Oakland, Maryland

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For other places with the same name, see Oakland.
Oakland, Maryland
—  Town  —
Nickname(s): the boom
Location of Oakland, Maryland
Coordinates: 39°24′38″N 79°24′16″W / 39.41056°N 79.40444°W / 39.41056; -79.40444
Country United States
State Maryland
County Garrett
Area[1]
 • Total 2.60 sq mi (6.73 km2)
 • Land 2.59 sq mi (6.71 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation 2,398 ft (731 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 1,925
 • Estimate (2011[3]) 1,922
 • Density 743.2/sq mi (287.0/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 21550
Area code(s) 301
FIPS code 24-57650
GNIS feature ID 0586276
Website www.oaklandmd.com

Oakland is a town in the west-central part of Garrett County, Maryland, United States. The town has a population of 1,925 according to United States Census 2010 figures. The town is also the county seat of Garrett County and is located within the Pittsburgh DMA.

Oakland is situated only miles from the source of the Potomac River, which flows directly into the Chesapeake Bay. It is also near the Wisp Resort at Deep Creek Lake, a major ski resort for many Marylanders and other visitors. The Autumn Glory Festival, a fall festival that attracts a great number of tourists, takes place in Oakland every October.

Contents

[edit] History

Oakland was formally incorporated as a town in 1862.

The town was named after a large oak tree on 2nd street. A prominent landmark and historical site is the Oakland Train Station. A gift shop is located within the station. In front of the station, there are a plethora of festivities that go on, mainly seasonal activities such as housing the town Christmas tree, decorating the plaza for a holiday, and sometimes parties.

Main Street of Oakland consists mainly of historic two to four story buildings that house the main shopping in the area, such as a theatre, museum, book store, a local pharmacy, antique shops, clothing stores and banks. Many of the homes and businesses in the downtown area are examples of Victorian architecture. Much of the central section of Oakland is part of the Oakland Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[4] Also listed on the National Register are the Garrett County Courthouse and Hoye Site.[4]

One of the most prominent and historic churches in Oakland is St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, where U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, James Garfield, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison have all attended services. Because of this, it is now called the "Church of Presidents." Another prominent and historic church is St. Peter the Apostle Church, a Catholic church located on Fourth Street. A large neoclassical courthouse is also very prominent and dominates the town center.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, a large hotel named the Oakland Hotel was located near the downtown train station. It was constructed in 1878 by the B&O Railroad.[5] The hotel was a major tourist attraction for that time period until it was torn down in the early 20th Century.

[edit] Geography

Oakland is in the south-central to western portion of Garrett County, located at 39°24′38″N 79°24′16″W / 39.41056°N 79.40444°W / 39.41056; -79.40444 (39.410480, -79.404380)[6]. It is set in a small valley.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.60 square miles (6.73 km2), of which, 2.59 square miles (6.71 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[1] It is only 6.61 miles from Second Street to Deep Creek Lake.

[edit] Demographics

The median income for a household in the town was $26,728, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $29,625 versus $21,542 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,872. About 13.3% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 21.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] 2010 census

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,925 people, 875 households, and 470 families residing in the town. The population density was 743.2 inhabitants per square mile (287.0 /km2). There were 1,009 housing units at an average density of 389.6 per square mile (150.4 /km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.0% White, 0.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 875 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.3% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.73.

The median age in the town was 46.9 years. 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.2% were from 45 to 64; and 22.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

[edit] Notable residents

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-25. 
  2. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-25. 
  3. ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-25. 
  4. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. 
  5. ^ Long, Helen; Scharf, John Thomas (2003) [1882], History of Western Maryland, Genealogical Publishing Co., p. 1539 
  6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 39°24′38″N 79°24′16″W / 39.41048°N 79.40438°W / 39.41048; -79.40438