Brunswick, Maryland

History

The area now known as Brunswick was originally home to the Susquehanna Native American tribe. In 1728 the first settlement was built, and the region became known as Eel Town, because the natives would fish for eel in the Potomac River. A grant to the land was then given to John Hawkins by George II of Great Britain on August 10, 1753. The grant had the name "Hawkins Merry-Peep-o-Day".

The land was sold and Leonard Smith platted it in 1787 with the name of “Berlin,” as many Germans settled in the area. The name “Berlin,” however, could not be used for mail as there was already a Berlin on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, so the post office changed the name to "Barry." The town continued to grow and was incorporated April 18, 1890 with the name "Brunswick."

Established along the now-defunct Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, the city became a hub for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which built a six-mile-long rail yard along the Potomac from 1891 to 1912, boosting the population to over 5,000, and making Brunswick virtually a company town. The railroad reduced its yard operations in the 1950s.

During Patsy Cline's early career, she performed at the Moose Lodge in Brunswick where she met her first husband, Gerald Cline.

Today Brunswick is home to a commuter rail station serving Washington, D.C. It is home of the Brunswick Heritage Museum which interprets the history of the city and is home of a large model railroad showing why the city's location was important to the railroad. Brunswick High School named their mascot the "railroaders".

Since the early 20th century, the unofficial slogan of the town referred to by locals has been "Hills, whores and liquor stores." However, several elements of new migration to Brunswick have campaigned to change the slogan to "Hills, stores and open doors," which has been met with much criticism from native residents.

Tourism

The city markets its historic downtown and its access to recreational activities on the C&O Canal and Potomac River. The city's history is preserved in the Brunswick Heritage Museum (formerly the Brunswick Railroad Museum), established in 1974. The historic commercial district of the city along Potomac Street features a bike shop, antique stores, restaurants, a brewpub, a yoga studio, a martial arts studio, a convenience store, and a sporting goods store.

Notable people

• Galen R. Clagett – Maryland politician
• Andrew J. Duck – army officer and politician
• Jake Ewald - musician and co-founder of Modern Baseball and Slaughter Beach, Dog
• John B. Funk (1905–1993), Maryland delegate and state senator, secretary of state of Maryland
• Michael Hough – Maryland state senator
• Brendan Lukens – musician and co-founder of Modern Baseball
• Joseph B. Payne (died 1968), member of the Maryland House of Delegates

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.71 sqmi, of which 3.27 sqmi is land and 0.44 sqmi is water.

Business

Because of the population of Brunswick increasing, many businesses are being built. Located in Brunswick are many small businesses and retail chain stores with a Holiday Inn Express just built.

Transportation

Highway

The primary method of travel to and from Brunswick is by road. Several state highways serve the city, with the most prominent of these being Maryland Route 17. MD 17 heads south across the Potomac River into Virginia, where it becomes Virginia State Route 287. Just north of Brunswick, MD 17 has junctions with Maryland Route 464, Maryland Route 79, Maryland Route 180, Maryland Route 871 and U.S. Route 340, which provides access to numerous locations across Frederick County. Aside from MD 17, portions of MD 180, MD 464 and Maryland Route 478 also traverse the city.

Railroad

MARC operates commuter trains from Martinsburg, West Virginia, through and stopping at Brunswick then south to Union Station, Washington, D.C.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census of 2010, there were 5,870 people, 2,155 households, and 1,515 families living in the city. The population density was 1795.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,330 housing units at an average density of 712.5 /mi2. The racial makeup was 86.3% White, 7.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population.

There were 2,155 households, of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.7% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.22.

The median age in the city was 36.9 years. 27.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 9.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,894 people, 1,866 households, and 1,306 families living in the city. The population density was 2,324.3 PD/sqmi. There were 1,957 housing units at an average density of 929.4 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 92.09% White, 5.31% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.

There were 1,866 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,513, and the median income for a family was $53,232. Males had a median income of $36,304 versus $25,017 for females. The per capita income was $20,685. About 2.5% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

Climate data

|Jan record high F = 78 |Feb record high F = 81 |Mar record high F = 89 |Apr record high F = 94 |May record high F = 98 |Jun record high F = 107 |Jul record high F = 109 |Aug record high F = 108 |Sep record high F = 108 |Oct record high F = 98 |Nov record high F = 86 |Dec record high F = 79 |year record high F = |Jan record low F = -11 |Feb record low F = -8 |Mar record low F = 7 |Apr record low F = 20 |May record low F = 29 |Jun record low F = 39 |Jul record low F = 46 |Aug record low F = 41 |Sep record low F = 32 |Oct record low F = 21 |Nov record low F = 8 |Dec record low F = -5 |year record low F =

References

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. {{GNIS. 2390569
3. Hahn. (1993). "Towpath Guide to the C&O Canal: Georgetown Tidelock to Cumberland, Revised Combined Edition". American Canal and Transportation Center.
4. "Cline, Patsy (1932–1963) {{!}} Encyclopedia.com".
5. (September 6, 2023). "Brunswick High School".
6. (2024-02-01). "Brunswick Branding Case Study".
7. (1993-03-18). "Beltway Builder John B. Funk, 87". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
8. (1968-03-06). "Five-Term State Delegate, Joseph B. Payne, 72, Dies". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
9. "US Gazetteer files 2010". [[United States Census Bureau]].
10. "Construction of long-awaited Holiday Inn Express in Brunswick, Maryland slated to start soon".
11. MARC schedule
12. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
13. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
14. "Average Weather for Brunswick, MD - Temperature and Precipitation". The Weather Channel.