Accokeek, Maryland | |
|---|---|
 Accokeek Academy school at 14400 Berry Road in Accokeek, MD | |
 Location in Prince George's County | |
  Accokeek, Maryland Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:38°40′35″N77°00′01″W / 38.67639°N 77.00028°W /38.67639; -77.00028 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Maryland |
| County |  Prince George's |
| First settled | c. 1200 |
| Founded | 1608 |
| Designated CDP | 1990 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unincorporated, county administrated |
| Area | |
• Total | 28.79 sq mi (74.57 km2) |
| • Land | 27.42 sq mi (71.03 km2) |
| • Water | 1.37 sq mi (3.54 km2) |
| Elevation | 194 ft (59 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 13,927 |
| • Rank | 118th[2] |
| • Density | 507.8/sq mi (196.06/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 20607 |
| Area code | 301, 240 |
| FIPS code | 24-00250 |
| GNIS feature ID | 596993 |
Accokeek (/ˈækəkiːk/), "at the edge of the hill" inAlgonquin,[3] is acensus-designated place (CDP) located inPrince George's County,Maryland, United States. The CDP is located on thePotomac River, bordersCharles County and is approximately 17 miles fromWashington. It is a part of theWashington metropolitan area. The population of the CDP, as of the2020 United States census was 13,927.[4]
While the area around Accokeek was inhabited byNative Americans since approximately 2,000BCE,John Smith was the first European to visit the area in 1608. In 1990, theUnited States Census Bureau officially made Accokeek a CDP.
The area around Accokeek had been occupied since around 2000 BC; however, the first permanent village was established inc. 1200 AD by thePiscataway tribe.[5]Captain John Smith was the first European to see the Accokeek area. In 1608, he sailed thePotomac River and found theMoyaone village.[6] At the time of the discovery, Moyaone was the seat of government for the Piscataway Tribe.[7] The village of Moyaone disbanded and the population migrated to other tribes before other Europeans settled the area.[8]
In the mid-17th century, settlers were purchasing large plots of land for farming. The Native Americans were upset that the settlers were wearing-out the land due to farming various crops, which led to multiple battles between the two. Between 1675 and 1682, the Native Americans were forced from the area as a result of losing.[5]
In 1861, Accokeek was still rural, andagriculture was the main economic factor for the place. Tobacco was the main crop planted.[9] During theAmerican Civil War (1861–1865), Accokeek sympathized with the Confederacy. According to the 1860 Census, the area around Accokeek had a slave population of 1,600 (52.6%). There were multipleConfederate spies in the area, includingThomas Harbin who opened a hotel in the area and had plans to kidnap then-PresidentAbraham Lincoln.[10]
Henry and Alice Ferguson settled in Accokeek when they purchasedHard Bargain Farm overlooking the Potomac River in 1922 as a vacation retreat.[11] Between 1935 and 1939 Alice Ferguson initiated archaeological excavations. A fort from theSusquehannock people, which was demolished in 1675, was found.[12] In 1957, US SenatorFrances P. Bolton founded the Accokeek Foundation. The Foundation was used to purchase 200 acres (81 ha) of land inPiscataway Park to help preserve the area.[13] Much of the community west of Route 210 is designated theMoyaone Reserve and contains mid-century, individually-designed homes on minimum 5-acre wooded lots. Community educational attractions include Hard Bargain Farm (Ferguson Foundation) and the National Colonial Farm (National Park Service), which are listed below under "Parks and Recreation." Both these sites have numerous special events, including an annual Oktoberfest, and a "theater in the woods". In 1960, theWashington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) wanted to build a water treatment plant in Mockley Point, which was Accokeek shoreline. Since it would disrupt the view ofMount Vernon andFort Washington Park, various people and organizations protested against it.[5] In 1961, a law was signed byPresident John F. Kennedy in order to designate 133 acres (54 ha) around Mockley Point as a national landmark. Both the Accokeek Foundation and the Alice Ferguson Foundation donated another 505 acres (204 ha) to the landmark.[14] As a result, WSSC was not allowed to build the plant there;[5] however, a plant was built in the 1960s in the surrounding area.[15][16]
In 1990, Accokeek officially became a CDP when theUS Census Bureau defined the place's boundaries.[17] In 2008, eight people were killed and 9 more were injured in Accokeek onIndian Head Highway in an illegalstreet race.[18]
Accokeek is located in theSouthern United States,[19] inSouthern Maryland,[20] and approximately 17 miles (27 km) fromWashington, D.C.[21] To the north, Accokeek borders the CDPs ofFort Washington andClinton; to the east, it borders the CDP ofBrandywine; to the south, it borders the CDPs ofBryans Road,Bensville, andWaldorf, all of which are located inCharles County; and to the west, it borders thePotomac River, which flows into theChesapeake Bay.[22][23]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the place has a total area of 28.803 square miles (74.60 km2), of which 27.436 square miles (71.06 km2) is land and 1.367 square miles (3.54 km2) is water.[24] Accokeek has an average elevation of 194 feet (59 m).[25]
According to theKöppen climate classification system, Accokeek is considered to have ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa).[26] This means Accokeek's average temperature of the warmest month is above 72 °F (22 °C), the average temperature of the coldest month is below between 27 and 64 °F (−3 and 18 °C), and rain is equally spread out through the year.[27]
There is more precipitation in the area during the months of May and July (4.1 inch; 104 mm) than in any other month; Accokeek currently has an annualprecipitation of 39 inches (1,009 mm) each year. July is the hottest month, on average; the hottest recorded temperature occurred in July 1954 and September 1983. January is the coldest month, and the lowest recorded temperature was recorded in January 1950.[28]
| Climate data for Accokeek, MD | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) | 81 (27) | 91 (33) | 95 (35) | 96 (36) | 100 (38) | 103 (39) | 102 (39) | 103 (39) | 96 (36) | 86 (30) | 77 (25) | 103 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44 (7) | 49 (9) | 58 (14) | 68 (20) | 75 (24) | 81 (27) | 85 (29) | 83 (28) | 78 (26) | 68 (20) | 59 (15) | 48 (9) | 66 (19) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 26 (−3) | 28 (−2) | 35 (2) | 43 (6) | 53 (12) | 62 (17) | 67 (19) | 65 (18) | 59 (15) | 47 (8) | 38 (3) | 30 (−1) | 46 (8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −8 (−22) | −2 (−19) | 1 (−17) | 20 (−7) | 29 (−2) | 39 (4) | 46 (8) | 45 (7) | 31 (−1) | 19 (−7) | 9 (−13) | 1 (−17) | −8 (−22) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.4 (86) | 3.0 (76) | 4.0 (100) | 3.1 (79) | 4.1 (100) | 3.8 (97) | 4.1 (100) | 4.6 (120) | 4.3 (110) | 3.4 (86) | 3.2 (81) | 3.2 (81) | 44.2 (1,116) |
| Source: The Weather Channel[28] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 3,894 | — | |
| 1990 | 4,477 | 15.0% | |
| 2000 | 7,349 | 64.2% | |
| 2010 | 10,573 | 43.9% | |
| 2020 | 13,927 | 31.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[29] 2010[30] 2020[31] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[30] | Pop 2020[31] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 2,488 | 1,996 | 23.53% | 14.33% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 6,706 | 9,345 | 63.43% | 67.10% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 44 | 51 | 0.42% | 0.37% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 579 | 652 | 5.48% | 4.68% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 9 | 0.03% | 0.06% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 6 | 95 | 0.06% | 0.68% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 250 | 664 | 2.36% | 4.77% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 497 | 1,115 | 4.70% | 8.01% |
| Total | 10,573 | 13,927 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2010 census, there were 10,573 people, 3,601 households, and 2,835 families residing in the city. The population density was 385.5 inhabitants per square mile. There were 3,816 housing units at an average density of 139.1 per square mile. Accokeek is a part of theWashington Metropolitan Area,[32] in which Accokeek contains approximately 0.19% of the MSA's population.[33]
There were 3,601 households, of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 21.3% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94, and the average family size was 3.29.[33]
The median age of the city was 41.2 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the age of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 33.5% were from 45 to 64; and 9.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% males and 50.8% female. The racial makeup of the city was 64.4%African American, 24.9%White, 0.02%Native American, 5.5%Asian, 1.9%other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.7% of the population. As of 2013, 92.8% (9,690) of Accokeek residents spoke English at home as a primary language, while 3.2% (335) spokeSpanish and 2.4% (253) spokeTagalog. In total, 7.1% (750) of Accokeek's population age five and older spoke another language other than English.[33]
According to the2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Accokeek has amedian household income of $126,000, which is 2.35-times the United States' average of 53,482 and 1.69-times the State of Maryland's average of $74,149. The top industry is public administration (26.9%), followed by professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (20.2%). Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining (0.2%) is the smallest industry. Theunemployment rate of Accokeek was estimated to be 6.7%.[33]
Italian arms companyBeretta opened a factory in Accokeek in 1978. It won a federal contract to produceM9 pistols for the military in 1985.[34] As of 2007, the company employed approximately 220 people, making it the largest employer in Accokeek.[35] In 2013, as a response to Maryland's Firearm Safety Act, Beretta closed the factory and moved operations toGallatin, Tennessee, in 2016.[36][37]
The following sites located at Accokeek are included on theNational Register of Historic Places:
| [38] | Name on the Register | Image | Date listed[39] | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accokeek Creek Site |  | October 15, 1966 (#66000909) | 3400 Bryan Point Rd, Accokeek, MD 20607 38°41′46″N77°03′07″W / 38.696028°N 77.051833°W /38.696028; -77.051833 (Accokeek Creek Site) | Site of a palisaded village that was occupied from ca. A.D. 1300 to ca. 1630. |
| 2 | Bellevue |  | August 21, 1986 (#86001738) | 200 Manning Rd E 38°39′42″N77°00′11″W / 38.661734°N 77.0029897°W /38.661734; -77.0029897 (Bellevue) | Greek Revival style home constructed about 1840. |
| 3 | Hard Bargain Farm | .jpg) | October 8, 2014 (#14000839) | 2001 Bryan Point Road 38°41′21″N77°02′41″W / 38.689166666666665°N 77.04472222222222°W /38.689166666666665; -77.04472222222222 (Hard Bargain Farm) | Former country estate and working farm of Alice and Henry Ferguson |
| 4 | Moyaone Reserve |  | October 7, 2020 (#100005659) | Roughly bounded by Bryan Point Rd., Piscataway Park, Overlook Dr./Old Landing Rd., and Farmington Rd. West 38°41′27″N77°01′25″W / 38.6909°N 77.0237°W /38.6909; -77.0237 (Moyaone Reserve) | Community with a history of conservation and modernist architecture. |
| 5 | Piscataway Park |  | October 15, 1966 (#66000144) | East of Potomac River, south of Piscataway Creek, in Prince George's and Charles Counties 38°40′43″N77°05′34″W / 38.67861111111111°N 77.09277777777777°W /38.67861111111111; -77.09277777777777 (Piscataway Park) | Location of Marshall Hall and the National Colonial Farm. |
Prince George's County Police Department District 5 Station inClinton CDP and District 7 Station inFort Washington CDP serve the community.[40][41]
TheU.S. Postal Service operates the Accokeek Post Office.[42]
According to the US Census' American Community Survey, 2.59% of the population from 25 to 64 years has less than a high school diploma, 26.17% have a high school diploma, 30.32% have some college of associate degree, and 40.90% have a bachelor's degree or higher.[33]
Accokeek is under thePrince George's County Public Schools district.[43]
It has one public school, Accokeek Academy,[44] which serves all of the CDP for elementary and middle school.[45][46] It was formed in 2009 by the merger of Henry G. Ferguson Elementary School, built in 1963, and Eugene Burroughs Middle School,[47] built in 1966.[48] The newly merged school retained separate elementary and middle school campuses.[47] In 2010 the school had a total of 1,178 students, with 553 at the elementary campus and 625 at the middle school campus.[48] In 2011 the elementary school population had increased to 570. In a period after 2011 the fifth grade was moved to the middle school complex for two reasons: The first was so Burroughs middle school could have a higher occupancy rate, giving it eligibility for renovation funds from the State of Maryland. The second was to alleviate overcrowding in the original elementary building, which had a capacity of about 410 students; the middle school building had a capacity of 805 students.[47]
Even though initially some parents advocated for having a single combined PK-8 building,[48] the district instead chose to rebuild the elementary building; a study from 2008 had described the elementary building as having one of the poorest states of repair in the PGCPS system.[47] The school planned to construct a more than 3,000-square-foot (280 m2), two-story facility.[48] After the scheduled completion of the new elementary building in August 2013, the district planned to temporarily house the middle school students there while the middle school building is renovated, and in 2014 put the students in their respective permanent buildings. In addition PGCPS planned to establish a walkway between the two buildings.[47] The State of Maryland was to spend over $7 million while PGCPS was to spend fewer than $19 million, so the total cost was over $26 million.[49]
All of the CDP is zoned toGwynn Park High School, located inBrandywine CDP.[50] There is also a private school, Accokeek College Preparatory School, the secondary school campus ofThe Beddow Schools.[51]
From 1950 to 1964, during the era of legally-required racial segregation of schools, black students from Accokeek attendedFairmont Heights High School, then nearFairmount Heights.[52]
Prince George's County Memorial Library System operates the Accokeek Library Branch.[53]
The State of Maryland'sMTA Maryland operates two express commuter buses, routes 640 and 650, which operate from Waldorf or La Plata, stopping in Accokeek en route to Washington, D.C.[54] There are currently noInterstate Highways in Accokeek; however there are fourstate highways:[55]
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| National | |
| Other | |
