Accokeek (), "at the edge of the hill" in

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

, is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

(CDP) located in

Prince George's County Prince George's County (often shortened to PG County or PG) is located in the U.S. state of Maryland bordering the eastern portion of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 967,201, making it the second-most populous ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, United States. The CDP is located on the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

, borders

Charles County Charles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 166,617. The county seat is La Plata. The county was named for Charles Calvert (1637–1715), third Baron Baltimore. The ...

and is approximately 17 miles from

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. It is a part of the

Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also referred to as the National Capital Region, Greater Washington, or locally as the DMV (short for Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), is the metropolitan area comprising Washing ...

. The population of the CDP, as of the 2020 United States census was 13,927. While the area around Accokeek was inhabited by Native Americans since approximately 2,000 BCE, John Smith was the first European to visit the area in 1608. In 1990, 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 ...

officially made Accokeek a CDP.

History

The area around Accokeek had been occupied since around 2000 BC; however, the first permanent village was established in 1200 AD by the

Piscataway tribe The Piscataway or Piscatawa , are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. They spoke Algonquian Piscataway, a regional dialect similar to Nanticoke. The neighboring Haudenosaunee, called them the Conoy, with whom they partly me ...

Captain John Smith John Smith ( – 21 June 1631) was an English soldier, explorer, colonial governor, admiral of New England, and author. He was knighted for his services to Sigismund Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, and his friend Mózes Székely. Followin ...

was the first European to see the Accokeek area. In 1608, he sailed the

and found the Moyaone village. At the time of the discovery, Moyaone was the seat of government for the Piscataway Tribe. The village of Moyaone disbanded and the population migrated to other tribes before other Europeans settled the area. In the mid-17th century, settlers were purchasing large plots of land for farming. The Native Americans were upset that the settlers were wearing-out the land due to farming various crops, which led to multiple battles between the two. Between 1675 and 1682, the Native Americans were forced from the area as a result of losing. In 1861, Accokeek was still rural, and

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

was the main economic factor for the place. Tobacco was the main crop planted. 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 ...

(1861–1865), Accokeek sympathized with the Confederacy. According to the 1860 Census, the area around Accokeek had a slave population of 1,600 (52.6%). There were multiple Confederate spies in the area, including Thomas Harbin who opened a hotel in the area and had plans to kidnap then-President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

. Henry and Alice Ferguson settled in Accokeek when they purchased Hard Bargain Farm overlooking the Potomac River in 1922 as a vacation retreat. Between 1935 and 1939 Alice Ferguson initiated archaeological excavations. A fort from the

Susquehannock The Susquehannock, also known as the Conestoga, Minquas, and Andaste, were an Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian people who lived in the lower Susquehanna River watershed in what is now Pennsylvania. Their name means “people of the muddy river.” T ...

people, which was demolished in 1675, was found. In 1957, US Senator Frances P. Bolton founded the Accokeek Foundation. The Foundation was used to purchase of land in

Piscataway Park Piscataway Park is a National Park Service-protected area located southwest of downtown Washington, D.C. in and around Accokeek, Maryland. It protects the National Colonial Farm, Marshall Hall, and the Accokeek Creek Site. The park is locat ...

to help preserve the area. Much of the community west of Route 210 is designated the Moyaone Reserve and contains mid-century, individually-designed homes on minimum 5-acre wooded lots. Community educational attractions include Hard Bargain Farm (Ferguson Foundation) and the National Colonial Farm (National Park Service), which are listed below under "Parks and Recreation." Both these sites have numerous special events, including an annual Oktoberfest, and a "theater in the woods". In 1960, the

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC Water) is a bi-county political subdivision of the State of Maryland that provides safe drinking water and sewage treatment, wastewater treatment for Montgomery County, Maryland, Montgomery and P ...

(WSSC) wanted to build a water treatment plant in Mockley Point, which was Accokeek shoreline. Since it would disrupt the view of

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

and

Fort Washington Park Fort Washington, located near the community of Fort Washington, Maryland, was for many decades the only defensive fort protecting Washington, D.C. The original fort, overlooking the Potomac River, was completed in 1809, and was begun as Fort ...

, various people and organizations protested against it. In 1961, a law was signed by President John F. Kennedy in order to designate around Mockley Point as a national landmark. Both the Accokeek Foundation and the Alice Ferguson Foundation donated another to the landmark. As a result, WSSC was not allowed to build the plant there; however, a plant was built in the 1960s in the surrounding area. In 1990, Accokeek officially became a CDP when the

US Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

defined the place's boundaries. In 2008, eight people were killed and 9 more were injured in Accokeek on

Indian Head Highway Maryland Route 210 (MD 210) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Indian Head Highway, the highway runs from Potomac Avenue in Indian Head north to the District of Columbia boundary in Forest Heights, where the highway ...

in an illegal street race.

Geography

Accokeek is located in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...

, in

Southern Maryland Southern Maryland, also referred to as SoMD, is a geographical, cultural and historic region in Maryland composed of the state's southernmost counties on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. According to the state of Maryland, the region incl ...

, and approximately from

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

To the north, Accokeek borders the CDPs of Fort Washington and Clinton; to the east, it borders the CDP of Brandywine; to the south, it borders the CDPs of Bryans Road,

Bensville Bensville is a List of Central Coast suburbs, suburb of the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Local government areas of New South Wales, local government area. The main secti ...

, and Waldorf, all of which are located in

; and to the west, it borders the

, which flows into the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

. According to the

, the place has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Accokeek has an average elevation of .

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Accokeek is considered to have a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(Cfa). This means Accokeek's average temperature of the warmest month is above , the average temperature of the coldest month is below between , and rain is equally spread out through the year. There is more precipitation in the area during the months of May and July (4.1 inch; 104 mm) than in any other month; Accokeek currently has an annual

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

of 39 inches (1,009 mm) each year. July is the hottest month, on average; the hottest recorded temperature occurred in July 1954 and September 1983. January is the coldest month, and the lowest recorded temperature was recorded in January 1950.

Demographics

2020 census

2010 Census

As of the 2010 census, there were 10,573 people, 3,601 households, and 2,835 families residing in the city. The population density was 385.5 inhabitants per square mile. There were 3,816 housing units at an average density of 139.1 per square mile. Accokeek is a part of the

Washington Metropolitan Area The Washington metropolitan area, also referred to as the National Capital Region, Greater Washington, or locally as the DMV (short for Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), is the metropolitan area comprising Washing ...

, in which Accokeek contains approximately 0.19% of the MSA's population. There were 3,601 households, of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 21.3% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94, and the average family size was 3.29. The median age of the city was 41.2 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the age of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 33.5% were from 45 to 64; and 9.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% males and 50.8% female. The racial makeup of the city was 64.4%

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 ...

, 24.9%

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 ...

, 0.02% Native American, 5.5% Asian, 1.9% other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.7% of the population. As of 2013, 92.8% (9,690) of Accokeek residents spoke English at home as a primary language, while 3.2% (335) spoke

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and 2.4% (253) spoke Tagalog. In total, 7.1% (750) of Accokeek's population age five and older spoke another language other than English.

Economy

According to the 2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Accokeek has a

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

of $126,000, which is 2.35-times the United States' average of 53,482 and 1.69-times the State of Maryland's average of $74,149. The top industry is public administration (26.9%), followed by professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (20.2%). Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining (0.2%) is the smallest industry. The

unemployment rate Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work d ...

of Accokeek was estimated to be 6.7%. Italian arms company

Beretta Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta (; "Pietro Beretta Weapons Factory") is a privately held Italian firearms manufacturing company operating in several countries. Its firearms are used worldwide for various civilian, law enforcement, and military p ...

opened a factory in Accokeek in 1978. It won a federal contract to produce M9 pistols for the military in 1985. As of 2007, the company employed approximately 220 people, making it the largest employer in Accokeek. In 2013, as a response to Maryland's Firearm Safety Act, Beretta closed the factory and moved operations to

Gallatin, Tennessee Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 30,278 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census and 44,431 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Named for United States Secre ...

, in 2016.

Parks and recreation

The following sites located at Accokeek are included 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 ...

: , - , - , - , - , -

Government

Prince George's County Police Department District 5 Station in Clinton CDP and District 7 Station in Fort Washington CDP serve the community. The

U.S. Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates the Accokeek Post Office.

Education

According to the US Census' American Community Survey, 2.59% of the population from 25 to 64 years has less than a high school diploma, 26.17% have a high school diploma, 30.32% have some college of associate degree, and 40.90% have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Primary and secondary schools

Accokeek is under the

Prince George's County Public Schools Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is a public school district that serves Prince George's County, Maryland. During the 2023–24 academic year, the district enrolled around 133,000 students and operated over 200 schools. PGCPS is t ...

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

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

. Retrieved on September 2, 2018. Pages
12
an
3
The CDP previously was smaller:
CENSUS 2000 BLOCK MAP: ACCOKEEK CDP
" The 1990 Prince George's County Census Bureau map
index map
shows Accokeek CDP on page
323334383940
an
44
It has one public school, Accokeek Academy, which serves all of the CDP for elementary and middle school.NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019
"

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

. Retrieved on September 2, 2018. It was formed in 2009 by the merger of Henry G. Ferguson Elementary School, built in 1963, and Eugene Burroughs Middle School, built in 1966. The newly merged school retained separate elementary and middle school campuses. In 2010 the school had a total of 1,178 students, with 553 at the elementary campus and 625 at the middle school campus. In 2011 the elementary school population had increased to 570. In a period after 2011 the fifth grade was moved to the middle school complex for two reasons: The first was so Burroughs middle school could have a higher occupancy rate, giving it eligibility for renovation funds from the State of Maryland. The second was to alleviate overcrowding in the original elementary building, which had a capacity of about 410 students; the middle school building had a capacity of 805 students. Even though initially some parents advocated for having a single combined PK-8 building, the district instead chose to rebuild the elementary building; a study from 2008 had described the elementary building as having one of the poorest states of repair in the PGCPS system. The school planned to construct a more than , two-story facility. After the scheduled completion of the new elementary building in August 2013, the district planned to temporarily house the middle school students there while the middle school building is renovated, and in 2014 put the students in their respective permanent buildings. In addition PGCPS planned to establish a walkway between the two buildings. The State of Maryland was to spend over $7 million while PGCPS was to spend fewer than $19 million, so the total cost was over $26 million. All of the CDP is zoned to

Gwynn Park High School Gwynn Park High School (GPHS) is in Brandywine census-designated place, Prince George's County, Maryland,Brandywine CDP. There is also a private school, Accokeek College Preparatory School, the secondary school campus of The Beddow Schools. From 1950 to 1964, during the era of legally-required racial segregation of schools, black students from Accokeek attended Fairmont Heights High School, then near Fairmount Heights.

Public libraries

Prince George's County Memorial Library System operates the Accokeek Library Branch.

Transportation

The State of Maryland's

MTA Maryland The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). The MTA operates a comprehensive transit system throughout the Washington- ...

operates two express commuter buses, routes 640 and 650, which operate from Waldorf or La Plata, stopping in Accokeek en route to Washington, D.C. There are currently no

Interstate Highways The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...

in Accokeek; however there are four

state highways A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...

: * , Indian Head Highway * , Berry Road * , Bensville Road * , Accokeek Road

Notable people

* Jarrett Hurd, boxer, former WBA, IBF & IBO

light middleweight Light middleweight, also known as junior middleweight or super welterweight,PeBoxRec/ref> is a weight class in boxing but also may include other combat sports. Boxing The light middleweight division (also known as junior middleweight in the Intern ...

world champion. *

Link Wray Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr. (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who became popular in the late 1950s. His 1958 Instrumental rock, instrumental single "Rumble (instrumental), Rumble", reached the ...

, American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist * Henry G. Ferguson,

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an government agency, agency of the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geograp ...

geologist who worked in the

Great Basin The Great Basin () is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets to the ocean, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja Californi ...

* Kimberly Klacik, Republican Congressional nominee, non-profit founder, and politician * Tré Seals, type designer and typographer

Notes

References

* * * *

External links

Satellite view of Accokeek, courtesy of Google Maps
{{Authority control Census-designated places in Prince George's County, Maryland Populated places in colonial Maryland Washington metropolitan area