Poolesville is a U.S. town in the western portion of
Montgomery County Montgomery County may refer to:
Australia
* The former name of Montgomery Land District, Tasmania
United Kingdom
* The historic county of Montgomeryshire, Wales, also called County of Montgomery
United States
* Montgomery County, Alabama
* Mon ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), 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; ...
. The population was 5,742 at the
2020 United States Census.
It is surrounded by (but is technically not part of) the
Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, and is considered a distant bedroom community for commuters to
Washington, D.C.
The name of the town comes from the brothers John Poole, Sr. and Joseph Poole, Sr. who owned land and slaves in what is now Poolesville. Due to an historical anomaly, until 2010 the legal name of the town was "The Commissioners of Poolesville". Residents overwhelmingly voted to formally change the name to "The Town of Poolesville" in the November 2010 general election.
History
In 1760, brothers John Poole, Sr. and Joseph Poole, Sr. purchased acres in the area that is now Poolesville. Thirty-three years later, John Poole, Jr. used a tract that he inherited from his father to build a log store and subdivided the tract, selling portions to a number of other merchants. The settlement grew from there and was incorporated in 1867.
During the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same 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 polic ...
, Union military leaders realized that the shallow fords of the
Potomac River
The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Datas ...
posed a threat to the
capital city
A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the ...
. At certain times of the year, the Potomac River is shallow enough to cross and thus thousands of troops were moved to both
Darnestown
Darnestown is a United States census-designated place (CDP) and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. The CDP is with the Potomac River as its southern border and the Muddy Branch as much of its eastern border. Seneca Creek ...
and Poolesville. The Corps of Observation was established just outside Poolesville and soldiers were stationed near the river to monitor potential
Confederate incursions into Maryland. During the winter of 1861–1862, it is estimated that 20,000 Union troops were stationed in or around the town. There were no battles fought in Poolesville; however, the infamous
Battle of Ball's Bluff was fought nearby on October 21, 1861. Hundreds of Union soldiers who were stationed in Poolesville were killed in this battle that was badly managed by inexperienced Union generals.
There were several Confederate raids into the town during the war, and the Confederate Army invaded Maryland by crossing the Potomac near Poolesville in 1862 and 1864. The old Poolesville Methodist Church cemetery contains the remains of approximately twenty soldiers who either were killed in action at Ball's Bluff or who died of illness while in camp.
The
Seneca Schoolhouse, a small one-room schoolhouse of red sandstone, was built in Poolesville in 1866 to educate the children of the stone cutters who worked at the
Seneca Quarry. Operating as the Seneca Schoolhouse Museum, it provides tours to schoolchildren so that they can experience a typical school day as it would have been on March 13, 1880.
The
Kunzang Palyul Choling
Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC) is an organization for Buddhist study and practice in the Nyingma tradition (Palyul lineage) that is located in Poolesville, Maryland and Sedona, Arizona, with smaller groups in Santa Barbara, California and across Aus ...
Buddhist temple opened in Poolesville in 1985.
The
Poolesville Historic District
The Poolesville Historic District is a national historic district located at Poolesville, Montgomery County, Maryland. It consists of 33 buildings of local architectural and historical significance including structures representing a diversity ...
was listed in 1975 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 artist ...
.
Geography
Poolesville is located at (39.140540, -77.408461).
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
An economy is an area of th ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Poolesville lies off Montgomery County's main axis of suburban development along the
Interstate 270 and
Maryland State 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 CDP, at the Washington, D.C. border. It cont ...
corridor, separated from the contiguous Maryland suburbs of Washington by the rural lands of the county agricultural reserve, where new housing and commercial starts are restricted.
Government
Poolesville is governed by five commissioners elected in staggered 4-year terms. Commissioners are not paid. The commissioners elect among themselves a president (known informally as "the mayor") and vice president. A Town Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the town. Six Boards and Commissions assist the commissioners: the Planning Commission, Parks Board, Board of Elections, Sign Review Board, Board of Zoning Appeals, and Ethics Commission.
Demographics
2000 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 in ...
of 2000, there were 5,151 people, 1,601 households, and 1,402 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was 1,333.8 people per square mile (515.2/km). There were 1,630 housing units at an average density of 422.1 per square mile (163.0/km). The racial makeup of the town in 2000 was 93.57%
White
White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 2.85%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 0.49%
Native American, 1.09%
Asian, 1.4% from
other races, and 1.28% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 2.68% of the population.
There were 1,601 households, out of which 56.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.6% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.4% were non-families. 9.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.22 and the average family size was 3.44.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 35.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 3.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $85,092, and the median income for a family was $88,916. Males had a median income of $60,596 versus $42,051 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 $30,211. About 2.5% of families and 2.6% 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 3.0% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
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 in ...
of 2010, there were 4,883 people, 1,602 households, and 1,348 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was . There were 1,663 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 88.4%
White
White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 5.2%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 0.5%
Native American, 2.1%
Asian, 1.4% from
other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 7.0% of the population.
There were 1,602 households, of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% 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, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 15.9% were non-families. 12.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.30.
The median age in the town was 41.5 years. 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.2% were from 25 to 44; 38.4% were from 45 to 64; and 6.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
Education
Poolesville is served by
Montgomery County Public Schools Montgomery County Public Schools may refer to:
*Montgomery County Public Schools (Maryland)
*Montgomery County Public Schools (Virginia)
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is the school district serving Montgomery County, Virginia.
Schools P ...
. Three schools are located in Poolesville:
Poolesville High School,
John Poole Middle School
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is a public school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland. With 210 schools, it is the largest school district in the state of Maryland. For the 2022–2023 school year, the district has 13,99 ...
, and Poolesville Elementary School. Monacacy Elementary School in
Dickerson also feeds into John Poole MS.
Transportation
Two state highways serve Poolesville.
Maryland Route 107
Maryland Route 107 (MD 107) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Whites Ferry Road, the highway runs from MD 109 in Poolesville east to MD 28 in Dawsonville. MD 107 connects the western Montgome ...
extends southeast from the center of town, joining
Maryland Route 28
Maryland Route 28 (MD 28) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 15 (US 15) in Point of Rocks east to MD 182 in Norwood. The western portion of MD 28 is a rural highway connecting several ...
on its way to
Rockville.
Maryland Route 109 proceeds northeast from the center of town, intersecting MD 28 on its way to
Interstate 270 in
Hyattstown.
Notable people
*
Thomas Plater
Thomas Plater (May 9, 1769 – May 1, 1830) was an American lawyer and politician from Maryland. He represented the third district of Maryland in the U.S. House from 1801 to 1805.
Thomas was born in Annapolis, Maryland, and brought up on his fath ...
, U.S. Congressman for
Maryland's 3rd District, 1801–1805, died in Poolesville.
*
Elijah V. White, (1832-1907) Confederate commander of the 35th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry (White's Commanches) during the American Civil War. White was born in the area of Poolesville.
References
External links
*
U.S. Census data
{{authority control
1760 establishments in Maryland
1760 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies
1867 establishments in Maryland
Towns in Montgomery County, Maryland
Towns in Maryland
Populated places established in 1760
Populated places established in 1867