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Suitland, Maryland

Suitland is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, approximately one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 census, its population was 25,839.[2] Prior to 2010, it was part of the Suitland-Silver Hill census-designated place.

Suitland, Maryland
The headquarters of the United States Census Bureau in March 2007
Suitland, Maryland
Location of Suitland in Maryland
Suitland, Maryland
Suitland, Maryland (the United States)
Coordinates: 38°50′55″N 76°55′28″W / 38.84861°N 76.92444°W / 38.84861; -76.92444Coordinates: 38°50′55″N 76°55′28″W / 38.84861°N 76.92444°W / 38.84861; -76.92444
Country United States
State Maryland
County Prince George's
Area
 • Total4.25 sq mi (11.01 km2)
 • Land4.25 sq mi (11.00 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
290 ft (90 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total25,839
 • Density6,085.49/sq mi (2,349.49/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
20746, 20747
Area code(s)301, 240
FIPS code24-75725

History

Suitland is named after 19th century landowner and businessman Senator Samuel Taylor Suit, whose estate, "Suitland," was located near the present-day intersection of Suitland and Silver Hill Roads.[3]

17th and 18th centuries

In the 1600s, the Piscataway tribe inhabited the lands in southern Maryland.[4] European settlers first visited Saint Clement's Island on the Potomac River and then established their first Maryland colony downriver at Saint Mary's City in 1634, and by the 1660s through the 1680s, settlers had moved into what is now known as Prince George's County. Faced with this encroachment, the Piscataways left the area in 1697, and moved north to what is now known as Coney Island. They eventually moved further north into Pennsylvania and Michigan. The sole export of the European settlers was tobacco, and slaves were first brought to the county in the 1700s.

19th century

Prior to the Civil War, tobacco production had made Prince George's County one of the wealthiest counties in Maryland, and half of the county's population was enslaved.[4] After the war, old plantations were broken up and replaced by communities centered on small farming and country villages.

In 1867, Samuel Taylor Suit moved to Maryland and purchased more than 800 acres (320 ha) near Washington, D.C.[5] In the 1870s and 1880s, such prominent guests as U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes visited the Suitland estate. It was the 1871 site of negotiations preliminary to the international tribunal in Geneva that arbitrated the Alabama Claims. After Suit's death in 1888, portions of the estate were sold (circa 1892 to 1903) to William A. Harrison, and the land was subsequently subdivided and sold over the years. Suit's son, Arthur B. Suit, retained three acres (1.2 ha) of land near the corner of Suitland and Silver Hill Roads, where he maintained a general store, a bar, a bowling alley, and the community's one-room jailhouse.[6]

20th century

By the turn of the century, the village of Suitland had added a post office, churches, and several houses.[3] On August 10, 1909, local residents met at the home of George J. Hess and organized the Suitland Improvement Association of Maryland to raise funds for a community meeting hall. Three officers were elected to serve one-year posts: President, Dr. C. M. Emmons; Vice President, C. L. Jenkins; and Secretary and Treasurer, George J. Hess. The Association was incorporated on November 17, 1950 and is now known as the Suitland Civic Association.[7]

There are two historic cemeteries in Suitland: Cedar Hill and Lincoln Memorial.[3] Cedar Hill Cemetery was founded in 1895 and built on the former Nonesuch Plantation.[8] Prior to 1913, it was known as Forest Lake Cemetery and was likely renamed after the cedar trees that lined both sides of Suitland Road from the D.C. line to Silver Hill Road. Early churches performed baptisms at this location and it is also the burial site for victims of the 1906 Terra Cotta Railroad wreck.[9] Lincoln Memorial Cemetery was founded in 1927 on the former Landon dairy farm and is the site where many prominent African-Americans are buried. Individuals include Dr. Charles Richard Drew, who established improved techniques for blood storage and developed large scale blood banks early in World War II, and Nannie Helen Burroughs, educator and civil rights activist.[10]

The first one-room schoolhouse was built in 1891 on land purchased by the community. A two-room schoolhouse was later built in 1915 on Silver Hill Road, expanded to four rooms in 1922, and saw additions to the building in 1928, 1941, and 1957.[11]

Property owned by James West and Joseph Friday, located near the current intersection of Swann and Silver Hill Roads, was used as an airfield from 1938 to 1941.[12] Named "Skyhaven" by a local student who won the naming contest sponsored by West and Friday, Skyhaven Airfield hosted a flying club that served 20 small planes, including Wacos, Great Lakes, and Pipers.

Suitland remained a rural farming community until the onset of World War II. To meet the need for additional office space to support the war effort, in September 1941, the Public Buildings Administration awarded a $2,749,000 contract to McCloskey and Co. of Philadelphia to develop a new federal office building in Prince George's County, Maryland.[13] Later that year, 437 acres (177 ha) of farm and dairy land were purchased in Suitland to build the Suitland Federal Center. The 12 existing residences on this property included the former dairy and summer home of Albert Carry, the German-American founder of the National Capital Brewing Company and the Carry Ice Cream Co. The Suitland House, built by Lowell O. Minear, a pioneer designer of memorial parks, is the sole remaining residence on the Federal Center property. A colonial-revival style home, it now serves as office space for the U.S. Census Bureau and is included in the Prince George's County Planning Department's 2010 Approved Historic Sites and Districts Plan.[14]

In 1942, the Suitland Manor apartments were built in anticipation of new federal workers. Parkway Terrace, Whitehall Square, and Marlborough House developments soon followed to accommodate the influx of Census Bureau and other federal employees. In 1943, the Census Bureau turned 14 acres (5.7 ha) of land at the Federal Center site into the largest Victory Garden in the Washington metropolitan area.[13] The land was a parceled into 616 plots and plowed, fertilized, and tended by census employees. As late as 1989, 110 garden plots were still available for summer rental on a first-come, first-served basis for $7.00 each. These gardens were located at the site of the current Naval Intelligence Building.

In 1944, the Suitland Parkway was opened to connect the Army's Bolling Air Force Base (Bolling Field) to the Camp Springs Army Military Reservation, later named Andrews Air Force Base and now known as Joint Base Andrews.[3] The 9.35 miles (15.05 km) of highway, originally named the Fighter Command Station Access Parkway, was initially limited to military use only and came under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service in 1949.

Suitland Junior-Senior High School, was the first high school in Suitland.[15] The building was dedicated on November 15, 1951 to the high ideal of freedom of education, with John W. McNamara presiding as master-of-ceremonies and principal Thomas Warthen accepting the dedication on behalf of the students and faculty. Nearby was also LaReine High School, offering a Roman Catholic education for girls. LaReine was eventually closed, and its students transferred to nearby Bishop McNamara High School which became co-educational.

The 1950s and 1960s were a period of major growth for Suitland, as new middle and working-class families settled into the newly built residential communities. However, this population boom came to an end around 1970 due to several converging factors. These included the availability of cheaper land and lower taxes in neighboring county jurisdictions; the ending of the postwar baby boom; the slowdown in the rate of federal government growth; and migration patterns spurred by school busing mandates leading to regional demographic shifts.[4]

The 1970s were both the beginning of a period of population adjustment and a recognition of Suitland's unique local history. Beginning in 1973, Prince George's County became the largest school district to adopt a busing plan after the Supreme Court's ruling on Brown v. Board of Education.[16] The demographic changes caused by desegregation busing changed the county, transforming a great number of neighborhoods that were formerly white and middle-class to majority black and middle-class, and these shifts are reflected in the current population demographic of the Suitland CDP.

In 1975, local historian Darlie Norton was elected to draft a local history of the township in preparation for Suitland's centennial celebration.[11] A History of Suitland, Maryland, 1867–1976 (1976) includes a detailed history of early residents, businesses, land purchases, and the development of Suitland civic, public, and private enterprises. That same year, local resident Walter Coley organized a committee within the Suitland Civic Association to preserve the Suitland Bog, which led to the purchase of 20 acres (8.1 ha) of woods and wetland by the Maryland National Capitol Park and Planning Commission.[17]

In the 1980s, crime associated with vandalism, property violations, landlord absenteeism, and drugs were seen as a threat to the federal workers who were now commuting into Suitland from outside the community, and in 1983, a razor wired fence was erected around the Federal Center complex.[18] Through most of this decade, neighborhoods near the Federal Center remained distressed and in need of a plan for positive change and growth.

In the mid-1990s, county executive Wayne Curry conceived a plan to revitalize Suitland as part of a greater county-wide effort to improve townships located inside the Beltway.[18] In 1997, as the first stage of the Prince George's County Redevelopment Authority project to reduce local crime rates and revitalize the site, the Manchester Square housing development was turned over to the county. Two years later, the fence surrounding the Federal Center was replaced with a regular wrought iron fence. Notoriously in 2003, two business women in their 70s were murdered during a robbery at their retail flower shop on Suitland Road. As of Spring 2019, most of the retail district along Suitland Road across from the Census Bureau has been torn down, with plans for building new residential/retail ventures finally moving forward.

21st century

 
The Suitland Metro station in October 2006

The Suitland station on the Washington Metro's Green Line opened to the public January 13, 2001.

In 2004, Windsor Crossing, a $45 million multifamily condominium complex built by Stavrou Associates in partnership with the Prince George's Redevelopment Authority, was completed on the former Manchester Square development.[18] In 2005, the $15.7 million Suitland Elementary School was opened to the public as part of the revitalization plan.[19] The defense departments Base Realignment Commission initiatives resulted in major changes at Andrews Air Force Base with hundreds of new employment positions anticipated over the coming decades.

In 2006, multi-million-dollar federal renovations of the U.S. Census Building and National Oceanic and Atmospheric headquarters were completed. On October 1, 2009, Andrews Air Force Base, along with Naval Air Facility Washington, became a joint base known as Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington, or Joint Base Andrews. Renovations were completed at the Spauldings Branch Library in 2012, which while located in District Heights, MD also serves Suitland and surrounding communities.

Recent developments in Suitland include a double-digit fall in crime rates and increased development in the surrounding county. These include National Harbor to the south, Konterra to the north, Joint Base Andrews to the east of town, and the continuing development and/or gentrification of southeast Washington D.C. to the west. Several currently under-utilized Metro Stations in or around Suitland promise further development, as does recent legislation permitting gaming/casinos to be located in National Harbor. Two more revitalization projects were announced to the public in 2012: the "Buy Suitland" initiative and the Green Suitland Neighborhood Stabilization Project.

The "Buy Suitland" initiative offers up to 5% purchase price to first time home buyers, up to 7% purchase price to local civic workers, or 35% of purchase price or $40,000 to debt-to-income candidates for properties located in 11 census tracts.[20] Green Suitland NSP is allocating over $2 million for the purchase of foreclosed and abandoned homes to be rehabilitated with enviro-friendly, cost-saving upgrades before they are resold.[21]

Geography

As an unincorporated area, Suitland's boundaries are not officially defined. The U.S. Geological Survey locates the center of Suitland at 38°50'49"N 76°55'33"W.[22] This area is roughly bounded by Southern Avenue (D.C. Line) to the north, Branch Avenue (MD 5) to the west, Pennsylvania Avenue (MD 4) to the east, and Donnell Drive/Suitland Parkway/Meadowbrook Drive (Henson Creek) to the south. Within the northeastern section of these boundaries lies the township of Morningside, MD and a small portion of another unincorporated area known as Forestville, MD.[23]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Suitland has a total area of 4.2 square miles (11.0 km2), a 25% reduction from the 2.2 square miles (5.6 km2) used in previous years.[24] While the Census Bureau defines the CDP as all land, the Suitland Bog and portions of Henson Creek, a tributary of the Potomac, are located off Suitland Parkway near the southern border of the CDP.

Suitland Bog is one of the last of the natural bogs in the D.C. region, which numbered approximately thirty before the onset of suburban development.[11] This wetland ecosystem features sweet bay magnolias and other rare species of plants, including northern pitcher-plants, lady slipper orchids, sundews, and sphagnum moss.

Parks and recreation

There are two community recreation centers (Bradbury Heights Recreation Center and William Beanes Community Center) and 4 parks (Auth Village Neighborhood Park, Douglas Patterson Community Park, Dupont Heights Neighborhood Park, and Michael J. Polley Neighborhood Park) maintained by the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation.[25]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
196010,300
197030,355194.7%
198032,1646.0%
199035,1119.2%
200033,515−4.5%
201025,825−22.9%
202025,8390.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[26]
2010[27] 2020[28]
Note: land area of Suitland CDP
reduced by 25% for 2010 census

2020 census

Suitland CDP, Maryland - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[27] Pop 2020[28] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 450 489 1.74% 1.89%
Black or African American alone (NH) 23,569 22,424 91.26% 86.78%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 78 32 0.30% 0.12%
Asian alone (NH) 88 166 0.34% 0.64%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 6 1 0.02% 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 23 87 0.09% 0.34%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 387 615 1.50% 2.38%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,224 2,025 4.74% 7.84%
Total 25,825 25,839 100.00% 100.00%

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 can be of any race.

2010

For the 2010 Census the boundaries of the Suitland CDP were changed reducing the land area by approx. 25%. As a result, the population count for 2010 shows a 22.9% decrease, with a population density increase of 4%.

As of the 2010 census, there were 25,825 people and 10,139 households residing in the Suitland CDP.[29] The population density was 6,148 people per square mile. There were 10,805 housing units at an average density of 2,572 per square mile. The racial makeup of the community was 91.9% African American, 2.6% European American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 4.7% Latino, 1.7% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

There were 10,139 households, out of which 3,682 were households with no family and 6,457 were identified as household with families. Of those households, 30.9% were married couples living together, 32.4% had a female householder, and 9% had a male householder. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the census area, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.5 years.

The median income for a household in the census area was $56,217 and the median income for a family was $61,393. The per capita income for the area was $26,040. 7.4% (+/- 2.0%) of the population and 6.5% (+/-2.4%) of families were below the poverty line.

Population by Race in Suitland Maryland (2010)
Race Population % of Total
Total 25,825 100
African American 23,746 91
Hispanic 1,224 4
Other 671 2
Caucasian 663 2
Two or More Races 540 2
American Indian 104 < 1%
[30]

Transportation

The major roads in Suitland are mostly two and three-lane highways. Suitland Parkway runs through the entirety of the Suitland CDP, and the Capital Beltway can be accessed from Pennsylvania Avenue (MD 4) and Branch Avenue (MD 5).

The community is served by the Washington Metro Naylor Road, Suitland and Branch Avenue stations (on the Green Line), respectively located at the intersections of Naylor Road and Branch Avenue, Silver Hill Road and Suitland Parkway then terminating between Auth Way and Capital Gateway Drive just off Branch Avenue and Auth Road.

Major highways

Government

Prince George's County Police Department District 3 Station in Landover CDP and District 4 Station in Glassmanor CDP, with an Oxon Hill postal address, serve the community.[31][32]

The U.S. Postal Service operates the Suitland Post Office in the CDP.[33]

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Suitland is served by the county-wide public school system, Prince George's County Public Schools.[34]

Elementary schools serving sections of Suitland include Suitland, William Beanes, Samuel P. Massie Academy, Andrew Jackson Academy, Francis Scott Key, and Bradbury Heights.[35] Massie Academy, in Suitland CDP and with a Forestville address,[36] was scheduled to open in August 2003.[37]

Most residents are zoned to Drew-Freeman Middle School, while some are zoned to Samuel Massie Academy and Andrew Jackson Academy.[38] Massie Elementary and Andrew Jackson Middle converted into K-8 academies in 2009.[39]

All residents of the CDP are zoned to Suitland High School.[40] Suitland High School is a public magnet school with specialized programs in the visual and performing arts, International Baccalaureate program, and vocational Technical Academy.

The district previously operated Berkshire Elementary School in what is now Suitland CDP;[41][34] it could hold up to 550 students.[42] Berkshire Elementary closed in 2009.[43] Its final enrollment was 281.[42]

In 1960 an all-girls Catholic high school, La Reine High School, opened in Suitland. It closed in 1992 and its students began attending the previously all-boys Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville.[44]

Public libraries

Suitland is also served by the Spauldings Branch Library of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System,[45] which was fully renovated in 2012.[citation needed]

Economy

 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite control facility at Suitland

The federal government has headquartered multiple agencies in the Suitland Federal Center including:

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  2. ^ "Suitland CDP, Maryland". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "History – Suitland, MD". Census Bureau.
  4. ^ a b c Virta, Alan (1984). Prince George's County, A Pictorial History.
  5. ^ Dunmore, Chris. "Samuel Taylor Suit – Person Sheet". Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  6. ^ "History – Colonel Suit". Census Bureau. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  7. ^ "History of the Suitland Civic Association". Suitland Civic Association.
  8. ^ "Forest Lake Cemetery. New Burial Site Selected on Pennsylvania Avenue Extended Southwest". The Washington Post. 7 April 1895.
  9. ^ "Cedar Hill Cemetery". Cedar Hill Cemetery.
  10. ^ "Lincoln Memorial Cemetery". Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.
  11. ^ a b c Norton, Darlene (1976). A History of Suitland Maryland, 1867–1976.
  12. ^ "History – Skyhaven Airport". Census Bureau. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  13. ^ a b "History – Suitland Federal Center". Census Bureau. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  14. ^ "Approved Historic Sites and Districts Plan". Prince George's County Planning Department. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  15. ^ "Suitland High School Mission Statement". Suitland High School. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  16. ^ Merida, Kevin (2 September 1998). "Where That Bus Ride Took Me". Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  17. ^ "Morningside-Skyline column". The Sentinel. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  18. ^ a b c Schwartzman, Paul (2 June 2004). "Suitland's Chance to Make a Change". Washington Post. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  19. ^ Klein, Allison (21 July 2005). "Prince George's Set to Raze Much of Deadly Drug Market". Washington Post. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  20. ^ "Buy Suitland Initiative". Prince George's County Association of Realtors. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  21. ^ "Green Suitland NSP" (PDF). Prince George's County government. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  22. ^ . Archived from the original on 4 March 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  23. ^ "Suitland-Silver Hill map". Zipmap. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  24. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Suitland CDP, Maryland". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  25. ^ "Prince George's County Parks". Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  26. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  27. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Suitland CDP, Maryland". United States Census Bureau.
  28. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Suitland CDP, Maryland". United States Census Bureau.
  29. ^ "Quick Facts – Suitland CDP". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  30. ^ "Suitland Maryland Population Statistics". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  31. ^ "District 3 Station – Landover." Prince George's County Police Department. Retrieved on September 9, 2018. "Landover, MD". Beat map. See 2010 U.S. Census Map of Landover CDP.
  32. ^ "District 4 Station – Oxon Hill." Prince George's County Police Department. Retrieved on September 9, 2018." Oxon Hill, MD". Beat map. See 2010 U.S. Census Map of Glassmanor CDP.
  33. ^ "Suitland." U.S. Postal Service. Retrieved on September 11, 2018.
  34. ^ a b "2010 Census – Census Block Map (Index): Suitland CDP, MD." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on August 29, 2018. Pages: 1 and 2.
  35. ^ "Neighborhood Elementary Schools and Boundaries School Year 2018–2019." Prince George's County Public Schools. Retrieved on August 29, 2018.
  36. ^ Home. Samuel P. Massie Academy. Retrieved on September 7, 2018. "Forestville, MD"
  37. ^ "." Prince George's County Public Schools. October 9, 2003. Retrieved on September 7, 2018.
  38. ^ "Neighborhood Middle Schools and Boundaries School Year 2018–2019." Prince George's County Public Schools. Retrieved on August 29, 2018.
  39. ^ Preliminary Subregion 4 Master Plan and Proposed Sectional Map Amendment. Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Chapter 9, Public Facilities. p. 268 (PDF p. 10/28). Retrieved on September 7, 2018.
  40. ^ "Neighborhood High Schools and Boundaries School Year 2018–2019." Prince George's County Public Schools. Retrieved on August 29, 2018.
  41. ^ "." Berkshire Elementary School. February 22, 1999. Retrieved on August 29, 2019. "Berkshire Elementary School, District Heights, MD"
  42. ^ a b "12 Pr. George's Schools Identified for Closing". Washington Post. 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  43. ^ Wiggins, Ovetta (2014-06-30). "Barack Obama Elementary School principal in Prince George's County is transferred". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  44. ^ "History of Bishop McNamara & La Reine High Schools: Educators in Faith." Bishop McNamara High School. Retrieved on August 29, 2018.
  45. ^ "Spauldings Branch." Prince George's County Memorial Library System. Retrieved on August 29, 2018. "Spauldings Branch, District Heights, MD"

External links

suitland, maryland, suitland, unincorporated, community, census, designated, place, prince, george, county, maryland, approximately, mile, southeast, washington, 2020, census, population, prior, 2010, part, suitland, silver, hill, census, designated, place, ce. Suitland is an unincorporated community and census designated place CDP in Prince George s County Maryland approximately one mile 1 6 km southeast of Washington D C As of the 2020 census its population was 25 839 2 Prior to 2010 it was part of the Suitland Silver Hill census designated place Suitland MarylandCensus designated placeThe headquarters of the United States Census Bureau in March 2007Suitland MarylandLocation of Suitland in MarylandShow map of MarylandSuitland MarylandSuitland Maryland the United States Show map of the United StatesCoordinates 38 50 55 N 76 55 28 W 38 84861 N 76 92444 W 38 84861 76 92444 Coordinates 38 50 55 N 76 55 28 W 38 84861 N 76 92444 W 38 84861 76 92444Country United StatesState MarylandCountyPrince George sArea 1 Total4 25 sq mi 11 01 km2 Land4 25 sq mi 11 00 km2 Water0 00 sq mi 0 01 km2 Elevation290 ft 90 m Population 2020 Total25 839 Density6 085 49 sq mi 2 349 49 km2 Time zoneUTC 5 Eastern EST Summer DST UTC 4 EDT ZIP Codes20746 20747Area code s 301 240FIPS code24 75725 Contents 1 History 1 1 17th and 18th centuries 1 2 19th century 1 3 20th century 1 4 21st century 2 Geography 2 1 Parks and recreation 3 Demographics 3 1 2020 census 3 2 2010 4 Transportation 4 1 Major highways 5 Government 6 Education 6 1 Primary and secondary schools 6 2 Public libraries 7 Economy 8 Notable people 9 References 10 External linksHistory EditSuitland is named after 19th century landowner and businessman Senator Samuel Taylor Suit whose estate Suitland was located near the present day intersection of Suitland and Silver Hill Roads 3 17th and 18th centuries Edit In the 1600s the Piscataway tribe inhabited the lands in southern Maryland 4 European settlers first visited Saint Clement s Island on the Potomac River and then established their first Maryland colony downriver at Saint Mary s City in 1634 and by the 1660s through the 1680s settlers had moved into what is now known as Prince George s County Faced with this encroachment the Piscataways left the area in 1697 and moved north to what is now known as Coney Island They eventually moved further north into Pennsylvania and Michigan The sole export of the European settlers was tobacco and slaves were first brought to the county in the 1700s 19th century Edit Prior to the Civil War tobacco production had made Prince George s County one of the wealthiest counties in Maryland and half of the county s population was enslaved 4 After the war old plantations were broken up and replaced by communities centered on small farming and country villages In 1867 Samuel Taylor Suit moved to Maryland and purchased more than 800 acres 320 ha near Washington D C 5 In the 1870s and 1880s such prominent guests as U S Presidents Ulysses S Grant and Rutherford B Hayes visited the Suitland estate It was the 1871 site of negotiations preliminary to the international tribunal in Geneva that arbitrated the Alabama Claims After Suit s death in 1888 portions of the estate were sold circa 1892 to 1903 to William A Harrison and the land was subsequently subdivided and sold over the years Suit s son Arthur B Suit retained three acres 1 2 ha of land near the corner of Suitland and Silver Hill Roads where he maintained a general store a bar a bowling alley and the community s one room jailhouse 6 20th century Edit By the turn of the century the village of Suitland had added a post office churches and several houses 3 On August 10 1909 local residents met at the home of George J Hess and organized the Suitland Improvement Association of Maryland to raise funds for a community meeting hall Three officers were elected to serve one year posts President Dr C M Emmons Vice President C L Jenkins and Secretary and Treasurer George J Hess The Association was incorporated on November 17 1950 and is now known as the Suitland Civic Association 7 There are two historic cemeteries in Suitland Cedar Hill and Lincoln Memorial 3 Cedar Hill Cemetery was founded in 1895 and built on the former Nonesuch Plantation 8 Prior to 1913 it was known as Forest Lake Cemetery and was likely renamed after the cedar trees that lined both sides of Suitland Road from the D C line to Silver Hill Road Early churches performed baptisms at this location and it is also the burial site for victims of the 1906 Terra Cotta Railroad wreck 9 Lincoln Memorial Cemetery was founded in 1927 on the former Landon dairy farm and is the site where many prominent African Americans are buried Individuals include Dr Charles Richard Drew who established improved techniques for blood storage and developed large scale blood banks early in World War II and Nannie Helen Burroughs educator and civil rights activist 10 The first one room schoolhouse was built in 1891 on land purchased by the community A two room schoolhouse was later built in 1915 on Silver Hill Road expanded to four rooms in 1922 and saw additions to the building in 1928 1941 and 1957 11 Property owned by James West and Joseph Friday located near the current intersection of Swann and Silver Hill Roads was used as an airfield from 1938 to 1941 12 Named Skyhaven by a local student who won the naming contest sponsored by West and Friday Skyhaven Airfield hosted a flying club that served 20 small planes including Wacos Great Lakes and Pipers Suitland remained a rural farming community until the onset of World War II To meet the need for additional office space to support the war effort in September 1941 the Public Buildings Administration awarded a 2 749 000 contract to McCloskey and Co of Philadelphia to develop a new federal office building in Prince George s County Maryland 13 Later that year 437 acres 177 ha of farm and dairy land were purchased in Suitland to build the Suitland Federal Center The 12 existing residences on this property included the former dairy and summer home of Albert Carry the German American founder of the National Capital Brewing Company and the Carry Ice Cream Co The Suitland House built by Lowell O Minear a pioneer designer of memorial parks is the sole remaining residence on the Federal Center property A colonial revival style home it now serves as office space for the U S Census Bureau and is included in the Prince George s County Planning Department s 2010 Approved Historic Sites and Districts Plan 14 In 1942 the Suitland Manor apartments were built in anticipation of new federal workers Parkway Terrace Whitehall Square and Marlborough House developments soon followed to accommodate the influx of Census Bureau and other federal employees In 1943 the Census Bureau turned 14 acres 5 7 ha of land at the Federal Center site into the largest Victory Garden in the Washington metropolitan area 13 The land was a parceled into 616 plots and plowed fertilized and tended by census employees As late as 1989 110 garden plots were still available for summer rental on a first come first served basis for 7 00 each These gardens were located at the site of the current Naval Intelligence Building In 1944 the Suitland Parkway was opened to connect the Army s Bolling Air Force Base Bolling Field to the Camp Springs Army Military Reservation later named Andrews Air Force Base and now known as Joint Base Andrews 3 The 9 35 miles 15 05 km of highway originally named the Fighter Command Station Access Parkway was initially limited to military use only and came under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service in 1949 Suitland Junior Senior High School was the first high school in Suitland 15 The building was dedicated on November 15 1951 to the high ideal of freedom of education with John W McNamara presiding as master of ceremonies and principal Thomas Warthen accepting the dedication on behalf of the students and faculty Nearby was also LaReine High School offering a Roman Catholic education for girls LaReine was eventually closed and its students transferred to nearby Bishop McNamara High School which became co educational The 1950s and 1960s were a period of major growth for Suitland as new middle and working class families settled into the newly built residential communities However this population boom came to an end around 1970 due to several converging factors These included the availability of cheaper land and lower taxes in neighboring county jurisdictions the ending of the postwar baby boom the slowdown in the rate of federal government growth and migration patterns spurred by school busing mandates leading to regional demographic shifts 4 The 1970s were both the beginning of a period of population adjustment and a recognition of Suitland s unique local history Beginning in 1973 Prince George s County became the largest school district to adopt a busing plan after the Supreme Court s ruling on Brown v Board of Education 16 The demographic changes caused by desegregation busing changed the county transforming a great number of neighborhoods that were formerly white and middle class to majority black and middle class and these shifts are reflected in the current population demographic of the Suitland CDP In 1975 local historian Darlie Norton was elected to draft a local history of the township in preparation for Suitland s centennial celebration 11 A History of Suitland Maryland 1867 1976 1976 includes a detailed history of early residents businesses land purchases and the development of Suitland civic public and private enterprises That same year local resident Walter Coley organized a committee within the Suitland Civic Association to preserve the Suitland Bog which led to the purchase of 20 acres 8 1 ha of woods and wetland by the Maryland National Capitol Park and Planning Commission 17 In the 1980s crime associated with vandalism property violations landlord absenteeism and drugs were seen as a threat to the federal workers who were now commuting into Suitland from outside the community and in 1983 a razor wired fence was erected around the Federal Center complex 18 Through most of this decade neighborhoods near the Federal Center remained distressed and in need of a plan for positive change and growth In the mid 1990s county executive Wayne Curry conceived a plan to revitalize Suitland as part of a greater county wide effort to improve townships located inside the Beltway 18 In 1997 as the first stage of the Prince George s County Redevelopment Authority project to reduce local crime rates and revitalize the site the Manchester Square housing development was turned over to the county Two years later the fence surrounding the Federal Center was replaced with a regular wrought iron fence Notoriously in 2003 two business women in their 70s were murdered during a robbery at their retail flower shop on Suitland Road As of Spring 2019 most of the retail district along Suitland Road across from the Census Bureau has been torn down with plans for building new residential retail ventures finally moving forward 21st century Edit The Suitland Metro station in October 2006 The Suitland station on the Washington Metro s Green Line opened to the public January 13 2001 In 2004 Windsor Crossing a 45 million multifamily condominium complex built by Stavrou Associates in partnership with the Prince George s Redevelopment Authority was completed on the former Manchester Square development 18 In 2005 the 15 7 million Suitland Elementary School was opened to the public as part of the revitalization plan 19 The defense departments Base Realignment Commission initiatives resulted in major changes at Andrews Air Force Base with hundreds of new employment positions anticipated over the coming decades In 2006 multi million dollar federal renovations of the U S Census Building and National Oceanic and Atmospheric headquarters were completed On October 1 2009 Andrews Air Force Base along with Naval Air Facility Washington became a joint base known as Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington or Joint Base Andrews Renovations were completed at the Spauldings Branch Library in 2012 which while located in District Heights MD also serves Suitland and surrounding communities Recent developments in Suitland include a double digit fall in crime rates and increased development in the surrounding county These include National Harbor to the south Konterra to the north Joint Base Andrews to the east of town and the continuing development and or gentrification of southeast Washington D C to the west Several currently under utilized Metro Stations in or around Suitland promise further development as does recent legislation permitting gaming casinos to be located in National Harbor Two more revitalization projects were announced to the public in 2012 the Buy Suitland initiative and the Green Suitland Neighborhood Stabilization Project The Buy Suitland initiative offers up to 5 purchase price to first time home buyers up to 7 purchase price to local civic workers or 35 of purchase price or 40 000 to debt to income candidates for properties located in 11 census tracts 20 Green Suitland NSP is allocating over 2 million for the purchase of foreclosed and abandoned homes to be rehabilitated with enviro friendly cost saving upgrades before they are resold 21 Geography EditAs an unincorporated area Suitland s boundaries are not officially defined The U S Geological Survey locates the center of Suitland at 38 50 49 N 76 55 33 W 22 This area is roughly bounded by Southern Avenue D C Line to the north Branch Avenue MD 5 to the west Pennsylvania Avenue MD 4 to the east and Donnell Drive Suitland Parkway Meadowbrook Drive Henson Creek to the south Within the northeastern section of these boundaries lies the township of Morningside MD and a small portion of another unincorporated area known as Forestville MD 23 According to the U S Census Bureau Suitland has a total area of 4 2 square miles 11 0 km2 a 25 reduction from the 2 2 square miles 5 6 km2 used in previous years 24 While the Census Bureau defines the CDP as all land the Suitland Bog and portions of Henson Creek a tributary of the Potomac are located off Suitland Parkway near the southern border of the CDP Suitland Bog is one of the last of the natural bogs in the D C region which numbered approximately thirty before the onset of suburban development 11 This wetland ecosystem features sweet bay magnolias and other rare species of plants including northern pitcher plants lady slipper orchids sundews and sphagnum moss Parks and recreation Edit There are two community recreation centers Bradbury Heights Recreation Center and William Beanes Community Center and 4 parks Auth Village Neighborhood Park Douglas Patterson Community Park Dupont Heights Neighborhood Park and Michael J Polley Neighborhood Park maintained by the Prince George s County Department of Parks and Recreation 25 Demographics EditHistorical population CensusPop Note 196010 300 197030 355194 7 198032 1646 0 199035 1119 2 200033 515 4 5 201025 825 22 9 202025 8390 1 U S Decennial Census 26 2010 27 2020 28 Note land area of Suitland CDP reduced by 25 for 2010 census2020 census Edit Suitland CDP Maryland Demographic Profile NH Non Hispanic Race Ethnicity Pop 2010 27 Pop 2020 28 2010 2020White alone NH 450 489 1 74 1 89 Black or African American alone NH 23 569 22 424 91 26 86 78 Native American or Alaska Native alone NH 78 32 0 30 0 12 Asian alone NH 88 166 0 34 0 64 Pacific Islander alone NH 6 1 0 02 0 00 Some Other Race alone NH 23 87 0 09 0 34 Mixed Race Multi Racial NH 387 615 1 50 2 38 Hispanic or Latino any race 1 224 2 025 4 74 7 84 Total 25 825 25 839 100 00 100 00 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 can be of any race 2010 Edit For the 2010 Census the boundaries of the Suitland CDP were changed reducing the land area by approx 25 As a result the population count for 2010 shows a 22 9 decrease with a population density increase of 4 As of the 2010 census there were 25 825 people and 10 139 households residing in the Suitland CDP 29 The population density was 6 148 people per square mile There were 10 805 housing units at an average density of 2 572 per square mile The racial makeup of the community was 91 9 African American 2 6 European American 0 4 Native American 0 3 Asian 4 7 Latino 1 7 from other races and 2 1 from two or more races There were 10 139 households out of which 3 682 were households with no family and 6 457 were identified as household with families Of those households 30 9 were married couples living together 32 4 had a female householder and 9 had a male householder The average household size was 2 53 and the average family size was 3 19 In the census area the population was spread out with 23 9 under the age of 18 7 9 from 18 to 24 30 5 from 25 to 44 17 5 from 45 to 64 and 7 2 who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 30 5 years The median income for a household in the census area was 56 217 and the median income for a family was 61 393 The per capita income for the area was 26 040 7 4 2 0 of the population and 6 5 2 4 of families were below the poverty line Population by Race in Suitland Maryland 2010 Race Population of TotalTotal 25 825 100African American 23 746 91Hispanic 1 224 4Other 671 2Caucasian 663 2Two or More Races 540 2American Indian 104 lt 1 30 Transportation EditThe major roads in Suitland are mostly two and three lane highways Suitland Parkway runs through the entirety of the Suitland CDP and the Capital Beltway can be accessed from Pennsylvania Avenue MD 4 and Branch Avenue MD 5 The community is served by the Washington Metro Naylor Road Suitland and Branch Avenue stations on the Green Line respectively located at the intersections of Naylor Road and Branch Avenue Silver Hill Road and Suitland Parkway then terminating between Auth Way and Capital Gateway Drive just off Branch Avenue and Auth Road Major highways Edit Interstate 95 enters the county at Laurel It joins with Interstate 495 Capital Beltway in College Park where it continues and leaves at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River Interstate 495 Capital Beltway enters the county near Adelphi and joins Interstate 95 at the College Park Interchange here it continues and leaves at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River Maryland Route 4 also called Pennsylvania Avenue runs from the Maryland D C border eastward into Anne Arundel County and south in Calvert County Maryland Route 5 also called Branch Avenue runs from the Maryland D C border southeast through Charles County into St Mary s County Maryland Route 458 also called Silver Hill Road runs from Branch Avenue northeast to Walker Mill Road in District Heights Maryland Route 218 also called Suitland Road runs from the Maryland D C border east across Maryland Route 458 terminating at the front gate of Joint Base Andrews on Allentown Road Government EditPrince George s County Police Department District 3 Station in Landover CDP and District 4 Station in Glassmanor CDP with an Oxon Hill postal address serve the community 31 32 The U S Postal Service operates the Suitland Post Office in the CDP 33 Education EditPrimary and secondary schools Edit Suitland is served by the county wide public school system Prince George s County Public Schools 34 Elementary schools serving sections of Suitland include Suitland William Beanes Samuel P Massie Academy Andrew Jackson Academy Francis Scott Key and Bradbury Heights 35 Massie Academy in Suitland CDP and with a Forestville address 36 was scheduled to open in August 2003 37 Most residents are zoned to Drew Freeman Middle School while some are zoned to Samuel Massie Academy and Andrew Jackson Academy 38 Massie Elementary and Andrew Jackson Middle converted into K 8 academies in 2009 39 All residents of the CDP are zoned to Suitland High School 40 Suitland High School is a public magnet school with specialized programs in the visual and performing arts International Baccalaureate program and vocational Technical Academy The district previously operated Berkshire Elementary School in what is now Suitland CDP 41 34 it could hold up to 550 students 42 Berkshire Elementary closed in 2009 43 Its final enrollment was 281 42 In 1960 an all girls Catholic high school La Reine High School opened in Suitland It closed in 1992 and its students began attending the previously all boys Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville 44 Public libraries Edit Suitland is also served by the Spauldings Branch Library of the Prince George s County Memorial Library System 45 which was fully renovated in 2012 citation needed Economy Edit National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite control facility at Suitland The federal government has headquartered multiple agencies in the Suitland Federal Center including United States Census Bureau National Archives and Records Administration Washington National Records Center Office of Naval Intelligence National Maritime Intelligence Integration Office NOAA Office of Satellite Operations Smithsonian Institution Museum Support Center Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian Cultural Resources Center Smithsonian Institution Paul E Garber Preservation and Storage Facility Bureau of Economic AnalysisNotable people EditReginald Dwayne Betts b 1980 Poet and memoirist NaVorro Bowman b 1988 Penn State and NFL football player Kevin Durant b 1988 NBA basketball player George O Gore II b 1982 Actor Steny Hoyer b 1939 House Majority Leader U S House of Representatives LaMont Jordan b 1978 University of Maryland and NFL football player Chad Scott b 1974 NFL football player Devin Tyler b 1986 Temple University and NFL football player Jude Waddy b 1975 NFL football player Cordae b 1997 RapperReferences Edit 2020 U S Gazetteer Files United States Census Bureau Retrieved April 26 2022 Suitland CDP Maryland United States Census Bureau Retrieved March 13 2022 a b c d History Suitland MD Census Bureau a b c Virta Alan 1984 Prince George s County A Pictorial History Dunmore Chris Samuel Taylor Suit Person Sheet Retrieved 10 March 2013 History Colonel Suit Census Bureau Retrieved 6 March 2013 History of the Suitland Civic Association Suitland Civic Association Forest Lake Cemetery New Burial Site Selected on Pennsylvania Avenue Extended Southwest The Washington Post 7 April 1895 Cedar Hill Cemetery Cedar Hill Cemetery Lincoln Memorial Cemetery Lincoln Memorial Cemetery a b c Norton Darlene 1976 A History of Suitland Maryland 1867 1976 History Skyhaven Airport Census Bureau Retrieved 7 March 2013 a b History Suitland Federal Center Census Bureau Retrieved 7 March 2013 Approved Historic Sites and Districts Plan Prince George s County Planning Department Retrieved 7 March 2013 Suitland High School Mission Statement Suitland High School Retrieved 7 March 2013 Merida Kevin 2 September 1998 Where That Bus Ride Took Me Retrieved 10 March 2013 Morningside Skyline column The Sentinel 14 November 2012 Retrieved 10 March 2013 a b c Schwartzman Paul 2 June 2004 Suitland s Chance to Make a Change Washington Post Retrieved 10 March 2013 Klein Allison 21 July 2005 Prince George s Set to Raze Much of Deadly Drug Market Washington Post Retrieved 10 March 2013 Buy Suitland Initiative Prince George s County Association of Realtors Retrieved 10 March 2013 Green Suitland NSP PDF Prince George s County government Retrieved 10 March 2013 Suitland MD Census Designated Place Archived from the original on 4 March 2013 Retrieved 10 March 2013 Suitland Silver Hill map Zipmap Retrieved 10 March 2013 Geographic Identifiers 2010 Demographic Profile Data G001 Suitland CDP Maryland United States Census Bureau Retrieved December 23 2011 Prince George s County Parks Retrieved 10 March 2013 Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades US Census Bureau a b P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE 2010 DEC Redistricting Data PL 94 171 Suitland CDP Maryland United States Census Bureau a b P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE 2020 DEC Redistricting Data PL 94 171 Suitland CDP Maryland United States Census Bureau Quick Facts Suitland CDP U S Census Bureau Retrieved 10 March 2013 Suitland Maryland Population Statistics US Census Bureau Retrieved March 26 2013 District 3 Station Landover Prince George s County Police Department Retrieved on September 9 2018 Landover MD Beat map See 2010 U S Census Map of Landover CDP District 4 Station Oxon Hill Prince George s County Police Department Retrieved on September 9 2018 Oxon Hill MD Beat map See 2010 U S Census Map of Glassmanor CDP Suitland U S Postal Service Retrieved on September 11 2018 a b 2010 Census Census Block Map Index Suitland CDP MD U S Census Bureau Retrieved on August 29 2018 Pages 1 and 2 Neighborhood Elementary Schools and Boundaries School Year 2018 2019 Prince George s County Public Schools Retrieved on August 29 2018 Home Samuel P Massie Academy Retrieved on September 7 2018 Forestville MD Schools Prince George s County Public Schools October 9 2003 Retrieved on September 7 2018 Neighborhood Middle Schools and Boundaries School Year 2018 2019 Prince George s County Public Schools Retrieved on August 29 2018 Preliminary Subregion 4 Master Plan and Proposed Sectional Map Amendment Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission Chapter 9 Public Facilities p 268 PDF p 10 28 Retrieved on September 7 2018 Neighborhood High Schools and Boundaries School Year 2018 2019 Prince George s County Public Schools Retrieved on August 29 2018 Home Berkshire Elementary School February 22 1999 Retrieved on August 29 2019 Berkshire Elementary School District Heights MD a b 12 Pr George s Schools Identified for Closing Washington Post 2009 01 22 Retrieved 2018 08 29 Wiggins Ovetta 2014 06 30 Barack Obama Elementary School principal in Prince George s County is transferred Washington Post Retrieved 2018 08 28 History of Bishop McNamara amp La Reine High Schools Educators in Faith Bishop McNamara High School Retrieved on August 29 2018 Spauldings Branch Prince George s County Memorial Library System Retrieved on August 29 2018 Spauldings Branch District Heights MD External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Suitland Maryland Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Suitland Maryland amp oldid 1150040616, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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