Londontowne, Maryland
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Londontowne is an unincorporated area and former
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
Anne Arundel County Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, wh ...
,
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, and the site of a former colonial seaport founded on the South River in 1683. The population was 7,595 at the 2000 census. At the 2010 census, the area was delineated as the Edgewater CDP.


Geography

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 CDP had a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km), of which 3.0 square miles (7.8 km) was land and 0.8 square mile (2.0 km) (20.11%) was water.


History

London Town was a colonial
seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manc ...
settlement founded in 1683 near
Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
. The original wharf was built by Colonel William Burgess, one of the area's original settlers. He parceled his land and sold it and it was established as a town by an act of 1683. It was once considered as the site for the
Province of Maryland The Province of Maryland was an Kingdom of England, English and later British colonization of the Americas, British colony in North America from 1634 until 1776, when the province was one of the Thirteen Colonies that joined in supporting the A ...
and was for a time as prominent in trade as Annapolis and
Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It had a population of 15,425 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern par ...
. It declined and disappeared by the 19th century for reasons including its non-selection as a tobacco inspection station, economic depression, and the Revolutionary War. Speculation exists that the
South River Club The South River Club is a social club located just south of Annapolis in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The name also refers to the group's clubhouse, which was built in 1742. The club The South River Club (also known as "The Old South River Club ...
's first clubhouse was built here.


Historic London Town and Gardens

Today, the area of the old town comprises the Historic London Town and Gardens, owned by
Anne Arundel County Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, wh ...
and operated by the London Town Foundation, a
501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...
non-profit. The park includes the
London Town Publik House The William Brown House, also known as London Town Publik House or Londontowne Public House, is a former Colonial tavern located in the Historic London Town and Gardens museum complex in Woodland Beach, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Complet ...
, listed 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 ...
and designated a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
, as well as reconstructed period buildings, a public museum, an archaeology lab, and extensive gardens. The park offers guided tours,
musket A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually dis ...
fire demonstrations, and various other educational events, and its facilities may be rented as an event venue. London Town's woodland gardens began in the late 1960s as naturalized shade gardens. Today they include an
azalea Azaleas ( ) are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections ''Rhododendron sect. Tsutsusi, Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and ''Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate ...
glade with both deciduous and evergreen plantings; a
camellia ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in tropical and subtropical areas in East Asia, eastern and South Asia, southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are ...
walk with winter blooming camellias; a
holly ''Ilex'' () or holly is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...
collection; and a winter garden featuring plants of winter interest, with evergreens such as mountain laurel (''
Kalmia ''Kalmia'' is a genus of about ten species of evergreen shrubs from 0.2–5 m tall, in the family Ericaceae (heath). They are native to North America (mainly in the eastern half of the continent) and Cuba. They grow in acidic soils, with differe ...
latifolia'').


Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 7,595 people, 2,927 households, and 2,040 families in the CDP. The population density was . There were 3,095 housing units at an average density of . The racial makup of the CDP was 95.89% White, 1.97% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.16% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.95%. Of the 2,927 households 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 22.9% of households were one person and 6.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02. The age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males. The median household income was $63,021 and the median family income was $68,190. Males had a median income of $45,589 versus $34,555 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $31,245. About 2.5% of families and 3.3% 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 2.6% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.


See also

*
List of botanical gardens in the United States This list is intended to include all significant botanical gardens and arboretums in the United States.Colonel Nicholas Gassaway, Commissioner of Londontowne 1683


References


External links


Historic London Town


{{DEFAULTSORT:London Town, Maryland Populated places in Anne Arundel County, Maryland Populated places in colonial Maryland Former census-designated places in Maryland Ports and harbors of Maryland 1683 establishments in Maryland Maryland populated places on the Chesapeake Bay