Sykesville, Maryland

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Sykesville, Maryland
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


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postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 21784
area_code = 410
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 24-76550
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0591389
website =
footnotes =

Sykesville is a town in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,197 at the 2000 census.

History

The land on which Sykesville sits started out as part of a 3000 acre Springfield Estate, owned by wealthy Baltimore shipbuilder William Patterson. In 1803, Patterson's daughter Elizabeth Patterson married Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Jerome, but when she arrived in Europe as Jerome's bride, Napoleon refused to let Betsy Patterson Bonaparte set foot on land. They both returned to Springfield Estate. Upon the death of William in 1824, his son George Patterson inherited the estate.

In 1825, George Patterson sold convert|1000|acre|km2 sqmi|lk=on of Springfield Estate to his friend and business associate, James Sykes. [ [http://www.gazette.net/gazette_archive/2004/200418/sykesville/news/215957-1.html James Sykes, Frank Brown, and Sykesville] ]

A tract of land on the Howard County side of the Patapsco River contained an old saw and grist mill. In 1830 Sykes replaced it with a newer Mill and constructed a five story stone hotel, to take care of railroad personnel and the tourist trade. In 1831 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad extended the Old Main Line to "Horse Train Stop", since Sykesville had yet to be named. [ [http://www.sykesville.net/history.html Sykesville History] ] Other businesses moved into the area including two general stores, new mills, churches and a post office.

The town, in 1832, managed to gain control of a barn across the Patapsco River, the dividing line between Carroll and Howard county, but the citizens were forced to return the barn under threat of federal troops.Fact|date=October 2008

The town was incorporated in 1904.

Geography

Sykesville is located at coor dms|39|22|16|N|76|58|21|W|city (39.371020, -76.972630).GR|1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 4,197 people, 1,390 households, and 1,025 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,621.1 people per square mile (1,012.8/km²). There were 1,420 housing units at an average density of 886.8/sq mi (342.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.14% White, 4.88% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.62% Asian, 0.02% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.

There were 1,390 households out of which 48.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the town the population was spread out with 32.0% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 37.8% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $66,551, and the median income for a family was $75,758. Males had a median income of $50,146 versus $35,669 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,395. About 2.4% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

To see

The retirement community of Fairhaven is located on the outskirts of Sykesville.

The mental hospital of Springfield Institute

The ex-Baltimore and Ohio Railroad station, designed by E. Francis Baldwin, has been converted to a restaurant, which bears his name ' [http://www.baldwinsstation.com Baldwin’s Station & Pub] '. It was the prototype for a well-known model railroad kit. The Sykesville station was the second stop on the original Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

The ' [http://www.sykesville.net/school.html Historic Colored Schoolhouse Museum] ', at 518 Schoolhouse Road, served as a school for black children from 1904 to 1938.

The Sykesville ' [http://www.sykesville.net/gatehouse.html Gate House Museum] ', at 7283 Cooper Drive, served as residents for many employees at Maryland's second hospital for the insane. The hospital open in 1896 and the gatehouse was opened in 1904.

Downtown Sykesville is called "Historic Sykesville" because at two separate points in time, Union and Confederate Armies marched through there.

Notables

Sykesville was the birthplace of Frank Brown, the 42nd Governor of Maryland, on August 8, 1846.

Scenes from the 2003 Chris Rock film "Head of State" were filmed in Sykesville.

George Washington once rode through Sykesville, stopping only to yell at an orphan.Fact|date=October 2008

References

External links

[http://www.sykesville.net Sykesville, Maryland Town website]