Braddock Heights is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

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) in Frederick County,

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 population was 2,608 at the 2010 census. The local ZIP codes are 21714 (post office boxes only) and 21703.

History

Braddock Heights is located at an elevation of atop Braddock Mountain (as

Catoctin Mountain Catoctin Mountain, along with the geologically associated Bull Run Mountains, forms the easternmost mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are in turn a part of the Appalachian Mountains range. The ridge runs northeast–southwest for ...

is locally known) near the pass at Braddock Springs, so named after British General Edward Braddock and Lt. Colonel

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

's use of the mountain pass on their way to Fort Duquesne during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

on April 29, 1755. During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, Braddock Heights was the site of a minor cavalry battle between generals J.E.B. Stuart (CSA) and Alfred Pleasonton (USA) on September 13, 1862; it was at that time known as "Fairview Pass". One mile east of Braddock Heights, near the base of Braddock Mountain, are the older communities of Clifton and Old Braddock. The picturesque view of the city of Frederick from Old Braddock, also known as "Fairview", elevation , was the inspiration for Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. to record in his 1862 journal: This journal entry was in turn an inspiration for Holmes' close friend John Greenleaf Whittier when composing the famous Civil War poem '' Barbara Fritchie''. Braddock Pass is near the locations at which

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, Baltimo ...

and the National Pike ( U.S. Route 40) cross

. Braddock Heights was founded in 1896 by George William Smith as a summer resort community that eventually included several hotels, a community pool, a wooden-floor skating rink, an amusement park, scenic overlooks, nature trails, and until 1980, a small ski resort. Braddock Heights has been host to many national political figures, including Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., Edwin Warfield, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

, Earl Warren, Ethel Kennedy, and (then) Senator

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

. Braddock Heights was one of the first modern planned communities in the United States, and custom housing development has continued since 1901. Braddock Heights is now known for its eclectic houses and its views of Frederick and the Monocacy and Middletown valleys. Following the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and the decline of the amusement park, Braddock Heights' demographic changed from commercial summer boarding houses to that of an unincorporated community with permanent residents. Braddock Heights, similar to the other Maryland cottage parks of Pen Mar and Glen Echo, has evolved into an artisans' community. The Braddock Heights Community Association and the Braddock Heights Historical Society continue to maintain and hold public events at Braddock Heights Park. Braddock Heights was once home to the oldest roller rink in the United States, the Stargaze Skateway. It burned to the ground as the result of arson on August 18, 1998.http://www.mudnrox.com/brr/firearticle2.html Braddock Heights is said to be the roost of the

Snallygaster In American folklore, the snallygaster is a bird-reptile chimera originating in the superstitions of early German immigrants later combined with sensationalistic newspaper reports of the monster. Early sightings associate the snallygaster with Fr ...

, a chimeric bird-like creature claimed to be responsible for the disappearance of livestock, and the occasional Middletown Valley resident, since the mid-18th century.

Hagerstown & Frederick Railway

The Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, a suburban and

interurban The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. The term "interurban" is usually used in North America, with other terms u ...

trolley system, was developed by George William Smith and initially called the Frederick and Middletown Railway. Service between Frederick and Braddock Heights commenced on August 22, 1896. The Jefferson branch was added in 1906, running down the east side of Jefferson Boulevard. The right of way is still visible as a strip between the set-back sidewalk and the street. Service to Jefferson lasted until 1940, although a short section was kept open to serve the Vindobona Hotel. Service to Braddock Heights and Middletown from Frederick was finally discontinued in 1946.

Geography

Braddock Heights is located in west-central Frederick County along the ridgecrest of

, known locally as "Braddock Mountain". U.S. Route 40 Alternate crosses the mountain near the center of the community, leading east to Frederick and west to Middletown.

crosses the northern part of the CDP, with access from partial Exit 49 (U.S. Route 40 Alt.) at the east base of the mountain. U.S. Route 40 forms the northern edge of the CDP. 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 Braddock Heights CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.23%, is water.

Demographics

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 2000, there were 4,627 people, 1,684 households, and 1,343 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 1,733 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.17%

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 ...

, 1.19%

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 ...

, 1.02% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 0.35% from other races, and 1.25% 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 1.73% of the population. There were 1,684 households, out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.03. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $71,932, and the median income for a family was $78,779. Males had a median income of $52,179 versus $38,063 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 CDP was $29,621. About 1.0% of families and 2.2% 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 none of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Braddock Heights is part of the Middletown School District.

References

External links

Braddock Heights Community Association

Braddock Heights Historical Society

{{authority control Census-designated places in Frederick County, Maryland Census-designated places in Maryland Streetcar suburbs