Jefferson is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a 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 counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in Frederick 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 ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census the town had a population of 2,235 (which includes the widespread area of the town's zip code, not Jefferson proper). Jefferson was established in 1774 and incorporated as a town in 1831. However, a year later, in 1832, the citizens of the town decided that municipal government was unnecessary, and dis-incorporated the town, which has been unincorporated since then.

History

According to archaeologist Mary F. Barse, Jefferson was initially laid out in 1774 on a tract owned by Mrs. Eleanor Medley, which was ultimately called "New Town". It contained 40 rectangular lots – 20 aligned on each side of what is now MD 180 – stretching between what are now Lander Road and Old Middletown Road. In 1795, 22 additional lots were platted by Elias Delashmutt on the western end of the original section, and called "New Freedom". In 1831 both sections were incorporated as "Jefferson" by the Maryland Legislature. Jefferson's growth in the 19th century was due largely to its location on the main road between

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

and

Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is located in the lower Shenandoah Valley. The population was 285 at the 2020 census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, where the U.S. stat ...

, which is today's

U.S. Route 340 U.S. Route 340 (US 340) is a spur route of US 40, and runs from Greenville, Virginia to Frederick, Maryland. In Virginia, it runs north–south, parallel and east of US 11, from US 11 north of Greenville via Waynesboro, Grottoes, Elkton, ...

. Along this thoroughfare, wagon traffic and livestock drives were frequent. Concomitantly, commercial development intensified to serve the surrounding farms as well as travelers. As a center of agricultural mercantilism, throughout most of the late 18th and 19th century, Jefferson was also home to a sizable population of slaves. The

Hagerstown and Frederick Railway The Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, now defunct, was an American railroad of central Maryland built in the 19th and 20th centuries. History Early development The Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, a suburban (later interurban) trolley system was d ...

linked Jefferson to Frederick and Hagerstown in 1907. However,

Maryland Route 180 Maryland Route 180 (MD 180) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Jefferson Pike, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 340 (US 340) in Knoxville east to Ballenger Creek Pike and Interstate 70 (I- ...

remained the only link to the closest steam powered rail station in Brunswick. Jefferson MD1

Examined historic maps (Griffith 1795; Bond 1858; Martenet 1865, 1885; Lake 1873; USGS1910) depict Jefferson on what is now MD 180 as early as 1795. It was designated "Trap Town" at the close of the 18th century by Griffith (1795). Local history suggests that the name derives from the large number of taverns operating at the time, which were purportedly, on either ends of town. Consequently, a traveler could be "trapped" on their way in or out of town. The

Lewis Mill Complex Lewis Mill Complex is a historic grist mill complex located at Jefferson, Frederick County, Maryland. The complex consists of seven standing structures, a house foundation, and the remains of an earlier millrace. It centers on an early 19th-centu ...

and the

George Willard House The George Willard House, also known as New Freedom Spring, is a Federal style house with Greek Revival details near Jefferson, Maryland. Built about 1818 for farmer and tanner George Willard, the house was altered by Willard's son after 1845 ...

are

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 ...

properties near Jefferson.

Geography

Jefferson is located in southwestern Frederick County at the western base of

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 ...

passes through the town, and

bypasses it to the south, forming the southern edge of the CDP. US 340 leads northeast to

, 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 ...

, and southwest to

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is located in the lower Shenandoah Valley. The population was 285 at the 2020 census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, where the U.S. stat ...

. According to the

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 ...

, the Jefferson CDP has an area of , all land. Mar-Lu-Ridge Summer Camp and Education and Conference Center, located on the crest of Catoctin Mountain, south of Jefferson, has been a main retreat and outdoor ministry site for the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. , it has approxim ...

since 1959.

Demographics

References

External links

Jefferson community website
{{authority control Census-designated places in Frederick County, Maryland Census-designated places in Maryland Populated places established in 1774 1774 establishments in Maryland