieth. The style is characterized by loose b ...

painters Charles M. West and Anne Warner West. Charles was born in Centreville and educated at the

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryl ...

where he met fellow student Anne Dickie Warner, a native of

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

. The West Gallery includes a collection of their paintings, many depicting local subjects such as

watermen A waterman is a river worker who transfers passengers across and along city centre rivers and estuaries in the United Kingdom and its colonies. Most notable are those on the River Thames and River Medway in England, but other rivers such as the ...

at work, historic buildings and daily life in Centreville." Charles taught painting and sculpture at Washington College in

Chestertown, Maryland Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,252 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. History Founded in 1706, Chestertown rose in stature when it was named one of the English col ...

and is best known for his painting "The Narrows" which was exhibited alongside

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realist painter and printmaker. While he is widely known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching. Hopper created subdued drama ...

and

Georgia O'Keeffe Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 – March 6, 1986) was an American modernist artist. She was known for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and New Mexico landscapes. O'Keeffe has been called the "Mother of Amer ...

Transportation

The main means of travel to and from Centreville is by road, and four state highways serve the town. The most prominent of these is

Maryland Route 213 Maryland Route 213 (MD 213) is a state highway located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the United States. The route runs from MD 662 in Wye Mills, Queen Anne's County, north to the Pennsylvania border in Cecil County, where ...

, which serves as the primary road serving local communities along the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Other state highways serving Centreville include

Maryland Route 18 Maryland Route 18 (MD 18) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from the beginning of state maintenance at Love Point east to MD 213 in Centreville. MD 18 is the main east–w ...

Maryland Route 304 Maryland Route 304 (MD 304) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway runs from Spider Web Road near Centreville east to MD 312 in Bridgetown. MD 304 connects Centreville with U.S. Route 301 (US 301) and several small settl ...

and

Maryland Route 305 Maryland Route 305 (MD 305) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Hope Road, the highway runs from MD 213 in Centreville east to an intersection with Dean Road and Hayden Road at Hope east of its intersection with U.S. Rou ...

. U.S. Route 301 passes to the southeast, providing a high-speed highway to metropolitan areas such as

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and

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, Na ...

Courthouse

The oldest courthouse in continuous use, and one of two 18th century courthouses in Maryland, the Queen Anne's County Courthouse is located at 120 North Commerce Street. The location for the courthouse, and for the town of Centreville, was a piece of land on which Judge Joseph Hopper Nicholson lived on at the time.The Queen Anne’s County Court House
Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County. 18 April 2008. In 1792 the

Flemish-bond Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called '' courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by ...

brick building was completed. At the time it was composed of four rooms, two in the center and one on each side. The courthouse's use was increasing, so, in 1876 it was renovated and remodeled to add more space.Centreville
." Historic Sites Consortium of Queen Anne's County. 18 April 2008 18 April 2008 An iron balcony was also added to the second story. A unique feature of the courthouse is a gold eagle on the main building's rooftop. The eagle is thought to be symbolic of America's freedom from England and relays the idea of

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

. In Judge John W. Sause, Jr.'s essay, "Why the Eagle", he connects the idea of freedom and the importance of the United States’ seal to the courthouse's eagle. Here, he writes, "Executed by an unknown hand, undoubtedly that of an artisan rather than an artist...our eagle looked down upon the comings and going of the courtyard, the tears and smiles of its citizens and the successes and failures of the political system which it was designed to represent".MacGlashan, Scott. "Re: Courthouse information." Judge John W. Sause, Jr. "Why the Eagle" E-mail to the author. 22 April 2008 A statue of Queen Anne of England, the county's namesake, sits in front of the courthouse. Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, attended the dedication (1977). Today, the courthouse remains an important figure in Centreville, Queen Anne's County, and the state of Maryland. Keeping true to its original form, the building's exterior is true to its original look.

References

External links

Town of Centreville website
from the Historical Society of Kent County collection {{authority control Towns in Maryland Towns in Queen Anne's County, Maryland County seats in Maryland 1794 establishments in Maryland Populated places established in 1794