Hyattsville, Maryland

History

Before Europeans reached the area, the upper Anacostia River was home to Nacotchtank/Anaquashtank people, a Piscataway-speaking Algonquian peoples who lived throughout what is now the Washington, D.C., area. European encroachment and diseases decimated their population and, by the 1680s, the Nacotchtank/Anaquashtank had largely moved away and merged with other tribes.

In the 1720s, John Beall acquired land in the area and established Beall Town. The opening of the Washington–Baltimore Turnpike (modern day) in 1812 and the B&O Railroad Washington Branch line in 1835 brought more settlers to the area.

The city's founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt (1799–1884), purchased his first parcel of land in the area in 1845.

In 1893, the Hyattsville Board of Commissioners changed their property tax to only apply to the value of land, and not improvements. Opponents of this brought the action to court, and, after an appeal, the Maryland Court of Appeals found it to violate the Maryland constitution and struck it down.

Revitalization projects

Since 2000, the city has undergone a major redevelopment, including significant residential and retail development in the Arts District Hyattsville (located in the Gateway Arts District), and the area surrounding the Hyattsville Crossing station and The Mall at Prince George's. In the latter area, University Town Center contains residential condos, student housing, office buildings, a public plaza, and retail space, including a 14-screen movie theater and several restaurants, as well as a campus of Prince George's Community College.

, additional residential and retail development is underway near the West Hyattsville Metro station. Along Route 1, craft brewers and distillers have played a notable role in revitalizing old commercial properties.

Geography

The city has a total area of 2.70 sqmi, of which 2.67 sqmi is land and 0.03 sqmi is water.

Climate

Typical of central Maryland, Hyattsville lies within the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen: Cfa), characterized by hot humid summers and generally cool to mild winters, with high annual precipitation. Hyattsville lies within USDA plant hardiness zone 7a.

Demographics

Hyattsville has attracted a significant gay and lesbian population. In 2000, same-sex couples accounted for 1.3 percent of households, more than double the national average.

2020 census

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were people in households and housing units at an average density of 3212.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was % African American, % White, % Asian, % Native American or Alaskan Native, % Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, % from other races, and % from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were % of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 U.S. census, there were 17,557 people, 6,324 households, and 3,724 families residing in the city. The population density was 6575.7 PD/sqmi. There were 6,837 housing units at an average density of 2560.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 33.2% White, 35.6% African American, 0.8% Native American, 4.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 21.4% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.0% of the population (16.4% Salvadorean, 4.1% Mexican, 3.1% Guatemalan, 1.2% Honduran, 1.1% Dominican, 0.8% Puerto Rican).

There were 6,324 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.1% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.39.

The median age in the city was 32.1 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 34.7% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 7.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.

Crime

According to FBI crime statistics, the violent crime rate per 1,000 residents has significantly decreased in Hyattsville, from 11.42 in 2007 to 4.64 in 2019.

Economy

The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, is headquartered in Hyattsville.

Arts and culture

Historic sites

Some historic sites in Hyattsville are listed on the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the National Register of Historic Places. In 1982, a portion of the city was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Hyattsville Historic District, which was extended in late 2004.

The Hyattsville Historic District is home to Victorian houses built in the late 1880s and Sears bungalows and Arts & Crafts houses built between the wars (late 1910s and early 1940s).

Notable historic sites include Hyattsville Armory and the Hyattsville Main Post Office.

Arts District

Downtown Hyattsville underwent revitalization in the early 2000s with the development of the Arts District Hyattsville, part of the Gateway Arts District, a private project which includes townhomes, live-work units, and retail space.

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, a nonprofit arts center, is located in the historic arcade building in Hyattsville.

Public libraries

Prince George's County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) operates the Hyattsville Branch Library, which in 1964 was the first county-built library building for PGCMLS. The original mid-century modern building featured a googie-style flying saucer entryway.

Government

Education

Public schools

Hyattsville Elementary, Felegy Elementary, Hyattsville Middle, and Northwestern High School, along with the Chelsea School, St. Matthews, DeMatha, and St. Jerome Academy are located within the city limits.

The city is served by Prince George's County Public Schools, and its borders overlap with the enrollment areas for the following public schools:

• Hyattsville Elementary School
• Edward M. Felegy Elementary School
• Rosa Parks Elementary School
• University Park Elementary School
• Rogers Heights Elementary School
• Hyattsville Middle School
• Nicholas Orem Middle School
• William Wirt Middle School
• Northwestern High School
• Bladensburg High School

During the era of legally-required racial segregation of schools, black students from Hyattsville attended Lakeland High School in College Park in the period 1928–1950. Fairmont Heights High School, then near Fairmount Heights, replaced Lakeland High and served black students only from 1950 to 1964. During 1964, legally-required racial segregation of schools ended.

Private schools

• Chelsea School (5–12) for students with language-based learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD
• DeMatha Catholic High School (9–12)
• St. Francis International School (Catholic) (K–8) (St. Mark the Evangelist Campus)— it is primarily used for summer programs and athletics, with classes held in the Silver Spring campus.
  • Formerly St. Mark the Evangelist School, closed and merged into Saint Francis International, which opened in 2010. Beginning in 2013 College Park Academy (CPA) leased the St. Francis building;
• St. Jerome Academy (Catholic) (Pre-K–8)
• St. Matthew's Parish Day School (Episcopal) (Pre-K–K)

Colleges and universities

Prince George's Community College has an extension center in University Town Center.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Public transportation

The Hyattsville Crossing and West Hyattsville Metro station both serve Hyattsville. Hyattsville is also served by the Riverdale MARC commuter train station, as well as a few Metrobus and TheBus routes. Students and staff at the University of Maryland have access to the free Shuttle–UM bus that goes from historic Hyattsville to the University of Maryland campus in College Park.

Bikeways

Hyattsville is well connected to the regional Anacostia Tributary Trail System network of hiker–biker trails, including the Northwest Branch Trail, which runs along the southern and western sides of the city, and the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail. Numerous city streets include bicycle sharrows, along with a few unprotected bike lanes. Capital Bikeshare has eight bikeshare stations within the city.

Law enforcement

Prince George's County Police Department District 1 Station in Hyattsville serves areas outside of the city that are not located in an incorporated municipality that maintains its own police department.

In 2017, the Hyattsville City Police Department became the first law enforcement agency in the United States to put a Chevrolet Bolt (all-electric) fully marked police patrol vehicle into service. It has since added an all-electric police motorcycle, and six public electric vehicle charging stations, which are free to use by the public.

Notable people

• David Driskell, artist, curator and professor of art at the University of Maryland, was a resident of Hyattsville
• Parris Glendening, Maryland governor (1995-2003), began his political career as a member of Hyattsville City Council
• Arthur Frederick Goode III, murderer who killed two children in the mid 1970s, born in Hyattsville
• Anne Healey, Maryland House of Delegates (District 22), former Hyattsville City Council member
• Robert B. Luckey, Marine Corps lieutenant general, born in Hyattsville
• John C. Mather, Nobel laureate in physics, Hyattsville resident
• Jamie McGonnigal, voice actor and activist
• Paul Rabil, Major League Lacrosse player, attended high school in Hyattsville
• Kameron Taylor (born 1994), basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague
• Frances Tiafoe (born 1998), professional tennis player
• Chase Young, American football player, graduate of DeMatha

In popular culture

The city was involved in a minor controversy in April 2006. In the episode airing April 27, the Geena Davis television series Commander in Chief depicted Hyattsville as having twelve murders in six months, and was accused of depicting Hyattsville as an urban ghetto dominated by poor minorities. On May 1, ABC formally apologized to both the city and county.

References

References

1. "City of Hyattsville, Maryland". City of Hyattsville, Maryland.
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
3. (May 24, 2020). "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau.
4. {{gnis. 597595
5. "2020 and 2010 Population by Municipality". Maryland State Data Center.
6. "Native Peoples of Washington, DC". National Park Service.
7. Schmidt, Kimberly. (November 11, 2011). "Legend and Lore: A History of Hyattsville, Part 1". Hyattville Life & Times.
8. "Anacostia Trails Heritage Area — Part Two: Area and Site Analysis".
9. "Hyattsville History". City of Hyattsville, Maryland.
10. (May 28, 2012). "Hyattsville's Single-Tax Experiment".
11. (July 8, 2014). "Celebrating Hyattsville: A Rebirth". WRC-TV NBC4.
12. Neibauer, Michael. (December 9, 2019). "Metro to sell West Hyattsville land to the only developers who can build on it". Washington Business Journal.
13. Teague Beckworth, Ryan. (August 8, 2017). "Alcohol Fuels Once-Dry Hyattsville's Rebirth". The Hyattsville Wire.
14. McLeod, Ethan. (November 27, 2018). "Along D.C.'s Northeast Border, A Community of Brewers Is Booming". WAMU-FM.
15. "US Gazetteer files 2010". [[United States Census Bureau]].
16. "Climate: Hyattsville". Climate-Data.org.
17. "USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map". United States Department of Agriculture.
18. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". [[US Census Bureau]].
19. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/28/AR2009062802467.html "Just Another Way to Be Suburban: In Pr. George's, Same-Sex Couples Grow in Number, Visibility]," by Lonnae O'Neal Parker, ''The Washington Post'', June 29, 2009.
20. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Hyattsville city, Maryland".
21. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Hyattsville city, Maryland".
22. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Hyattsville city, Maryland".
23. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]]: Hyattsville city, Maryland.
24. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
25. (2007). "Universal Crime Rates, Table 8: Maryland". Federal Bureau of Investigation.
26. (2019). "Universal Crime Rates, Table 8: Maryland". Federal Bureau of Investigation.
27. [http://www.pgplanning.org/Resources/Publications/Illustrated_Inventory.htm M-NCPPC Illustrated Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County, Maryland), 2011] {{Webarchive. link. (December 30, 2013 .)
28. Reinink, Amy. "It's old, but never old hat". The Washington Post.
29. "Gateway Arts District".
30. Andrew Metcalf. (2017-05-03). "Sherwin-Williams Moving Into Former Home of Pyramid Atlantic in Silver Spring".
31. Marder, Andrew. (2015-06-08). "UPDATE: Pyramid Atlantic relocating to Hyattsville Arcade Building".
32. "[https://www.pgcmls.info/website/branch/location/Hyattsville Hyattsville Branch]." [[Prince George's County Memorial Library System]]. Retrieved on February 1, 2018.
33. Bennett, Rebecca. (2014-06-26). "Hyattsville Library listed as endangered". Hyattsville Life & Times.
34. Flynn, Katherine. (January 24, 2014). "Save Our Saucer: The Fight to Protect a Space-Age Artifact in Hyattsville, Md.". National Trust for Historic Preservation.
35. Beckwith, Alison. (April 2, 2019). "Demolition Begins at Hyattsville Library Site". The Hyattsville Wire.
36. Bennett, Rebecca. (January 6, 2015). "Council lowers Hyattsville voting age to 16 years old". Hyattsville Life & Times.
37. Hernández, Arelis R.. (2016-12-07). "Hyattsville will allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in city elections". [[The Washington Post]].
38. "Prince George's County Public Schools". Prince George's County Public Schools.
39. [http://www.hyattsville.org/DocumentCenter/View/3892 Map]. Hyattsville, Maryland. Retrieved on February 1, 2018.
40. "[http://gis.pgcps.org/mapgallery/Maps/Boundaries%20-%20Elementary.pdf NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018]." [[Prince George's County Public Schools]]. Retrieved on January 31, 2018.
41. "[http://gis.pgcps.org/mapgallery/Maps/Boundaries%20-%20Middle.pdf NEIGHBORHOOD MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018]." [[Prince George's County Public Schools]]. Retrieved on January 31, 2018.
42. "[http://gis.pgcps.org/mapgallery/Maps/Boundaries%20-%20High.pdf NEIGHBORHOOD HIGH SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018]." [[Prince George's County Public Schools]]. Retrieved on January 31, 2018.
43. ''[https://issuu.com/mncppc/docs/aapgc 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.
44. (2018-09-04). "Fairmont Heights High School History". Fairmont Heights High School.
45. Weaver, Rosanna Landis. (2013-01-15). "Charter school to open in Hyattsville". [[Hyattsville Life & Times]].
46. "[http://www.cathstan.org/Content/News/Schools/Article/St-Mark-s-School-in-Hyattsville-holds-reunion-to-marks-its-50th-year-/2/21/1972 St. Mark's School in Hyattsville holds reunion to marks its 50th year ] {{Webarchive. link. (2018-09-06 ." ''Catholic Standard'', [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington]]. Wednesday, October 15, 2008. Retrieved on January 31, 2018. "St. Mark Campus 7501 Adelphi Road Hyattsville, MD 20783")
47. Roberts, Tom. "[https://www.ncronline.org/news/parish/maryland-catholic-school-finds-its-footing-amid-demographic-shifts Maryland Catholic school finds its footing amid demographic shifts]." ''Catholic Standard'', [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington]]. Wednesday, October 15, 2008. Retrieved on February 1, 2018.
48. Roscoe, Jack. (2017-10-04). "UMD celebrates College Park Academy's opening in Riverdale Park". [[The Diamondback]].
49. "[https://www.pgcc.edu/Campus_Info/Extension_Centers/University_Town_Center/University_Town_Center.aspx PGCCC University Town Center Extension Center] {{Webarchive. link. (February 2, 2018 ." [[Prince George's Community College]]. Retrieved on February 1, 2018.)
50. "Transportation {{!}} Hyattsville, MD - Official Website".
51. "SHUTTLE-UM {{!}} Transportation Services University of Maryland".
52. Beckwith, Ryan Teague. (2017-06-02). "Hyattsville Biking: How Route 1 Became a Bicycling Haven". Hyattsville Wire.
53. Beckwith, Ryan Teague. (2019-04-24). "Capital Bikeshare Keeps Expanding on Route 1". The Hyattsville Wire.
54. "[https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/District-1-Station-Hyattsville-1 District 1 Station - Hyattsville] {{Webarchive. link. (September 9, 2018 . [[Prince George's County Police Department]]. Retrieved on September 9, 2018. [https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2650/District-1-Beat-Map--PDF?bidId= Beat map] {{Webarchive). link. (September 9, 2018 .)
55. (October 3, 2018). "No Charge to Charge! Free Electric Vehicle Chargers in Hyattsville".
56. Genzlinger, Neil. (April 7, 2020). "David Driskell, 88, Pivotal Champion of African-American Art, Dies". The New York Times.
57. (2019-01-16). "Parris N. Glendening".
58. Fishman, Charles. (1984-04-06). "Repentant Goode Executed in Florida". The Washington Post.
59. "Anne Healey, Maryland State Delegate".
60. (June 6, 2025). "Lieutenant General Robert B. Luckley".
61. Publishing, Streetcar Suburbs. (2021-08-11). "Dr. John C. Mather studies the universe while staying down-to-earth".
62. Graf, Heather. (May 15, 2019). "Play debuts amidst lingering controversy at Hyattsville Middle School". WBFF-TV.
63. "How Kyle Harrison and Paul Rabil Carried Lacrosse into the 21st Century".
64. (April 21, 2020). "Who Is Chase Young? A Defensive Star and Student of the Game".
65. Berger, Judson. (2006-05-04). "TV show that portrayed Prince George's in unflattering light is canceled by network". Post Community Media LLC.