Garrett Park is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Montgomery County,

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 ...

. It was named after a former president of the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

, Robert W. Garrett. The population was 992 at the 2010 census. Garrett Park is home to Garrett Park Elementary School, located just outside the town proper.

History

Garrett Park was an early planned community, originally promoted by businessman Henry W. Copp, who purchased the land in 1886. Copp wanted to build a suburban development reminiscent of an English village, and even went so far as to name the streets after locations in the novels of the English author

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...

, such as

Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Warwick (district), Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a ...

and Strathmore. Copp worked in conjunction with the

, which in 1893 built a train station. Builders were given reduced rates to transport workers and materials to the town site, and new residents were given free trips to move in. The town lies along the former B&O railway corridor (now used by

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

MARC Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system of ...

). It was named for

John Work Garrett John Work Garrett (July 31, 1820 – September 26, 1884), was an American merchant turned banker who became president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) in 1858 and led the railroad for nearly three decades. The B&O became one of the most ...

, who had led the B&O for nearly three decades, including the American Civil War. Copp limited commercial development in the community. Today the Town has a 4-star restaurant, post office, and farmer's market. Garrett Park incorporated as a town in 1898, at which time it had thirty buildings and approximately 100 residents. However, rail suburbs did not catch on, and the community stagnated as automobiles replaced commuter trains and streetcars. In the 1920s, another company built approximately 50 more houses, now including garages. Sections of the town are included in the

Garrett Park Historic District The Garrett Park Historic District is a national historic district located at Garrett Park, Montgomery County, Maryland. It's a residential community incorporated in 1891, along the B & O Railroad. The older community includes a number of la ...

, 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 ...

in 1975. For example, Garrett Park's first school house, designed in 1928 by prominent local architect

Howard Wright Cutler Howard Wright Cutler (1883–1948) was an American architect known primarily for his designs of churches, schools and public buildings in Washington, D.C. and adjacent Montgomery County, Maryland. Early life and education Cutler was born in Oura ...

and now preserved as part of a residential home, is a designated historic site by the Maryland Historical Trust. In 1977, the Town became a declared arboretum, maintaining a tree inventory of all town trees and a scheduled tree planting schedule. In May 1982 the townspeople of Garrett Park voted 245 to 46 to ban the production, transportation, storage, processing, disposal, or use of nuclear weapons within the town. This made Garrett Park the first nuclear-weapons free zone in the United States.

Geography

Garrett Park is located at 39°2' North, 77°6' West. It is just west of

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

, due north of Bethesda, northwest of Silver Spring, and southeast of Rockville. It is approximately halfway between Rockville and Silver Spring.

Rock Creek Park Rock Creek Park is a large urban park that bisects the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The park was created by an Act of Congress in 1890 and today is administered by the National Park Service. In addition to the park proper, the Rock Cr ...

is located along the town's southeast borders. Its land area is . 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 of it land. Garrett Park is primarily a residential town, with a post office, and a few small businesses. The only road open to automotive traffic into or out of Garrett Park is Maryland State Highway 547 (Strathmore Avenue). The town is served by the

MARC Train MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) is a commuter rail system in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and operated under contract by Alstom and Amtrak on track owned by ...

Brunswick Line. The town is unusual in that residents pick up their mail at the post office in person, rather than having home delivery.

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 992 people, 380 households, and 277 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 401 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 91.6%

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 ...

, 1.3%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 3.6%

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 ...

, 0.4% 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 2.8% 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 5.5% of the population. There were 380 households, of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.1% were non-families. 20.5% 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 2.61 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age in the town was 46.8 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.5% were from 25 to 44; 34.8% were from 45 to 64; and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 917 people, 347 households, and 266 families residing in the town. The

was 3,427.8 people per square mile (1,311.3/km²). There were 356 housing units at an average density of 1,330.8 per square mile (509.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.82%

, 0.87%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

, 0.22% Native American, 3.05%

, 1.53% from

, and 2.51% from two or more races. 2.51% of the population were

of any race. There were 347 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were

living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.02. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $106,883, and the median income for a family was $126,662. Males had a median income of $96,588 versus $66,563 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 $50,305. None of the families and 0.8% of the population were living 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 no under 18 and 2.6% of those over 64.

Law and government

The Garrett Park Chapel was purchased by the town in 1968, and now serves as the Town Hall. Its form of government follows a strong-mayor structure as defined by the following characteristics specified in the Town Charter: The Mayor and Council members are elected separately by the residents and hold separate and distinct powers and functions of Town governance. The Mayor serves as chief executive officer and oversees the administrative operations of the Town government, responsible for executing the Town's budget and operations. The Mayor appoints with approval by the Council a Clerk-Treasure whose role as chief financial officer is responsible for formulating the Town's fiscal year budget under supervision of the Mayor for Council review and adoption. The Council is the legislative body, comprising five elected officials. Each council member is elected for a two–year term, with two members elected in even-numbered years, three in odd-numbered years. As the legislative body, the Council sets policy by ordinance or resolution and adopts the annual budget by approving the allocation of appropriated funds by ordinance. All executive powers of the Town are vested in the Mayor who is elected separately by the Town residents (in the even-numbered years) and also serves a two-year term.

Mayor or City Executive

Recent Mayors/Chief Executive Officers (dual roles) of the Town of Garrett Park (elected for two-year terms): *Nancy M. Floreen (elected to the County Council of Montgomery County in the 2002 election) *Peter Benjamin (2003–2004) *Carolyn Shawaker (2005-2007) *Chris Keller (2007-2012) *Peter Benjamin (2012-2018) *Kathryn (Kacky) Chantry (2018-present)

Town Council

Garrett Park has a five-member council, elected for two-year terms. The Mayor is the presiding officer of the Town Council Meetings.

Education

Garrett Park is served by the Montgomery County Public Schools. Schools that serve the town include: * Garrett Park Elementary School, in

North Bethesda North Bethesda is an unincorporated, census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, located just north-west of the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C. It had a population of 50,094 as of the 2020 ...

, adjacent to Garrett ParkMap

Archive
. Town of Garrett Park. Retrieved on April 30, 2014.2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: North Bethesda CDP, MD

Archive
.

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 April 30, 2014. * Tilden Middle School *

Walter Johnson High School Walter Johnson High School (also known as Walter Johnson or WJ) is a public upper secondary school located in the census-designated place of North Bethesda, Maryland ( Bethesda postal address).supplementary weekend Japanese school, has its school office at Quinn Hall of the Holy Cross Church in North Bethesda, adjacent to Garrett Park.Home

Archive
. Washington Japanese Language School. Retrieved on August 11, 2020. "学校事務局 Holy Cross Church, Quinn Hall 2F. 4900 Strathmore Avenue, Garrett Park, MD 20896 ..��舎ストーンリッジ校 Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart 9101 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20814" The WJLS holds its classes in Bethesda. The institution, giving supplemental education to Japanese-speaking children in the

Washington DC area The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the U.S. state, states of Maryl ...

, was founded in 1958, making it the oldest Japanese government-sponsored supplementary school in the U.S.Andrew M. Saidel

Archive
. Japan-America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP; フィラデルフィア日米協会とは). Retrieved on April 16, 2015.

Transportation

The only state highway serving Garrett Park is

Maryland Route 547 Maryland Route 547 (MD 547) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway runs from MD 355 in North Bethesda east to MD 185 in Kensington. MD 547 connects North Bethesda and Kensington with Garrett Park in central Montgomery C ...

. MD 547 connects the town with

Maryland Route 355 Maryland Route 355 (MD 355) is a north–south road in western central Maryland in the United States. The southern terminus of the route, Wisconsin Avenue, is located in the Bethesda, Maryland, Bethesda Census-designated place, C ...

to the west and

Maryland Route 185 Maryland Route 185 (MD 185) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Connecticut Avenue, the state highway runs from Chevy Chase Circle at the Washington, D.C. border north to MD 97 in Aspen Hill. MD 185 serves as a major ...

to the east, which both provide connections to Interstate 495 (the Capital Beltway) and to

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, ...

References

External links

Town of Garrett Park

at the Maryland State Archives

Sowers, Scott, ''Washington Post'', July 8, 2006, Page F01 {{authority control 1898 establishments in Maryland Nuclear-weapon-free zones Populated places established in 1898 Towns in Montgomery County, Maryland Towns in Maryland