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Hyattsville, Maryland

Coordinates: 38°57′25″N 76°57′5″W / 38.95694°N 76.95139°W / 38.95694; -76.95139
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"Hyattsville" redirects here. For the small town in Kentucky, see Hyattsville, Kentucky.

Hyattsville, Maryland
City
Aerial view of Hyattsville
Aerial view of Hyattsville
Flag of Hyattsville, Maryland
Flag
Official seal of Hyattsville, Maryland
Seal
Nickname: 
Hyattsville
Motto: 
"A World Within Walking Distance"[1]
Location of Hyattsville in Maryland
Location of Hyattsville in Maryland
Coordinates: 38°57′25″N 76°57′5″W / 38.95694°N 76.95139°W / 38.95694; -76.95139
Country United States of America
State Maryland
CountyPrince George's
Incorporated1886
Government
 • MayorRobert Croslin
Area
[2]
 • Total2.73 sq mi (7.07 km2)
 • Land2.71 sq mi (7.01 km2)
 • Water0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation
105 ft (32 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total21,187
 • Density7,832.53/sq mi (3,024.22/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
Area code(s)301, 240
FIPS code24-41250
GNIS feature ID0597595
Websitewww.hyattsville.org

Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States.[3] It is an urban suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 21,187 at the 2020 United States census.[4]

History

[edit]

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.[5] 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, but the town did not prosper like its neighbor Bladensburg. The opening of the Washington–Baltimore Turnpike (modern day US 1) in 1812 and the B&O Railroad Washington Branch line in 1835 brought more settlers to the area.[6][7]

The city's founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt (1799–1884), purchased his first parcel of land in the area in 1845.[7] Hyatt opened a store and began mail delivery, officially naming the nascent community "Hyattsville" in his 1859 application to become postmaster. In the years following the Civil War, Hyatt and other local landowners subdivided their properties and sold lots, and the population of Hyattsville grew. Hyattsville was incorporated as a city on April 7, 1886.[8]

In 1893, the Hyattsville Board of Commissioners changed their property taxes to reduce the taxation on buildings to 0 and kept a tax on just the land. Opponents on this brought the action to court, and after an appeal, the appeals court found it to violate the Maryland constitution and struck it down. [9]

Revitalization projects

[edit]

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.[10] 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.

As of 2020, additional residential and retail development is underway near the West Hyattsville Metro station.[11] Along Route 1, craft brewers and distillers have played a notable role in revitalizing old commercial properties.[12][13]

Regina High School was an all-girls Catholic high school in Hyattsville that closed in 1989.[14]

Geography

[edit]

The City of Hyattsville consists of six subdivisions; Hyattsville Hills, Downtown Hyattsville, Kirkwood, Queens Chapel Manor, Castle Manor, and University Hills. Historic Hyattsville reportedly consists of the Hyattsville Hills, Downtown Hyattsville, and Castle Manor subdivisions.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.70 square miles (6.99 km2), of which 2.67 square miles (6.92 km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) is water.[15]

Climate

[edit]

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.[16] Hyattsville lies within USDA plant hardiness zone 7a.[17]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880288—
18901,509424.0%
19001,222−19.0%
19101,91756.9%
19202,67539.5%
19304,26459.4%
19406,57554.2%
195012,30887.2%
196015,16823.2%
197014,998−1.1%
198012,709−15.3%
199013,8649.1%
200014,7336.3%
201017,55719.2%
202021,18720.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[4][18]

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.[19]

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 U.S. census,[20] there were 21,187 people in 6,592 households and 8,673 housing units at an average density of 3,212.2/sq mi (1,240.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 31.7% African American, 24.8% White, 3.7% Asian, 1.6% Native American or Alaskan Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 26.9% from other races, and 11.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 38.6% of the population.

2010 census

[edit]

As of the 2010 U.S. census,[21] there were 17,557 people, 6,324 households, and 3,724 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,575.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,538.9/km2). There were 6,837 housing units at an average density of 2,560.7/sq mi (988.7/km2). 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

[edit]

According to FBI crime statistics, the violent crime rate per 1,000 residents has significantly decreased in Hyattsville, from 11.42 in 2007[22] to 4.64 in 2019.[23]

Economy

[edit]

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

Arts and culture

[edit]

Historic sites

[edit]

Some historic sites in Hyattsville are listed on the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission:[24] 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; the district 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).[25]

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

Arts District

[edit]

Downtown Hyattsville underwent revitalization in the early 2000s with the development of Arts District Hyattsville, part of the Gateway Arts District, a private project which includes townhomes, live-work units, and retail space.[26]

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, a nonprofit arts center is located in Hyattsville, in the historic Arcade building.[27][28]

Public libraries

[edit]

Prince George's County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) operates the Hyattsville Branch Library,[29] which in 1964 was the first county-built library building for PGCMLS.[30] The original mid-century modern building featured a googie-style flying saucer entryway.[31][32]

Government

[edit]

When first incorporated, Hyattsville was run by a Board of Commissioners; in May 1900, it switched to a mayor and common council system. Today, the city government consists of a popularly elected mayor and a ten-person city council. Each of the five wards in the city are represented by two popularly elected council members.

In January 2015, the Hyattsville Council passed a charter amendment to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in city elections, making Hyattsville one of the few jurisdictions in the United States that has done so.[33] In December 2016, the city expanded voting rights again, granting non-citizen residents the right to vote in municipal elections.[34]

Education

[edit]

Public schools

[edit]
Further information: Prince George's County Public Schools
Northwestern High School in Hyatsville

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,[35][36] and its borders overlap with the enrollment areas for the following public schools:[37][38][39]

  • 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;[40] Fairmont Heights High School, then near Fairmount Heights, replaced Lakeland High and served black students only from 1950 to 1964; around 1964 legally-required racial segregation of schools ended.[41]

Private schools

[edit]
  • 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)—As of 2013 it is primarily used for summer programs and athletics, with classes held in the Silver Spring campus.[42]
    • Formerly St. Mark the Evangelist School,[43] closed and merged into Saint Francis International, which opened in 2010.[44] Beginning in 2013 College Park Academy (CPA) leased the St. Francis building;[42] in 2017 CPA moved to its permanent Riverdale Park campus.[45]
  • St. Jerome Academy (Catholic) (Pre-K–8)
  • St. Matthew's Parish Day School (Episcopal) (Pre-K–K)

Colleges and universities

[edit]

Prince George's Community College has an extension center in University Town Center.[46] The University of Maryland campus in College Park is located approximately two miles north on Baltimore Avenue (Route 1) from historic Hyattsville.

Infrastructure

[edit]

Transportation

[edit]

Roads and highways

[edit]
US 1 northbound in Hyattsville. The Trolley Trail trailhead can be seen at the right.

Several major surface highways serve Hyattsville. The most prominent of these is U.S. Route 1, which follows Rhode Island Avenue and Baltimore Avenue through the center of the city. US 1 connects southward to Washington, D.C., and northward through College Park to Interstate 95/Interstate 495 (the Capital Beltway). U.S. Route 1 Alternate follows the southern section of Baltimore Avenue to Bladensburg and provides an alternate route to Washington, D.C. Maryland Route 410 follows East-West Highway, connecting many of Washington, D.C.'s inner suburbs with Hyattsville. Two other state highways serving to connect Hyattsville to nearby towns include Maryland Route 208 and Maryland Route 500.

Public transportation

[edit]

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

[edit]

Hyattsville is well connected to 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.[47] Capital Bikeshare has eight bikeshare stations within the city.[48]

Law enforcement

[edit]

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.[49]

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.[50]

Notable people

[edit]
[edit]

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; it also indirectly depicted the city as being an urban ghetto dominated by poor minorities. The city and Prince George's County were very upset at ABC. On May 1, ABC formally apologized to both the city and county.[54]

Washington, D.C., based detective novelist George Pelecanos has included Hyattsville in some of his novels, including The Man Who Came Uptown.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "City of Hyattsville, Maryland". City of Hyattsville, Maryland. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  2. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hyattsville, Maryland
  4. ^ a b "2020 and 2010 Population by Municipality" (PDF). Maryland State Data Center. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  5. ^ "Native Peoples of Washington, DC". National Park Service. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  6. ^ Schmidt, Kimberly (November 11, 2011). "Legend and Lore: A History of Hyattsville, Part 1". Hyattville Life & Times. Hyattsville, Maryland. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Anacostia Trails Heritage Area — Part Two: Area and Site Analysis (PDF) (Report). p. 226. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  8. ^ "Hyattsville History". City of Hyattsville, Maryland. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  9. ^ "Hyattsville's Single-Tax Experiment". May 28, 2012.
  10. ^ "Celebrating Hyattsville: A Rebirth". Washington, D.C.: WRC-TV NBC4. July 8, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  11. ^ Neibauer, Michael (December 9, 2019). "Metro to sell West Hyattsville land to the only developers who can build on it". Washington Business Journal. Washington, D.C. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  12. ^ Teague Beckworth, Ryan (August 8, 2017). "Alcohol Fuels Once-Dry Hyattsville's Rebirth". The Hyattsville Wire. Hyattsville, MD. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  13. ^ McLeod, Ethan (November 27, 2018). "Along D.C.'s Northeast Border, A Community of Brewers Is Booming". Washington, D.C.: WAMU-FM. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  14. ^ "Catholic High School Celebrating 50 Years of Accomplishments". October 4, 1996.
  15. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  16. ^ "Climate: Hyattsville". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  17. ^ "USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  18. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  19. ^ "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. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau: Hyattsville city, Maryland. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  21. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  22. ^ "Universal Crime Rates, Table 8: Maryland". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2007.
  23. ^ "Universal Crime Rates, Table 8: Maryland". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2019.
  24. ^ M-NCPPC Illustrated Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County, Maryland), 2011.
  25. ^ Reinink, Amy. "It's old, but never old hat". The Washington Post. p. E6.
  26. ^ "Gateway Arts District". MyGatewayArts. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  27. ^ Andrew Metcalf (May 3, 2017). "Sherwin-Williams Moving Into Former Home of Pyramid Atlantic in Silver Spring". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  28. ^ Marder, Andrew (June 8, 2015). "UPDATE: Pyramid Atlantic relocating to Hyattsville Arcade Building". Hyattsville Life & Times. Retrieved January 28, 2021. has been located in downtown Silver Spring since 2003.
  29. ^ "Hyattsville Branch." Prince George's County Memorial Library System. Retrieved on February 1, 2018.
  30. ^ Bennett, Rebecca (June 26, 2014). "Hyattsville Library listed as endangered". Hyattsville Life & Times. Hyattsville, Maryland. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  31. ^ Flynn, Katherine (January 24, 2014). "Save Our Saucer: The Fight to Protect a Space-Age Artifact in Hyattsville, Md". savingplaces.org. National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  32. ^ Beckwith, Alison (April 2, 2019). "Demolition Begins at Hyattsville Library Site". The Hyattsville Wire. Hyattsville, Maryland. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  33. ^ Bennett, Rebecca (January 6, 2015). "Council lowers Hyattsville voting age to 16 years old". Hyattsville Life & Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2015.
  34. ^ Hernández, Arelis R. (December 7, 2016). "Hyattsville will allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in city elections". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  35. ^ "Prince George's County Public Schools". Prince George's County Public Schools. Archived from the original on April 11, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  36. ^ Map. Hyattsville, Maryland. Retrieved on February 1, 2018.
  37. ^ "NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018." Prince George's County Public Schools. Retrieved on January 31, 2018.
  38. ^ "NEIGHBORHOOD MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018." Prince George's County Public Schools. Retrieved on January 31, 2018.
  39. ^ "NEIGHBORHOOD HIGH SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018." Prince George's County Public Schools. Retrieved on January 31, 2018.
  40. ^ 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.
  41. ^ "Fairmont Heights High School History". Fairmont Heights High School. September 4, 2018. Archived from the original on October 4, 2005. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  42. ^ a b Weaver, Rosanna Landis (January 15, 2013). "Charter school to open in Hyattsville". Hyattsville Life & Times. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  43. ^ "St. Mark's School in Hyattsville holds reunion to marks its 50th year Archived 2018-09-06 at the Wayback Machine." 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"
  44. ^ Roberts, Tom. "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.
  45. ^ Roscoe, Jack (October 4, 2017). "UMD celebrates College Park Academy's opening in Riverdale Park". The Diamondback. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  46. ^ "PGCCC University Town Center Extension Center." Prince George's Community College. Retrieved on February 1, 2018.
  47. ^ Beckwith, Ryan Teague (June 2, 2017). "Hyattsville Biking: How Route 1 Became a Bicycling Haven". Hyattsville Wire. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  48. ^ Beckwith, Ryan Teague (April 24, 2019). "Capital Bikeshare Keeps Expanding on Route 1". The Hyattsville Wire. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  49. ^ "District 1 Station - Hyattsville Archived September 9, 2018, at the Wayback Machine. Prince George's County Police Department. Retrieved on September 9, 2018. Beat map Archived September 9, 2018, at the Wayback Machine.
  50. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "No Charge to Charge! Free Electric Vehicle Chargers in Hyattsville". YouTube. October 3, 2018.
  51. ^ Genzlinger, Neil (April 7, 2020). "David Driskell, 88, Pivotal Champion of African-American Art, Dies". The New York Times. New York, New York. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  52. ^ Graf, Heather (May 15, 2019). "Play debuts amidst lingering controversy at Hyattsville Middle School". WBFF-TV. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  53. ^ Kepner, Tyler (April 21, 2020). "Who Is Chase Young? A Defensive Star and Student of the Game". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  54. ^ Berger, Judson (May 4, 2006). "TV show that portrayed Prince George's in unflattering light is canceled by network". The Gazette. Post Community Media LLC. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
[edit]
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