Olney, Maryland
Olney, Maryland | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 24-58900 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 2389620[2] |
Olney is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is located in the north central part of the county, ten miles (16 km) north of Washington, D.C.
Olney was largely agricultural until the 1960s, when growth of Washington, D.C.'s suburbs led to its conversion into a mostly residential area. It has a total population of 35,820 as of the 2020 United States census.[3]
History
In 1763, Richard Brooke received a patent for a tract of land located in the Province of Maryland.[4] Originally known as Mechanicsville,[4] the village which became Olney was established in 1800. The area was mostly farmland, but it soon began attracting artisans. Early residents Sarah Brooke and Dr. Charles Farquhar were devotees of the English poet William Cowper, and named their home after the poet's hometown of Olney in England.[4] The area was later named for their home, which still stands and is known as the Olney House. In the town's center was a blacksmith, William Kelley's wheelwright shop, Canby's pottery factory, and a Benedict Duley's store.[4]
The Brooke family held the largest tracts of land in Olney, whose central village was at the intersection of the Rockville to Baltimore road, and the one which connected Washington with Westminster to the north. The Quaker community in Sandy Spring thrived just to Olney's east. The Sandy Spring Museum is a historical museum featuring educational programs and displays. St. John's Episcopal Church was established in 1842 and survives to this day.
Although not as involved in the
Olney served as the original headquarters of the Emergency Management Institute, founded in 1951 as the Civil Defense Staff College (CDSC) to provide training for civil defense. While there, the college built "Rescue Street," a training center designed to resemble atomic bomb ruins.[6] The CDSC was soon relocated to Battle Creek, Michigan due to security concerns of a potential attack on Washington, D.C. during the Cold War.[7]
Geography
Olney has a total area of 13.0 square miles (34 km2), all land.
Olney's town center sits at the intersection of state route 97 (Georgia Avenue) and route 108 (Olney-Laytonsville Road). The town, larger than any other in the neighboring areas, lies south of Brookeville, west of Sandy Spring, east-northeast of Gaithersburg, north-northeast of Rockville, and north of Aspen Hill.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | 33,844 | — | |
2020 | 35,820 | 5.8% | |
source:[8] 2010–2020[3] |
At the
There were 11,606 households, of which 81.4% were family households. Among all households:
- 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them.
- 67.2% were married couples living together.
- 11.0% had a woman householder with no husband present.
- 3.1% had a man householder with no wife present.
- 22.8% had individuals 65 years and over.
- 18.6% were non-families.
The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.25.
28.9% of residents were under the age of 20, 25.8% from 20 to 44, 34.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 years. For every 100 women, there were 91.8 men.
According to a 2015 survey, the median household income was $126,762, and the median family income was $138,072. Men had a median income of $96,624 versus $68,709 for women. The per capita income for the area was $48,289. 2.8% of the population and 2.3% of families were below the poverty line.[10]
Arts and culture
Historic sites include Olney Ale House, Sandy Spring Museum, and Woodlawn Manor Living History Museum.[11]
"Olney Days" is held annually each April, and included a parade and charity bike ride and walk.[citation needed]
Founded in 1938, the
There is a branch of the Montgomery County Library.
Falling Green had been an active farm since 1764.[12] A house and barn survive from the original farm. Falling Green house is a Georgian architecture house built in 1770 by a Quaker planter.[13]
Parks and recreation
Public parks include Olney Manor Park (which features the Olney Swim Center), Southeast Olney Park, Longwood Park, Cherrywood Park, Bowie Mill Park, and the OBGC Park at Freeman Fields.
Olney is also home to a private country club and a golf driving range, and the Norbeck golf course.
Education
There are three
Notable people
- Joe Aitcheson Jr., jockey in Racing Hall of Fame
- Hilda Counts, first woman to earn an electrical engineering degree from the University of Colorado
- Stefon Diggs, wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills; attended Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney
- Katie Feeney, social media personality and correspondent for the Washington Commanders
- Moira Geoffrion, sculptor
- Harold L. Ickes, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, bought the Headwaters Farm in 1937.[14]
- Justin Maxwell, outfielder for the Washington Nationals and others
- Frank Miller, artist and film director
References
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Olney, Maryland
- ^ a b "QuickFacts: Olney CDP, Maryland". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ ISBN 1-892724-05-7.
- ^ Farquhar, Robert Brooke (1954). Historic Montgomery County, Maryland: Old Homes and History. University of Michigan. pp. 148, 243.
- ^ Furman, Bess (June 24, 1952). "Atom Bomb 'Ruins' Will Aid Defense". The New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ^ "Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Overview". Federal Emergency Management Agency. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
- ^ "Community Facts (for Olney CDP, Maryland)". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ^ "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2015 American Community Survey". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ "(in process of moving) to Historic Brookeville Academy". Woodlawn Manor Museum. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ^ "OBGC Park History". Olney Boys and Girls Community Sports Association. (c) 2016 Olney Boys & Girls Community, (c) 2016 Demosphere International, Inc. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ^ "Falling Green House". Falling Green House. Olney Boys and Girls Community Sports Association. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ^ "Homeland Village History". Homeland Village Community Association. Retrieved July 18, 2016.