Takoma Park, Maryland
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Takoma Park is a city in
Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County is the most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat is Rockville, Maryland ...
, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, and 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 ...
. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "
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 ...
City", is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone. A planned commuter suburb, it is situated along the Metropolitan Branch of the historic
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...
, just northeast of Washington, D.C., and it shares a border and history with the adjacent Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Takoma. It is governed by an elected mayor and six elected councilmembers, who form the city council, and an appointed
city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...
, under a council-manager style of government. The city's population was 17,629 at the 2020 United States census. Since 2013, residents of Takoma Park can vote in
municipal election In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct var ...
s when they turn sixteen. It was the first city in the United States to extend voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds in city elections. Since then, the City of Hyattsville has followed suit.


History


19th century

Takoma Park was founded by Benjamin Franklin Gilbert in 1883. It was one of the first planned Victorian
commuter Commuting is periodically recurring travel between a place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regular o ...
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
s, centered on the B&O railroad station in Takoma, D.C., and bore aspects of a spa and trolley park. ''Takoma'' was originally the name of
Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...
, from Lushootseed (earlier ), "snow-covered mountain". At Gilbert's suggestion, the name was chosen in 1883 by DC resident Ida Summy, who believed it to mean "high up" or "near heaven". The city of Tacoma in
Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...
is also named after the mountain. Gilbert first purchased land in spring 1884: A plot called Robert's Choice from G.C. Grammar. The plot, which included land on both sides of the B&O's Metropolitan Branch rail line, was roughly bounded by today's Sixth Street on the west, Aspen Street on the south, Willow Avenue on the east, and Takoma Avenue on the north. At the time, much of the land was covered by thick forest. Gilbert cleared some of it to lay out and grade streets and housing lots. Most lots measured and were sold for $327 to $653 per acre. By August 1885, about 100 people were living in Takoma Park, including temporary summer residents and permanent residents. Gilbert lived in a wooden house on a stone foundation, with 20 rooms and a tower. In 1886, Gilbert purchased another plot of land, roughly bounded by Carroll Avenue to the Big Spring (now Takoma Junction) and what is now Woodland Avenue. Gilbert named this land New Takoma. Gilbert later purchased the Jones farm and the Naughton farm, which together he named North Takoma. He also purchased land from Francis P. Blair, Richard L. T. Beale, and the Riggs family. Gilbert hired contractor Fred E. Dudley to build many of the homes in Takoma Park. A house designed by Leon E. Dessez at Piney Branch Road and Eastern Avenue became the home of Cady Lee. Dudley's son Wentworth was the first child born in Takoma Park. The community had 75 houses by 1888 and 235 homes by 1889. That year, Gilbert purchased several acres of land along Sligo Creek from a Dr. R.C. Flower, a Boston physician, to build a sanitarium. By this point, Takoma Park stretched . The deed of each of the original houses prohibited alcohol from being made or sold on the property, a prohibition that continued in the city until 1983. Takoma Park incorporated as a town on April 3, 1890. The first town election was held on May 5, 1890, and Gilbert was elected mayor and J. Vance Lewis, George H. Bailey, Daniel Smith, and Frederick J. Lung were elected to the town council. The Watkins Hotel was built in 1892.Sween, Jane C.; Offutt, William. ''Montgomery County: Centuries of Change''. American Historical Press, 1999. . A fire destroyed the town's recently built commercial district and the Watkins Hotel in 1893. Gilbert's North Takoma Hotel was built later that year, advertising the pure spring water nearby its 160 rooms. Many of the streets were originally known as avenues. When the Commissioners of the District of Columbia mandated a District-wide street-naming system, those on the District side were renamed streets but retained their names otherwise. Other streets in Takoma, D.C., were renamed entirely. Susquehanna Avenue became Whittier Street. Tahoe Street was renamed Aspen Street. Umatilla Street became Aspen Street. Vermilion Street became Cedar Street. Wabash Street was renamed Dahlia Street. Aspin became Elder Street. Magnolia Street became Eastern Avenue.


Early 20th century

In 1904, the
Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...
purchased five acres of land in Takoma Park along Carroll Avenue, Laurel Avenue, and Willow Avenue. The land was located on both sides of the Maryland-District of Columbia border. The land was intended for a church, office building, printer, and residences for prominent members of the church. In 1903, the Seventh-day Adventist Church decided to move their headquarters to the Washington area after its headquarters' publishing house in
Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...
, had burned to the ground. The church decided that moving to a more urban setting would be a more appropriate place from which to increase the church's presence in the southern states. The church purchased fifty acres of land along Sligo Creek in Takoma Park to build the new headquarters. The land was away from downtown Washington and had clean water available from a natural spring located at present-day Spring Park. For many decades Takoma Park served as the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, until it moved to northern Silver Spring in 1989. In 1908, North Takoma Hotel was bought by Louis Denton Bliss, who turned it into Bliss Electrical School. Months later, a fire destroyed the building, and Bliss rebuilt the school at another site. The school was eventually bought by Montgomery County where it became the site of Montgomery College's Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus.


Mid 20th century

In 1964, an inside-the-Capital-Beltway extension of Interstate 70S, also known as the North Central Freeway, was proposed via a route known as "Option #11 Railroad Sligo East," up to mile parallel to the B&O railroad upon a swath of land displacing 471 houses, that would have cut the city in two. In the mid-to-late 1960s, the future mayor and
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
activist Sammie Abbott led a campaign to halt freeway construction and replace it with a Metrorail line to the site of the former train station, and worked with other neighborhood groups to halt plans for a wider system of freeways going into and out of DC. This controversy also raised the profile of Takoma Park at a time in the late 1960s and 1970s when it was becoming noted regionally and nationally for political activism outside the Nation's capital, with newspaper commentators describing it as "The People's Republic of Takoma Park" or "The Berkeley of the East". This era of activism extended into the 1980s, when Takoma Park declared itself a Nuclear-free zone and a sanctuary for Salvadoran and Guatemalan refugees. Prior to the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, restrictive covenants were used in Takoma Park to exclude African Americans, Jews, and others. Many Takoma Park subdivisions used anti-Black covenants and at least one subdivision used antisemitic covenants. A 1939 deed for the New Hampshire Avenue Highlands subdivision of Takoma Park reads: "No lot shall be leased, transferred, sold, occupied or conveyed to or for the use of any person or persons not wholly of Caucasian Race or blood, excluding Semites; but this covenant shall not prevent casual occupancy by domestic servants of a different race, employed by an owner or tenant." The first known restrictive covenant in Takoma Park was for a property in the Hillcrest subdivision in 1911. Subdivisions with restrictive covenants included Bonnie View, Carroll Farm, Carroll Manor, Fletcher's Addition, Flower Avenue Park, Green Hill Farms, Hampshire Knolls, Hillwood Manor, Wildwood and others. Much of the old town Takoma Park was incorporated into the Takoma Park Historic District; 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 ...
in 1976.


Late 20th and early 21st century

Before 1995, the eastern boundary of the city of Takoma Park was in Prince George's County, Maryland, causing the community to be divided across two counties and the Maryland/D.C. line (where the original downtown area is located). For several years, Takoma Park lobbied the State of Maryland for legislation allowing county boundaries to be adjusted. The State finally agreed to this change, with the stipulation that cross-county municipalities would no longer be allowed; the new municipal boundary would forever remain within the county of its choosing. In August 1995, after passage of the law, the city held a public referendum asking registered voters living in three Prince George's County neighborhoods north of
New Hampshire Avenue New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
whether they wanted to be annexed to the city of Takoma Park. There was a majority of votes, 219 out of 313, in favor of annexation to the city. In November 1995, the state-sponsored referendum was held asking whether the portions of the city in Prince George's County should be annexed to Montgomery County, or vice versa. The majority of votes in the referendum were in favor of unification of the entire city in Montgomery County. Following subsequent approval by both counties' councils and the
Maryland General Assembly The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives, and the lower ...
, the county line was moved to include the entire city into Montgomery County (including territory in Prince George's County newly annexed by the city) on July 1, 1997. This process became known as Unification. In 1981, Takoma Park passed the Rent stabilization Law, which limits the rent increase to a percentage set by the city and applies to all individual condominium units and multi-family rental facilities. This led to Takoma Park featuring some of the lowest rents in the D.C. region while similarly discouraging new multi-family housing construction, as evidenced by the lack of any new development in the city after the law passed. The city experienced substantial
gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
in the 1990s and early 2000s (decade), with many houses containing apartments converted back into single-family homes. This process was encouraged by an M-NCPPC "phase back", effectively eliminating scattered-site multifamily housing and implementing single-use zoning in a majority of city neighborhoods. Nearly half of the city's population are tenants, 47.2% according to the
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 ...
's 2019 population estimate, many of whom live in a cluster of high-rise and mid-rise apartment buildings surrounding Sligo Creek, which cuts a deep valley through the community. The City Council adopted the Takoma Park Safe Grow Act of 2013, which went into effect March 1, 2014, and bans synthetic pesticides and requires organic lawn management on all city lands. In 2018, the City of Takoma Park proposed renaming streets that were named after
general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
s who fought on either side in the
United States Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded ...
, namely Grant Avenue, Lee Avenue, Sherman Avenue, Sheridan Avenue, and Jackson Avenue, though by 2024, no action had been taken.


Geography

Takoma Park sits on the edge of the Mid-Atlantic fall line and is thus quite hilly, with many narrow, gridded streets. 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 city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Sligo Creek and Long Branch (both
tributaries A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which the ...
of the Northwest Branch of the
Anacostia River The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid-Atlantic states, Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County, Maryland, Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Ch ...
) flow through the area. Sligo Creek Park and the Sligo Creek Trail bisect the area. The main street, Carroll Avenue, and the main
state highway 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 ...
, Route 410/East West Highway, narrow to two lanes within city limits. Takoma Park has an extensive hardwood tree canopy which is protected by local ordinance. Takoma Park is bounded by downtown Silver Spring, a major urban center to the northwest, by Montgomery College campus; East Silver Spring, a community of houses, apartments and small shops, along Flower Avenue and Piney Branch Road, to the north; Langley Park, a community of apartments and shopping centers, along University Boulevard to the northeast; Chillum, in Prince George's County to the southeast, bounded by
New Hampshire Avenue New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
, a state highway; and Takoma to the southwest, separated by Eastern Avenue, which follows the
District of Columbia 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, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
line. The corner of Eastern and Carroll Avenues roughly marks the center of the old commercial district. Other town centers include: "Takoma Junction", the corner of Carroll Avenue and Route 410 in the geographic center of town, home to the city's large food co-op; Takoma-Langley Crossroads in downtown Langley Park, and the Flower shopping district, both of which are home to many immigrant-owned establishments. Takoma Park's municipal center is located at the corner of Maple Avenue and Route 410.
Washington Adventist University Washington Adventist University is a Private university, private Seventh-day Adventist university in Takoma Park, Maryland. History Washington Adventist University was established in 1904 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Washington ...
marks the corner of Carroll and Flower Avenues.


Neighborhoods by ward

Takoma Park has many small neighborhoods. There are approximately fifty neighborhood listservs. *Ward 1 **Hodges Heights **Old Takoma a.k.a. the Philadelphia-Eastern Neighborhood **North Takoma *Ward 2 **B.F. Gilbert Subdivision (an extension of Old Town) **Glaizewood Manor **Long Branch-Sligo **South of Sligo *Ward 3 **SS Carroll Neighborhood, named after the addition made by Samuel S. Carroll Also known "The Generals" streets: Grant Ave, Lee Ave, Sherman Ave, Sheridan Ave. **Pinecrest **Takoma Junction **Westmoreland Area *Ward 4 **Maple Ave apartment district **Ritchie Ave **SS Carroll Neighborhood *Ward 5 **Between the Creeks (part of the greater Long Branch / East Silver Spring area centered along Flower Ave) *Ward 6 **Hillwood Manor **New Hampshire Gardens


Takoma Avenue Historic District

The ''Takoma Avenue Historic District'' is a national
historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...
. All five houses were constructed in 1951, are identical in their layout and construction, and were designed by Charles M. Goodman.


Demographics


2010 census

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 2010, there were 16,715 people, 6,569 households, and 3,904 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . There were 7,162 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 49.0%
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 ...
, 35.0%
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 ...
, 0.3% Native American, 4.4% Asian, 0.1%
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 ...
, 6.5% from other races, and 4.8% 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 14.5% of the population. There were 6,569 households, of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% 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, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.6% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age in the city was 38 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.7% were from 45 to 64; and 10% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.


2000 census

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 17,299 people, 6,893 households, and 3,949 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was . There were 7,187 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 48.79%
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 ...
, 33.97%
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 ...
, 0.44% Native American, 4.36% Asian, 0.03%
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 ...
, 7.44% from other races, and 4.97% 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 14.42% of the population. There were 6,893 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% 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, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. Approximately 4.5% of all couples were unmarried same sex couples. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.13. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $48,490, and the median income for a family was $63,434. Males had a median income of $40,668 versus $35,073 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 city was $26,437. About 8.4% of families and 10.3% 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 10.5% of those under age 18 and 20.5% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

According to the City's fiscal year 2023
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report An Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), formerly called a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR)) is a set of U.S. government financial statements comprising the financial report of a state, municipal or other governmental entity t ...
, the top employers in the city are the following.


Arts and culture

Takoma Park is known for a variety of cultural events, most notable of which is the Takoma Park Folk Festival, which attracts an audience from across the Mid-Atlantic region. The Takoma Park Folk Festival is a free annual festival featuring music by local musicians on six stages. Performers range from well-seasoned stage veterans to youngsters on stage for the first time, and the music spans genres from old-time fiddle and bluegrass to acoustic folk-rock to Afro-Latin fusion, and more. The festival also includes children's activities, a juried crafts show, and community tables where local organizations and politicians reach out to the community. It has been in existence since 1978, founded by Sam Abbott, former mayor of the city and civil-rights activist. Takoma Park is notable for being the home of blues guitarist John Fahey, who (together with other local music institutions) popularized the city as a haven for folk musicians. He named his label, Takoma Records, for the city, and many of his songs reference local landmarks. Mary Chapin Carpenter, Al Petteway (composer of '' Sligo Creek'') and many other prominent local and national artists have made their home in and around Takoma Park. Root Boy Slim and
Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...
are from Takoma Park. Other annual festivals include the mildly
countercultural A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
Takoma Park Street Festival, the Takoma Jazz Fest, the Takoma Park Independent Film Festival, and the Takoma Park Fourth of July Parade, which is attended by residents and neighboring politicians from across the metropolitan region. The parade typically includes ethnic musical troupes representing a wide variety of global cultures, neighborhood performance troupes, and groups supporting causes, such as
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
and fair trade, reflecting Takoma Park's historic reputation for activism. Immediately adjacent to the downtown, Takoma, D.C. is home to the A.Salon Building, a large art studio warehouse and former printing plant, which is home to the backstage office and rehearsal center for the Washington Opera. Two (currently vacant) freestanding theaters, the Takoma Theater and the Flower Theater, anchor either end of town. Takoma Park is also home to the Dance Exchange (founded by Liz Lerman) and the Institute of Musical Traditions, a performance society founded by the House of Musical Traditions. Kinetic Artistry, a notable theatre supplier for the Washington area, is also located in Takoma Park. The Takoma Theatre Conservancy is an organization attempting to renovate the 500-seat Takoma Theatre for multiuse purposes. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) awarded a Construction Permit to Historic Takoma Inc (HTI) for Takoma Radio. The hyper-local neighborhood station will be identified on the air as WOWD-LP, 94.3FM, and has plans to debut in mid-2016. Takoma Park has been home to a variety of local characters who have contributed to the city's sense of identity and culture, including "Catman" and Motor Cat, Roscoe the Rooster, The Banjo Man, and "Fox Man", a local animal rights activist and founder of the city's Tool Library. Takoma Park also has a year-round farmer's market and two other farmers markets which sell local produce and free range meats. Several local newspapers have served the community including ''The Voice'' and the satirical ''Takoma Torch.''


Nearby libraries

* Takoma Park Maryland Library is one of the few
municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the gov ...
libraries in suburban Maryland. * Takoma Park Library, part of the District of Columbia Public Library system, was the first neighborhood library in Washington, D.C. and a Carnegie library. * Long Branch Library in Silver Spring is part of the Montgomery County Public Libraries.


Institutions

The Sam Abbott Citizens Center, Takoma Park's former city auditorium, has been refurbished as a community theater and gallery. The municipal center, which includes the Takoma Park City Hall, Citizens Center and the Takoma Park Maryland Library, was expanded into a
community center A community centre, community center, or community hall is a public location where members of a community gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may be open for the whole community or for a sp ...
from 2003–2007. A gymnasium was requested by the city's youth sports leagues after lobbying from Steve Francis, the NBA basketball player, who grew up in Takoma Park; but funding was not identified. A small fenced-in basketball court has since been built adjacent to the community center. In 2010, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church received authorization to relocate the regional Washington Adventist Hospital from the center of town to an outlying area of nearby
Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially Unincorporated area, unincorporated, it is an edge city with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 ...
, alongside its international headquarters and the Adventist Book and Health Food Store, which had also been located within city limits. This had followed an effort by county officials to close or relocate the city's fire station, located on the side of a steep hill. Due to resulting controversy, the City Council lobbied to retain the old Hospital facility as a "health campus." The hospital had been in operation for over a century, having been founded as the Washington Sanitarium overlooking Sligo Creek in 1907. Officials also successfully lobbied to retain a university located on the same campus, which has been renamed
Washington Adventist University Washington Adventist University is a Private university, private Seventh-day Adventist university in Takoma Park, Maryland. History Washington Adventist University was established in 1904 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Washington ...
. In the 1970s, the city experienced controversy over plans to expand or relocate Montgomery College, which has a campus located in the historic district of North Takoma, an area of large old homes adjacent to downtown Silver Spring. This debate was subsequently resolved when the County agreed to preserve the existing campus, and expand in the direction of downtown Silver Spring by building a bridge across the B&O railroad tracks. It was renamed the "Takoma Park-Silver Spring Campus," focused on health, nursing and the arts. The expanded campus included a major new arts center located in South Silver Spring, near the boundary between the three jurisdictions. After more than 100 years in Takoma Park, a city on the northern edge of Washington DC, Washington Adventist Hospital has relocated to Silver Spring, Maryland and has been renamed Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center. The Takoma Park-Silver Spring Food Co-op is one of the Washington area's largest food co-ops. The Takoma Park Presbyterian Church has been a bulwark of civic activism throughout its history. The TPPC helped to found CASA de Maryland. In the late 2000s, regional and national debate occurred over the decision to close
Walter Reed Army Medical Center The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), officially known as Walter Reed General Hospital (WRGH) until 1951, was the United States Army, U.S. Army's flagship medical center from 1909 to 2011. Located on in Washington, D.C., it served more ...
in Takoma, D.C., and relocate its operations to the Bethesda Naval Medical Center. Takoma Park Soccer Club is the sponsor of many youth soccer teams in the Takoma Park area; such as the TAPK United, coached by professional Brazilian coach Manilton Santos. A successful team, they have earned the affectionate nickname Tapioca United.


Government

Takoma Park's electorate and its elected officials are known for their liberal and left-of-liberal values, which have led to the enactment of several municipal laws. For instance, Takoma Park has allowed non-U.S.-citizen residents to vote in its own municipal elections since 1993, and has lowered the voting age for city elections to 16. The city was also forbidden, by statute, from doing business with any entity having commercial ties with the
government of Burma Myanmar (Names of Myanmar, formerly Burma) () operates ''de jure'' as a unitary state, unitary assembly-independent republic under its 2008 Constitution of Myanmar, 2008 constitution. On 1 February 2021, Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military took ove ...
(Myanmar), though after a
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
decision struck down a similar Massachusetts law, enforcement of the provision was suspended in the year 2000. , the Free Burma Committee is inactive. In 2008, the city unanimously approved a resolution to oppose
foie gras ; (, ) is a specialty food product made of the liver of a Domestic duck, duck or Domestic goose, goose. According to French law, ''foie gras'' is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by ''gavage'' (force feeding). ''Foie gras'' i ...
. Takoma Park is the only Maryland municipality with a rent control law. Like a handful of other U.S. municipalities, Takoma Park has declared itself a " nuclear free zone"; under a 1983 law, contractors working for the city must also sign a notarized document that they are not "knowingly or intentionally" "engaged in the development, research, production, maintenance, storage, transportation and/or disposal of nuclear weapons or their components." Waivers have been given in the past, including a 2012 waiver to purchase a library system from Userful Corporation that includes computers made by
Hewlett-Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company. It was founded by Bill Hewlett and David Packard in 1939 in a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California ...
, a company that has also worked on nuclear weapons programs for the federal government. Under a local ordinance, Takoma Park residents must obtain a permit or waiver from the City arborist (" urban forest manager") to cut down any tree on their property with a diameter of 7 5/8 inches or greater. The minutes of all Takoma Park City Council meetings are available on the Takoma Park City website.


Mayor

Takoma Park is governed by a city council composed of a mayor and council members for each of six wards. The current mayor of Takoma Park (the 24th) is Talisha Searcy (mayor since 2022).


Voting

In the November 5, 1991, election the voters approved a referendum (1,199 for and 1,107 against) to change the Takoma Park City Charter "to permit residents of Takoma Park who are not U.S. citizens to vote in Takoma Park elections." In the 2005 election, an advisory referendum to adopt
instant-runoff voting Instant-runoff voting (IRV; ranked-choice voting (RCV), preferential voting, alternative vote) is a single-winner ranked voting election system where Sequential loser method, one or more eliminations are used to simulate Runoff (election), ...
(IRV, also called "ranked choice voting") for municipal elections passed with 84% approval. In 2006, the City Council amended the City Charter to incorporate IRV, making Takoma Park one of a small but growing number of municipalities across the nation to adopt IRV (and the first in Maryland to do so). In the 2009 election, Takoma Park used the Scantegrity voting system. This marked the first time an
open source Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use and view the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open source model is a decentrali ...
voting system was used in a public sector election in the United States, as well as the first time a system with end-to-end verifiability was used. In 2013, Takoma Park became the first city in the U.S. to allow sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds to vote. Convicted felons on parole and probation were also given the right to vote in Takoma Park elections in 2013. In 2017, the Takoma Park City Council changed the City Charter to schedule City elections in even numbered years (called "Election Synchronization") beginning in 2020. The Council elected in 2017 would serve a three-year term. In 2020, Takoma Park held its first ever vote-by-mail election, with 6549 ballots counted, more than 2 1/2 times the number of votes in the 2015 and 2017 elections.


Federal government

The
United States 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 Takoma Park Post Office, as well as the Langley Park Post Office; the latter has a Hyattsville, Maryland postal address.


Education


Primary and secondary schools


Public schools

The city is served by the Montgomery County Public Schools. Elementary schools that serve the city include: * Piney Branch Elementary School (3–5) * Rolling Terrace Elementary School (PK–5) * Sligo Creek Elementary School (K–5) * Takoma Park Elementary School (PK–2) Most Takoma Park residents are zoned to Takoma Park ES and Piney Branch. Sligo Creek Elementary School has new boundaries that no longer include students living in Takoma Park. SCES has a French Immersion program open to all Montgomery County families via lottery. Middle schools that serve the city include: * Silver Spring International Middle School * Takoma Park Middle School, (most Takoma Park residents are zoned to Takoma Park MS) All of the city is served by Montgomery Blair High School. With the Downcounty Consortium, students have limited opportunity to enroll in one of four other schools, including Kennedy, Northwood,
Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
, and Wheaton. Prior to the mid-1990s sections of the Takoma Park
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 ...
were zoned to Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS). These sections are now designated as being in the Chillum CDP index map. PG County Takoma Park CDP is shown on pages 7 and 12. From 1950 to 1964, during the era of legally-required racial segregation of schools, black students from the PG County section of Takoma Park attended Fairmont Heights High School, then near Fairmount Heights.


Private

* John Nevins Andrews School, a K–8 Seventh-day Adventist Christian School. * Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, a private Catholic high-school. * Takoma Academy, a private Adventist Education high-school.


Colleges and universities

*
Washington Adventist University Washington Adventist University is a Private university, private Seventh-day Adventist university in Takoma Park, Maryland. History Washington Adventist University was established in 1904 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Washington ...
, a private liberal arts university * Montgomery College (Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus) (a 2-year institution)


Police

Takoma Park is chartered with its own police force, public works department, housing department, library, and recreation department. It has also historically maintained its own Volunteer Fire Department and Municipal Library. Until 2007, the city operated a Tool Library as well, and continues to operate its own compost recycling program and silo for corn-burning stoves. Takoma Park is densely developed with narrow houses on deep lots, often featuring mid-block developments and a mix of apartments and homes which are no longer permitted under regional suburban zoning laws, under which many apartments were de-zoned in 1989.


Transportation


Roads and highways

Several state highways serve Takoma Park. The largest of these is
Maryland Route 650 Maryland Route 650 (MD 650) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as New Hampshire Avenue for most of its length, the state highway runs from Eastern Avenue (Washington, D.C.), Eastern Avenue at the Washington, D.C. border ...
(New Hampshire Avenue), which is the only six-lane thoroughfare running within city limits. New Hampshire Avenue continues into central Washington, D.C. and primarily serves through-traffic to the east of the city. Maryland Route 193 (University Boulevard) serves as the major suburban shopping strip, skirting the city on its northeast edge. Other state highways serving Takoma Park include Maryland Route 410, Maryland Route 320 and Maryland Route 195, all of which serve as local connectors to neighboring areas.


Public transportation

Being part of Montgomery County, Takoma Park is served by both the Ride On bus system, and by the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA ), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional public transit agency that operates transit services in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA provides rapid transit servic ...
, which provides bus and rail service to the Maryland and Virginia suburbs of
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 ...
The Takoma Metrorail station, also a Ride On and Metrobus hub, sits in the heart of the Old Takoma Main Street, in Washington, D.C., two blocks from the Maryland line. The Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center is situated just outside the city border, at the intersection of University Boulevard and New Hampshire Avenue, also a location for a future Purple Line station. The Sligo Creek Trail is used for recreation by bicyclists and pedestrians, and much of the roadway segment within the City of Takoma Park is closed to motor vehicles Fridays through Sundays. The Takoma Park segment of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, a
rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...
that parallels the Red Line, is complete. Trail-building is planned to connect that segment with the completed portion that runs south to
Washington Union Station Washington Union Station, known locally as Union Station, is a major train station, transportation hub, and leisure destination in Washington, D.C. Designed by Daniel Burnham and opened in 1907, it is Amtrak's second-busiest station and North ...
and to planned segments running north to Silver Spring,
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 ...
with a connection to the Capital Crescent Trail.


Notable people

* Danielle Allen, classicist and political scientist * Henry Allen, author, artist *
Roger MacBride Allen Roger MacBride Allen (born September 26, 1957) is an American science fiction author. He was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and grew up outside of Washington, D.C., graduating from Walt Whitman High School. He graduated from Boston University ...
, novelist * Tom Brosius, track and field athlete *
Maia Campbell Maia Campbell is an American former actress known for her role as Nicole on the 1994 Fox comedy-drama series '' South Central'' and her portrayal of Tiffany Warren in the NBC/ UPN sitcom '' In the House'' for five seasons (1995–1999). She ...
, former actress, singer and model * Mary Chapin Carpenter, singer-songwriter * Lorig Charkoudian, Maryland State Delegate, District 20 * David Corn, journalist * Tommy Davidson, comedian, actorDavidson, Tommy; Teicholz, Tom (2020). ''Living in Color''. Kensington Publishing. . * Dominique Dawes, three-time women's Olympic gymnastics team member * Peabo Doue, soccer player * Matt Drudge, political commentator, creator and editor of the Drudge Report * Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Executive * John Fahey, guitarist; founder of Takoma Records * Peter Franchot, former Maryland State Comptroller * Steve Francis, former National Basketball Association player *
Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...
, actress * Bowie Kuhn, Commissioner of Baseball from 1969–1984, was born in Takoma Park. * Denis McDonough, White House chief of staff in the Obama Administration, Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the Biden Administration * Mona Minkara, chemist at
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...
* Heather Mizeur, former Maryland State Delegate; candidate in Democratic primary for governor in 2014 * David Moon, Maryland State Delegate, District 20 * Wes Moore,
Governor of Maryland The governor of the State of Maryland is the head of government of Maryland, and is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The governor is the highest-ranking official in the state and has a broad range of appointive powers ...
* Cal Newport, author * Tom Perez, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee; former Secretary of Labor * Al Petteway and Amy White, composers, musicians, singers *
Jamie Raskin Jamin Ben Raskin (born December 13, 1962) is an American attorney, law professor, and politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Maryland's 8th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Demo ...
, Congressman, 8th District * Sarah Bloom Raskin, former Deputy Secretary of the Treasury; former governor of the Federal Reserve System * Hans Riemer, former Montgomery County Councilmember * Root Boy Slim, musician * Nina Gilden Seavey, Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker * Kate Stewart, Montgomery County Councilmember * Henry Vestine, guitarist * Nick Zedd, underground filmmaker


In popular culture

* Takoma Park is identified as a location in the video game '' Fallout 3''. * Takoma Park is cited in the production of the play, ''Native Gardens'', by Karen Zacarias at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. from September 15 – October 22, 2017. * The movie '' American Milkshake'' was set and filmed in Takoma Park. * "Takoma Park" is a song on the album ''Texas'' by Iain Campbell Smith (a.k.a. Fred Smith), described as "a comic portrait of a soft left suburb on the outskirts of Washington DC, with Glockenspiel solo." * "The Ballad of Sammie Abbott" is a song in praise of Takoma Park's former mayor (1980–85) on the album ''Food for the Long Haul'' by Jesse Palidofsky from Azalea City Recording. * Takoma Park is the location for the HQ of the protagonists in '' The Lone Gunmen'', a television spinoff of the '' X-Files''. * Takoma Park is featured in Atlas Obscura articles on "Herlong the Carved Dragon" and "Roscoe the Rooster." Roscoe the Rooster is the subject of a poem, "Roscoe Magnus", authored by "Anonymous, 2nd century BCE, Trans. from Latin by Merrill Leffler." Merrill Leffler is Takoma Park's Poet Laureate Emeritus. * '' Bridge to Terabithia'', a children's novel by
Katherine Paterson Katherine Paterson (née Womeldorf; born October 31, 1932) is an American writer best known for Children's literature, children's novels, including ''Bridge to Terabithia (novel), Bridge to Terabithia'' (1977), which won the Newbery Medal in 197 ...
, winner of the Newbery Medal, was inspired by an event in Takoma Park. * Takoma Park is the setting for a number of the novels of Allison Leotta. * Takoma Park is referred to in '' The Night Gardener'' by
George Pelecanos George P. Pelecanos (born February 18, 1957) is an American author, producer and television writer. Many of his 20 books are in the genre of detective fiction and set primarily in his hometown of Washington, D.C. On television, he frequently co ...
. * Takoma Park is a location cited in the NBC television series, ''
The Blacklist ''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series created by Jon Bokenkamp and developed by John Eisendrath. It stars James Spader as Raymond Reddington, an international criminal and one of the FBI's Most Wanted fugitives ...
'', Season 1, Episode 7 and Season 2, Episode 13. *Takoma Park is described in the 2017 memoir by Suzanne Rhodenbaugh, ''The Deepest South I've Gotten.''


See also

* Takoma, Washington, D.C. * Benjamin Franklin Gilbert * :People from Washington, D.C. * List of cities in Maryland


References


External links

* * {{authority control 1883 establishments in Maryland Cities in Maryland Cities in Montgomery County, Maryland Nuclear-free zones in the United States Populated places established in 1883 Suburbs of Washington, D.C. Washington metropolitan area