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Beltsville, Maryland

Coordinates:39°2′15″N76°55′4″W/ 39.03750°N 76.91778°W/39.03750; -76.91778
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Beltsville, Maryland
CDP
Downtown Beltsville viewed from the top floor of the National Agricultural Library
Downtown Beltsville viewed from the top floor of theNational Agricultural Library
Location of Beltsville, Maryland
Location of Beltsville, Maryland
Coordinates:39°2′15″N76°55′4″W/ 39.03750°N 76.91778°W/39.03750; -76.91778
CountryUnited States
StateMaryland
CountyPrince George's
Area
[1]
• Total7.23 sq mi (18.73 km2)
• Land7.21 sq mi (18.66 km2)
• Water0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation
135 ft (41 m)
Population
(2020)
• Total20,133
• Density2,793.92/sq mi (1,078.75/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5(Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)UTC−4(EDT)
ZIP codes
20704-20705
Area codes301, 240
FIPS code24-06400
GNISfeature ID0597069
Websitewww.beltsville
Aerial view of Beltsville, 1943

Beltsvilleis acensus-designated place(CDP) in northernPrince George's County,Maryland,United States.[2]The community was named for Truman Belt, a local landowner. The 2020 census counted 20,133 residents.[3]Beltsville includes theunincorporated communityofVansville.[4]

Geography[edit]

Beltsville is located at39°2′15″N76°55′4″W/ 39.03750°N 76.91778°W/39.03750; -76.91778(39.037509, −76.917847),[5]adjacent to theMontgomery County–Prince George's Countyline. It is approximately 7 miles (11 km) northeast of theMarylandborder withWashington.

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,Beltsville has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.6 km2), of which 7.1 square miles (18.5 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.38%, is water.[6]

Climate[edit]

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classificationsystem, Beltsville has ahumid subtropical climate,abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[7]

Climate data for Beltsville, Maryland (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1941–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 78
(26) 		79
(26) 		88
(31) 		94
(34) 		96
(36) 		100
(38) 		103
(39) 		102
(39) 		101
(38) 		98
(37) 		85
(29) 		83
(28) 		103
(39)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 65.6
(18.7) 		66.8
(19.3) 		75.5
(24.2) 		85.1
(29.5) 		89.6
(32.0) 		94.5
(34.7) 		96.4
(35.8) 		95.2
(35.1) 		90.8
(32.7) 		83.9
(28.8) 		74.9
(23.8) 		65.8
(18.8) 		97.6
(36.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 42.7
(5.9) 		45.5
(7.5) 		53.4
(11.9) 		65.3
(18.5) 		74.2
(23.4) 		83.0
(28.3) 		87.1
(30.6) 		85.6
(29.8) 		79.2
(26.2) 		67.8
(19.9) 		56.7
(13.7) 		46.8
(8.2) 		65.6
(18.7)
Daily mean °F (°C) 34.0
(1.1) 		36.3
(2.4) 		43.7
(6.5) 		54.5
(12.5) 		63.9
(17.7) 		73.0
(22.8) 		77.4
(25.2) 		75.8
(24.3) 		69.3
(20.7) 		57.3
(14.1) 		46.7
(8.2) 		38.3
(3.5) 		55.9
(13.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 25.3
(−3.7) 		27.0
(−2.8) 		34.1
(1.2) 		43.8
(6.6) 		53.6
(12.0) 		63.0
(17.2) 		67.6
(19.8) 		66.1
(18.9) 		59.4
(15.2) 		46.8
(8.2) 		36.7
(2.6) 		29.8
(−1.2) 		46.1
(7.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 9.2
(−12.7) 		12.0
(−11.1) 		18.6
(−7.4) 		29.2
(−1.6) 		38.3
(3.5) 		49.2
(9.6) 		57.2
(14.0) 		55.4
(13.0) 		44.5
(6.9) 		32.2
(0.1) 		23.2
(−4.9) 		15.6
(−9.1) 		7.1
(−13.8)
Record low °F (°C) −15
(−26) 		−12
(−24) 		−1
(−18) 		15
(−9) 		26
(−3) 		37
(3) 		45
(7) 		38
(3) 		29
(−2) 		20
(−7) 		12
(−11) 		−6
(−21) 		−15
(−26)
Averageprecipitationinches (mm) 2.87
(73) 		2.40
(61) 		3.72
(94) 		3.28
(83) 		4.27
(108) 		4.23
(107) 		4.51
(115) 		3.88
(99) 		4.42
(112) 		4.04
(103) 		2.92
(74) 		3.48
(88) 		44.02
(1,118)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.7
(14) 		5.0
(13) 		2.5
(6.4) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		2.3
(5.8) 		15.8
(40)
Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) 10.0 8.9 10.2 10.8 10.9 10.3 10.1 9.2 8.6 9.0 8.2 9.8 116.0
Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) 2.5 2.2 1.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 1.4 7.6
Source:NOAA[8][9]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
200015,690—
201016,7726.9%
202020,13320.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
2010[11]2020[12]

2020 census[edit]

Beltsville CDP, Maryland – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010[11] Pop 2020[12] % 2010 % 2020
Whitealone (NH) 4,508 4,268 26.88% 21.20%
Black or African Americanalone (NH) 5,631 5,391 33.57% 26.78%
Native AmericanorAlaska Nativealone (NH) 34 37 0.20% 0.18%
Asianalone (NH) 1,582 1,646 9.43% 8.18%
Pacific Islanderalone (NH) 7 6 0.04% 0.03%
Some Other Racealone (NH) 81 148 0.48% 0.74%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial(NH) 390 514 2.33% 2.55%
Hispanic or Latino(any race) 4,539 8,123 27.06% 40.35%
Total 16,772 20,133 100.00% 100.00%

2000 census[edit]

As of thecensus[13]of 2000, there were 15,690 people, 5,690 households, and 3,823 families residing in Beltsville. The population density was 2,366.9 inhabitants per square mile (913.9/km2). There were 5,865 housing units at an average density of 884.8 per square mile (341.6/km2). The racial makeup of Beltsville was 48.20%White,31.96%African American,0.26%Native American,10.75%Asian,0.10%Pacific Islander,5.42% fromother races,and 3.31% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 9.84% of the population.

There were 5,690 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% weremarried couplesliving together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 23.0% 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 2.74 and the average family size was 3.27.

In Beltsville the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in Beltsville was $57,722, and the median income for a family was $66,087. Males had a median income of $40,914 with $35,645 for females. Theper capita incomefor the CDP was $24,679. About 5.5% of families and 7.2% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

History[edit]

TheNational Agricultural Libraryin 2018

Beltsville's history dates back to 1649, when the land was part of an 80,000-acre (324 km2) land grant given toRichard Snowden IbyLord Baltimoreof England. Snowden and his family were planters who established largeplantationson which they built comfortable manor homes. Soon after, other settlers moved into the area, but they were farmers who could only afford a few acres of land and whose families lived in small cabins. The principal crop wastobacco,most of which was shipped toEngland.Because of the fertile soil and desirable growing conditions, the crops prospered.

Industry came to Beltsville in the early 18th century wheniron orewas discovered in the area. The Muirkirk Iron Furnace onUS 1was established by Andrew and Elias Elliott, who learned their iron-making skills inMuirkirk,Scotland.They produced some of the best-qualitypig ironin the country and supplied theU.S. Armywith cannons, shot, wheels, and other iron products during theRevolutionary Warand theCivil War.

By 1730, Post Road (now part of US 1) was the main thoroughfare through Beltsville. Though crude, it madestagecoachtravel possible. In 1783, Gabriel Peterson Van Horn established a stage line and built the Van Horn Tavern on Odell Road, where passengers could spend the night as they traveled betweenBaltimoreand Washington. The trip took one and one-half days.[14]

Beltsville has a distinguished Revolutionary War hero as its native son. Brigadier GeneralRezin Beall,who was born on Turkey Flight Plantation on Old Gunpowder Road in 1723, prevented a British invasion atDrum Pointon theChesapeake Baywith only 100 men. He is credited with the fact that there are no Revolutionary War battlefields in Maryland.[citation needed]

In 1835 one of the first rail lines in the country, the Washington branch of theB&O Railroad(Baltimore & Ohio), was built through Prince George's County. Coming from Baltimore, the line entered the county atLaureland ran southwesterly toBladensburg,then into Washington. B&O established a rail stop and freight depot on land purchased from a tobacco farmer named Trueman Belt, and they named the place after him. The new community of Beltsville was doubly blessed, for the Baltimore-Washington Turnpike crossed the rail line there. It soon became a thriving little trading center, eclipsing the older community of Vansville further north on the pike.

The original area developed haphazardly and consisted of a few residences, two churches, several small stores, ablacksmith,and awheelwright.In 1891, the Beltsville Land Improvement Company was chartered and over the next thirty years developed the South Beltsville subdivision as a grid of streets. The developers sold the lots to individual owners and placedrestrictive covenantson the deeds, including forbidding the manufacture or sale of alcohol and the sale of any property to anAfrican American.Beltsville was marketed to professionals who wanted to escape the congestion of Washington and was developed with a mixture ofVictorian-stylehouses andColonial Revivalhouses. The community grew further when an electric railway was extended to Beltsville. The railway began as theBerwyn and Laurel Electric Railroad,but after suffering from financial difficulties it was acquired by theCity and Suburban Railway.Located to the west of the railroad, along the line of present-dayRhode Island Avenue,thestreetcarline served as the nucleus for additional subdivisions. These areas continued to develop slowly throughout the 1930s and 1940s with the construction of modest side-gable residences. Development continued after the introduction of the automobile, but it was not until afterWorld War IIthat intensive development came to the Beltsville area.[15][16]

As the federal government grew, in 1910 theU.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) began to purchase land in Beltsville for itsAgricultural Research Service,the main in-house research arm of the USDA. The land now houses theHenry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center(BARC). The first parcel acquired was 375 acres (1.5 km2) of the Walnut Grange Plantation with its historic "Butterfly House". The Center eventually encompassed 14,600 acres (59 km2) and became the largest and most prominent center ofagricultural scienceresearch in the world.

There are a number of historic homes and buildings still standing in Beltsville. The oldest home was built in 1773. One of the largest of the older buildings, built in 1880, was the three-story Ammendale Normal Institute, which was destroyed by fire in 1998.

In 2003 Kevin Kennedy started a group which aimed to have Beltsville incorporate into its own municipality.[17]By 2004 the 12-member group, named Committee to Incorporate Beltsville, advocated for getting the issue on the ballot.[18]By late 2004 the group began efforts to collect 3,000 signatures on a petition so the issue can be put up for election;[19]this would represent about one quarter of the persons in Beltsville who were registered to vote. By the deadline in March 2005 they failed to get sufficient signatures as they only had 2,000.[20]

Historic sites[edit]

The following is a list of historic sites in Beltsville and identified by theMaryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission:[21]African-American Heritage Sites at nearby Rossville are listed atMuirkirk, Maryland.[22]

Site Name Image Location M-NCPPC Inventory Number Comment
1 Abraham Hall 7612 Old Muirkirk Rd. 62-023-07 Located at Rossville. Listed on theNational Register of Historic Places,2005-03-14
2 Ammendale Normal Institute Jct. of Ammendale Rd. and U.S. 1 60-004 Listed on theNational Register of Historic Places,1975-04-14; demolished 2006
3 Briarley Academy (Old Hotel) 11777 Old Baltimore Pike 62-010
4 Orme-Shaw House 11601 Caverly Avenue 61-002
5 McLeod House 11034 Montgomery Road 61-011
6 Dr. Charles Fox House (Coffin House) 4931 Powder Mill Road 61-007
7 Sellman House Building 023,Beltsville Agricultural Research CenterWest 61-012
8 St. John’s Episcopal Church 11040 Baltimore Avenue 61-009
9 St. Joseph’s Catholic Chapel 6011 Ammendale Road 60-007 Listed on theNational Register of Historic Placeswith Ammendale Normal Institute, 1975-04-14
10 Walnut Grange Powder Mill Road (Building 209),Beltsville Agricultural Research Center 62-013

Government[edit]

Equipment at theBeltsville Information Management Centerin 1998

Prince George's County Police DepartmentDistrict 6 Station in Beltsville CDP serves the community.[23][24]

TheU.S. Postal Serviceoperates the Beltsville Post Office.[25]

TheDepartment of Stateoperates theBeltsville Information Management Center.[26]

TheUnited States Secret ServiceJames J. Rowley Training Centeris nicknamed “Beltsville” but is actually located in adjacent Laurel.

Some of the most important research and bureaucratic facilities of theUnited States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service(USDA ARS) are located here.[27]

Education[edit]

Schools[edit]

From top to bottom: Beltsville Academy, Martin Luther King Middle School,High Point High School,and Beltsville Branch Library

Public elementary schools include:[28]

  • Beltsville Academy (K-8,formerly Beltsville Elementary School) on Wicomico Avenue
  • Calverton Elementary School on Beltsville Road inCalverton CDP[29][30]
  • Vansville Elementary School (adjacent to the Beltsville CDP) on Ammendale Road[31]

Public middle schools include:[32]

  • Beltsville Academy on Wicomico Avenue
  • Martin Luther King Middle School on Ammendale Road

Public high schools include:[33]

There are threeparochial schoolsin Beltsville: Augsburg Academy (Lutheran), St Joseph's School (Roman Catholic of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Washington), and Beltsville Seventh-day Adventist (SDA).

During the era oflegally-required racial segregation of schools,black students from Beltsville attendedLakeland High SchoolinCollege Parkin the period 1928-1950;[34]Fairmont Heights High School,then nearFairmount Heights,replaced Lakeland High and served black students only from 1950 to 1964; around 1964 legally-required racial segregation of schools ended.[35]

Libraries[edit]

Prince George's County Memorial Library Systemoperates the Beltsville Branch.[36]

Notable past businesses[edit]

  • Ritz Camera Centerswas headquartered in Beltsville. The chain included Ritz Camera, Wolf Camera, Kit's Camera, Inkley's, Cameras West, and The Camera Shop. The company also owned Boater's World Marine Centers, which was headquartered in the same building. The company was acquired in 2012 and the Beltsville headquarters was closed.[37]
  • Beltsville Speedway,defunctNASCARtrack

Notable people[edit]

In popular culture[edit]

Experimentalpost-hardcorebandThricerecorded the albumThe Illusion of Safetyhere and dedicated a song to the town, named "The Beltsville Crucible".

References[edit]

  1. ^"2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedApril 26,2022.
  2. ^U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Beltsville, Maryland
  3. ^"Beltsville CDP, Maryland".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedMarch 13,2022.
  4. ^"Prince George's County, MD: Census Incorporated Places & Census Designated Places"(PDF).Prince George's County Map.Maryland Department of Planning. January 29, 2009. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 29, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 9,2007.
  5. ^"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990".United States Census Bureau.February 12, 2011.RetrievedApril 23,2011.
  6. ^"Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Beltsville CDP, Maryland".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedDecember 15,2011.
  7. ^Climate Summary for Beltsville, Maryland
  8. ^"NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedOctober 13,2023.
  9. ^"Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedOctober 13,2023.
  10. ^"Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades".US Census Bureau.
  11. ^ab"P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Beltsville CDP, Maryland".United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ab"P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Beltsville CDP, Maryland".United States Census Bureau.
  13. ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  14. ^"Vansville site"(PDF).RetrievedSeptember 3,2013.
  15. ^"Community Summary Sheet, Prince George's County"(PDF).Beltsville, Maryland.Maryland State Highway Administration, 1999. May 10, 2008.
  16. ^The Neighborhoods of Prince George's County.Upper Marlboro: Community Renewal Program, 1974.
  17. ^Boyes, Amy (March 6, 2003)."Beltsville mulls becoming a municipality".The Gazette.Archived fromthe originalon September 9, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 9,2018.– Also as "Community mulls becoming a townArchived2018-09-09 at theWayback Machine"
  18. ^Mullan, Megan (February 19, 2004)."Group hopes effort puts incorporation on ballot".The Gazette.Archived fromthe originalon September 9, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 9,2018.
  19. ^Mullan, Meghan (November 4, 2004)."Group to incorporate Beltsville takes issue to polls".The Gazette.Archived fromthe originalon September 9, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 9,2018.
  20. ^Mullan, Meghan (May 19, 2005)."Beltsville incorporation efforts fail".The Gazette.Archived fromthe originalon September 9, 2018.RetrievedSeptember 9,2018.-Reprinted on May 25 of that yearArchived2018-09-09 at theWayback Machine
  21. ^M-NCPPC Illustrated Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County, Maryland), 2006Archived2008-07-25 at theWayback Machine.
  22. ^M-NCPPC African-American Heritage Survey, October 1996: Properties Within or Closely Associated With Historic Communities (Prince George's County, Maryland), 1996[permanent dead link].
  23. ^"District 6 Station - Beltsville."Prince George's County Police Department.Retrieved on September 9, 2018. "4321 Sellman Road Beltsville, MD 20704".Beat map.
  24. ^"2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): Beltsville CDP, MD."U.S. Census Bureau.Retrieved on January 31, 2018. Pages:1,2,3
  25. ^"BELTSVILLE."U.S. Postal Service.Retrieved on September 11, 2018. "10901 RHODE ISLAND AVE BELTSVILLE, MD 20705-2518"
  26. ^Pike, John (April 28, 1996)."State Department: Beltsville Communications Annex".Federation of American Scientists.Archived fromthe originalon August 3, 2001.
  27. ^ "Beltsville Agricultural Research Center: USDA ARS".United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service(USDA ARS).July 11, 2018.RetrievedOctober 27,2022.
  28. ^"NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018."Prince George's County Public Schools.Retrieved on January 31, 2018.
  29. ^"Calverton Elementary."Prince George's County Public Schools.Retrieved on January 31, 2018. "3400 Beltsville Road Beltsville, MD 20705"
  30. ^"2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Calverton CDP, MD."U.S. Census Bureau.Retrieved on January 31, 2018.
  31. ^"Home."Vansville Elementary School. Retrieved on January 31, 2018." 6813 Ammendale Road | Beltsville, MD 20705 "
  32. ^"NEIGHBORHOOD MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018."Prince George's County Public Schools.Retrieved on January 31, 2018.
  33. ^"NEIGHBORHOOD HIGH SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018."Prince George's County Public Schools.Retrieved on January 31, 2018.
  34. ^African-American Historic and Cultural Resources in Prince George’s County, Maryland.Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission,February 2012. p. 63 (document page 67). Retrieved on September 6, 2018.
  35. ^"Fairmont Heights High School History".Fairmont Heights High School. September 4, 2018. Archived fromthe originalon October 4, 2005.RetrievedSeptember 4,2018.
  36. ^"Beltsville Branch."Prince George's County Memorial Library System.Retrieved on February 1, 2018.
  37. ^It's The End of the road for Ritz and Wolf Camera Stores[permanent dead link]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toBeltsville, Maryland.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forBeltsville.
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