Sharpsburg, Maryland
| Sharpsburg, Maryland | |
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| — Town — | |
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| Coordinates: 39°27′28″N 77°44′58″W / 39.45778°N 77.74944°WCoordinates: 39°27′28″N 77°44′58″W / 39.45778°N 77.74944°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| County | Washington |
| Settled | 1740 |
| Founded | 1763 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2) |
| • Land | 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 420 ft (128 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 691 |
| • Density | 3,119.1/sq mi (1,204.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 21782 |
| Area code(s) | 301 |
| FIPS code | 24-71600 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0587310 |
| Website | Official Website for the Town of Sharpsburg |
Sharpsburg is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, approximately 13 miles (21 km) south of Hagerstown. The population was 705 at the 2010 census.
During the American Civil War, the Battle of Antietam (or Battle of Sharpsburg) was fought on what is now Antietam National Battlefield, in the vicinity of Antietam Creek.
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[edit] History
Joseph Chapline was the first to settle in the area, circa 1740. At the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, Chapline founded a town, naming it in honor of his friend Horatio Sharpe, the Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland. Its original settlers were mostly of German or Swiss origin.
Located east of the Potomac River, Sharpsburg attracted industry in the early 19th century, especially after the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was extended to Sharpsburg in 1836. The town was incorporated in 1832.
Sharpsburg gained national recognition during the American Civil War, when Confederate General Robert E. Lee invaded Maryland with his Army of Northern Virginia in the summer of 1862 and was intercepted near the city by Union General George B. McClellan. The rival armies met on September 17, in the Battle of Antietam (also called the Battle of Sharpsburg). It would be the bloodiest single day of the Civil War, and in American military annals, with a total of nearly 23,000 casualties to both sides.
The drawn battle is considered a turning point of the war, since it kept the Confederacy from winning a needed victory on Northern soil, which might have gained it European recognition. Lee's retreat gave Abraham Lincoln the opportunity he needed to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in Confederate territory to be free. This act made it even more unlikely that Europe would grant diplomatic recognition to the South.
Sharpsburg claims its Memorial Day commemoration as one of the first in the U.S., having their 144th consecutive celebration in 2011.[1] The city also celebrates an annual Heritage Festival in mid-September.
The town core was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008 as the Sharpsburg Historic District.[2]
[edit] Government
[edit] Town Council
Elected by voters to 4-year terms:
- Hal Spielman, Mayor
- Bryan Gabriel, Vice Mayor
- Mathew Barnhart
- Darryl Benner
- Cathy Hull
- Brandon Smith
[edit] Administration
- Kimberly Fulk, Clerk/Treasurer
- Debra Jamison, Tax Collector
[edit] Geography
Sharpsburg is located at 39°27′28″N 77°44′58″W / 39.45778°N 77.74944°W (39.457666, -77.749513)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), all land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 691 people, 286 households, and 193 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,119.1 per square mile (1,212.7/km²). There were 304 housing units at an average density of 1,372.2 per square mile (533.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.83% White, 0.43% African American, 0.58% Asian, 0.29% Hispanic or Latino, and 1.16% from two or more races.
There were 286 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,786, and the median income for a family was $52,875. Males had a median income of $37,500 versus $22,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,917. About 1.1% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] References
- ^ "Memorial Day Commemoration in Sharpsburg". U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. 2009-05-01. http://www.nps.gov/anti/parknews/memorial-day-commemoration-in-sharpsburg.htm.
- ^ "WEEKLY LIST OF ACTIONS TAKEN ON PROPERTIES: 12/22/08 THROUGH 12/24/08". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-02. http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20090102.HTM.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sharpsburg, Maryland |
- Official Website for the Town of Sharpsburg
- Maryland Municipal League: Sharpsburg
- War memorial in down town Sharpsburg at "Sites of Memory"
