Cumberland, Maryland

City of Cumberland
—  City  —
Downtown Cumberland

Seal
Nickname(s): "Queen City"
Motto: Come for a Visit, Stay for Life!
Location in Allegany County and in Maryland
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Maryland
County Allegany
Founded 1787
Incorporated 1815
Government
 • Type weak-mayor form with City Adminstrator
 • Mayor Brian Grim
 • City administrator Jeff Rhodes as of December 20, 2011
Area
 • City 9.1 sq mi (23.5 km2)
 • Land 9.1 sq mi (23.5 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 627 ft (191 m)
Population (2010)
 • City 20,859
 • Density 2,298.9/sq mi (887.6/km2)
 • Metro 103,299
 • Demonym Cumberlander
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 21501-21505
Area code(s) 301, 240
FIPS code 24-21325
GNIS feature ID 0590057
Website www.ci.cumberland.md.us

Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a population of 103,299. Cumberland is a regional business and commercial center for Western Maryland and the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia. Historically Cumberland was known as the "Queen City of the Alleghenies," as it was once Maryland's second largest city.

Contents


Demographics

At the 2000 census[1], there were 21,518 people, 9,538 households and 5,436 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,372.7 per square mile (916.0/km2). There were 11,143 housing units at an average density of 1,228.7 per square mile (474.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.54% White, 5.06% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

There were 9,538 households, of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.90.

City residents have an older demographic profile than the U.S. generally. 22.7% is under the age of 18, 8.2% is from 18 to 24, 25.1% is from 25 to 44, 23.3% is from 45 to 64, and 20.7% is 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years compared to a U.S. average of 35.3. Females outnumber males. For every 100 females there are 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.

Population by year
Year Cumberland
pop.		 Allegany
pop.		 Urban
pop.		 Rural
pop.
1790 4,809
1800 6,303
1810 6,909
1820 8,654
1830 1,162 10,590
1840 2,384 15,690
1850 6,105 22,769
1860 7,300 28,348
1870 8,056 38,536
1880 11,300 38,012
1890 12,729 41,571
1900 17,568 53,694
1910 21,839 62,411
1920 29,837 69,938
1930 37,747 79,098
1940 39,483 86,973 50,705 30,054
1950 37,679 89,556 ~52,905 36,651
1960 33,415 84,169 47,723 ~36,446
1970 29,724 84,044 44,207 39,304
1980 25,933 80,548 58,777 ~22,666
1990 23,706 74,946
2000 21,518 74,930
2010 20,859 75,087

The median household income $25,142, and the median family income was $34,500. Males had a median income of $29,484 versus $20,004 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,813. About 15.3% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.4% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over. The Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked 305th out of 318 metropolitan areas in per capita income.[2][3]

In 2007, Forbes ranked the Cumberland Metro as having the 6th lowest cost of living in the USA based on an index of cost of housing, utilities, transportation and other expenditures[4]

In 2007, The Baltimore Sun newspaper, citing the National Association of Realtors figures on home prices, stated that while most areas were then stagnant, Cumberland home prices were rising by more than 17%, the highest in the country.[5])

In July 2007, Washington Post writer Stephanie Cavanaugh wrote that the great quality of living in Cumberland had attracted many urbanites to the area.[6]

According to the 2000 Census, educational achievement levels of the city residents lag behind those of Allegany County and the state of Maryland. High school diploma attainment figures for residents 25 years of age and older were lower than the state average (83.8%), with Allegany County at 79.9% and Cumberland at 79.3%. Furthermore, only 13.0% of city residents 25 years of age and older held at least an undergraduate degree. The comparable figures for Allegany County and Maryland residents were 14.1% and 31.4% respectively.

Ancestries are:

Population trends

Population decline from 1950–1990 was due to a string of industrial plant closures. Unwilling to meet union demands, plants such as Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Allegany Munitions and Celanese closed down and relocated. The 1987 closure of the Kelly Springfield Tire Plant marked a turning point, as the last major manufacturing plant in the city limits to close its doors.

The population of the city has continued to decline since 1990, with the 2010 census population of 20,859 the lowest since the 1900 census.

References:

Geography

Cumberland is located in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains at (39.647687, -78.762869),[7] at the junction of the North Branch of the Potomac River and Wills Creek. Interstate 68 runs through the city in an east/west direction, as does Alternate U.S. 40, the Old National Road. U.S. Highway 220 runs north/south. The majority of the land within the city lies in a valley created by the junction of these two streams. Parts of Wills Mountain, Haystack Mountain, and Shriver Ridge are also within the city limits.

The abandoned Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, now the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, has its western terminus in Cumberland. The canal's towpath is still maintained, allowing travel by foot or bicycle between Cumberland and Washington, D.C., a distance of about 185 miles (298 km).

The city has a total area of 9.1 square miles (24 km2), of which 9.1 square miles (24 km2) is land and 0.11% is water.[8]

Cumberland was the terminus, and namesake, of the Cumberland Road (begun in 1811) that extended westward to the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia, the first portion of the National Road which eventually reached Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.

Neighborhoods and surrounding areas

Most of the residential housing stock in North End was constructed to house industrial workers, and date from the middle and late 19th century. The housing stock is characterized by adjoining brick rowhouses and duplexes, set on small lots with narrow streets. As you move east to west through the neighborhood, the house lots become larger, the streets wider, and the housing stock more recent. Due to the age of the housing stock, many North End streets contain large numbers of vacant and deteriorating buildings. This neighborhood has been targeted by the City Government for housing rehabilitation and blight removal.
Most of the commercial businesses in North End are located on Mechanic and Centre streets, including various restaurants, small boutiques, convenience stores, and car dealerships.
The residential character of the neighborhood is highly varied. Much of the housing stock in the area around Virginia Ave dates from the late 19th and early 20th century and was constructed to house workers from the neighborhood's industrial concerns. As with many of the city's older neighborhoods, this area contains many vacant and deteriorating structures. Local community groups, such as the Chapel Hill West neighborhood group, have taken positive steps to help improve aging structures, and beautify the area. The streets around Memorial Hospital are characterized by larger lots and sizeable free-standing homes. Many of the health care professionals that work at the hospital live in this area. Lastly, the blocks near the eastern edge of the neighborhood were developed in the middle of the 20th century and contain wider streets and a variety of housing styles and materials.
There are still many industrial enterprises located in South End. The western part of the neighborhood specifically contains many warehouses and other small industries.
The commercial main street of South End is Virginia Avenue, which historically acted as the main shopping area for the residents of South End and contained men's and women's clothing stores, movie theaters, and specialty retail stores. Virginia Avenue's commercial importance has declined since the middle of the 20th century due to the opening of enclosed shopping centers and strip malls. The Avenue (as locals call it) still contains numerous antique shops, bars, and specialty stores. Location of Greenway Avenue Stadium, the joint home of the Fort Hill Sentinels and Allegany Campers.
Residential land use becomes dominant as you move west from the site of former fort. Many of Cumberland's largest and most valuable houses are located here. The housing stock ranges in age from the mid-19th century closer to the former fort, to the middle of the 20th century near the city line to the west. This includes the Greene Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and Washington Street Historic District listed in 1973.[9] Some of Cumberland's newest developments are located on Haystack Mountain near the city line.
The only substantial industrial land use in West Side is Riverside Industrial Park. This site was the former location of the Kelly Springfield Tire factory. Most of the factory has been torn down, including its impressive twin smoke stacks. Some of the outbuildings are still standing and used for warehousing.

Nearby cities and towns

All of the following cities are in Maryland, unless otherwise noted,[10] and are in order of distance.

Cumberland Narrows

Main article: Cumberland Narrows

Cumberland is located at the eastern entrance to the Cumberland Narrows (or simply "The Narrows"), a water gap along Wills Creek that crosses the central ridge of the Wills Mountain Anticline at a low elevation between Wills Mountain to the north and Haystack Mountain to the south. Cliffs and talus of the two mountains' Tuscarora quartzite caprock are prominent within the Narrows. These geological features provide Cumberland a western backdrop of the two mountains and the narrow gap between them.

The Cumberland Narrows acts as a western gateway from Cumberland to the Appalachian Plateau and the Ohio River Valley beyond. The Old National Road, now Alternate U.S. 40, passes through the Narrows, along with the former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's main line between Baltimore/Washington and Pittsburg, now part of the CSX system, and a former line of the Western Maryland Railroad, now used by the steam- and diesel-powered excursion trains of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.

A prominent rocky outcropping at the south end of Wills Mountain in the Cumberland Narrows is known as Lover's Leap.

History

Main article: History of Cumberland, Maryland

Cumberland is named after the son of King George II, Prince William, the Duke of Cumberland. It is built on the site of the old Fort Cumberland, the starting point for British General Edward Braddock's ill-fated attack on the French strong-hold of Fort Duquesne (located on the site of present-day Pittsburgh) during the French and Indian War. (See Braddock expedition.)

Cumberland was also an outpost of Colonel George Washington during the French and Indian War and his first military headquarters was built here. Washington later returned to Cumberland as President in 1794 to review troops that had been assembled to thwart the Whiskey Rebellion.

Cumberland was a key road, railroad and canal junction during the 19th century and at one time the second largest city in Maryland (second to the port city of Baltimore — hence its nickname "The Queen City"). The surrounding hillsides provided coal, iron ore and timber that helped supply the Industrial Revolution. In addition, the city was a major manufacturing center, with industries in glass, breweries, fabrics and tinplate. However, following World War II, it began to lose much of its industrial importance and its population declined from 39,483 in the 1940 census to fewer than 22,000 today.[11][12]

Climate

Cumberland lies within the southern periphery of the Humid continental climate zone, experiencing temperatures significantly lower than the central and eastern part of Maryland and much more like those of south-central Pennsylvania. The region experiences four distinct seasons, including warm to moderately hot summers and chilly to moderately cold winters. The warmest month is July, with an average temperature of 74.5 °F (23.6 °C). The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of 30 °F (−1.1 °C). Average annual snowfall totals 34.1 inches (870 mm).

Climate data for Cumberland, MD
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 40
(4)		 45
(7)		 55
(13)		 67
(19)		 76
(24)		 84
(29)		 87
(31)		 86
(30)		 79
(26)		 67
(19)		 55
(13)		 44
(7)		 65.4
(18.6)
Average low °F (°C) 20
(−7)		 23
(−5)		 30
(−1)		 39
(4)		 48
(9)		 57
(14)		 62
(17)		 60
(16)		 53
(12)		 40
(4)		 32
(0)		 25
(−4)		 40.75
(4.86)
Precipitation inches (mm) 2.89
(73.4)		 2.43
(61.7)		 3.30
(83.8)		 3.16
(80.3)		 3.97
(100.8)		 3.12
(79.2)		 3.42
(86.9)		 3.53
(89.7)		 3.18
(80.8)		 2.69
(68.3)		 2.91
(73.9)		 2.61
(66.3)		 37.21
(945.1)
Source: TWC,[13]

Education

The offices of Allegany County Public Schools are located in Cumberland. ACPS compete in a number of academic competitions for students, including the Stock Market Game, Science Olympiad, Science Fair, Spell-A-Thon, Maryland Facts Quiz Bowl, the National Children's Creative Writing Contest Elementary and Middle School Spectra Quiz Bowl, Math Counts, Mock Trial Teams, Secretarial Science Contest Scripps-Howard Spelling Bee, Voice of Democracy, and the Maryland Science Quest.

Athletic programs also abound, with competition in everything from football, soccer, baseball, volleyball and track to tennis, bowling, wrestling and golf.

Schools

  • Middle schools
    • Washington Middle School
    • Braddock Middle School

Area colleges and universities

All of those listed are within a short drive from Cumberland, though only one is located in Cumberland itself.

Libraries

Approximately 39,000 people hold library cards in Allegany County ("Most citizens give libraries high grades", Cumberland Times News, October 10, 2006). Regional Libraries include:

Employers

Significant city employers include:

Hospitals

Utilities

Water and sewer service is supplied by the City of Cumberland. The municipal watershed is located to the north within the State of Pennsylvania. Water is drawn from two lakes on city land, Gordon and Koon.[14] Electricity service supplied by Allegheny Power, while natural gas service is supplied by Columbia Gas of Maryland. There was once a working oil well that pumped crude oil from a location near the Fruit Bowl in the Cumberland Narrows.

Government and infrastructure

Mayor and City Council

The Mayor and City Council of Cumberland form a part-time government, which only meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. The current mayor is Brian Grim. The current city council members are Butch Hendershot, David Kauffman, Mary Beth Pirolozzi, and Nicholas Scarpelli.[15]

Law enforcement

The city is primarily policed by the Cumberland Police Department (CPD). The CPD is a full-service agency consisting of a patrol section, detective bureau, specialized services, and other services. It is occasionally aided by the Maryland State Police and the Allegany County Sheriff's Office as directed by authority.

The Cumberland Police Department was founded by an act of legislation in March 1852. In 1907, Officer August Baker was killed by gunfire while trying to apprehend a drunk and disorderly William Burns from an area that is now known as South Wineow Street. Subsequently, after the officer's death, an angry mob broke Burns out of jail using a telephone pole. After gaining entry into the jail, the mob beat the murder suspect, Burns, almost to death. They then drug him into the street, and shot him twelve times to death.[16][17] In 2009, the CPD was involved in the investigation of a local homicide, which is uncommon for the area.[18] The suspect was investigated by CPD C3I detectives and ultimately plead guilty to the first-degree murder.[19][20] In February 2010, the CPD in conjunction with C3I investigated a double-homicide that garnered state-wide attention.[21]

The Cumberland Police Department is currently headed by Chief Charles H. Hinnant, who is assisted by one Deputy Chief and five Lieutenants.[22] The CPD is a progressive department and has a diverse Specialized Unit Section with the following teams:[23]

State representation

The North Branch Correctional Institution, operated by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, is located in unincorporated Allegany County, near Cumberland.[24] The prison began housing male death row inmates, who were moved from the Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center, in June 2010.[25]

Cumberland is Represented by 1 Democrat in the House of Delegates by the name of Kevin Kelly and 1 Republican in the House of Delegates by name of Leroy Myers. Cumberland is also represented in the State Senate by a Republican by the name of George Edwards.

Federal Representation

Cumberland is represented in the US House of Representatives by Republican Roscoe Bartlett. Cumberland lays deep inside of the Maryland 6th Congressional District. Cumberland in the US Senate is Represented by 2 Democrats by the names of Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin.

Local government

The City of Cumberland is run on a non-partisan system of government that was adopted in the early 1980s by voter approval. Prior to the early 1980s Cumberland elected its government by political parties. The government is also a weak-mayor form of government. Day to day operations are headed by a full time City Administrator, a system that was implemented by the old partisan Mayor and City Council in 1979. As of July 20, 2011 Jeff Rhodes was acting City Administrator.[26]

Transportation

Within the city

The primary public transportation in the City of Cumberland is bus service provided by Allegany County Transit. This service consists of five scheduled routes that reach most areas of the City and providing access to most public facilities, however service only runs weekdays from about 10 AM to 5 PM with routes running at frequency of less than hourly. The bus depot is located in the South End to the west of Virginia Avenue on Lafayette Avenue. The Allegany County Transit Authority also serves LaVale, Frostburg, and Cresaptown.

Highways

Cumberland's roadway system consists of a series of interconnected grids defined by natural and man-made barriers including steep slopes, the Potomac River, Wills Creek, rail lines, and I-68. Originally developed for a larger population than currently lives in Cumberland, the overall system is generally adequate to accommodate existing levels of traffic. Major highway arteries serving the Cumberland area include:

Railways

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides intercity service to Cumberland via the Capitol Limited, which runs between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Illinois. The Cumberland Amtrak Station is located downtown at Queen City Drive and East Harrison Street.

The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad operates steam and diesel excursion trains from Cumberland to Frostburg and back.

Airports

Cumberland is almost equidistant from four major airports: Washington National Airport, Dulles International Airport, Baltimore Washington International Airport, and Pittsburgh International Airport, all of which are at least two and one-half hours by car from the city. The Greater Cumberland Regional Airport (Airport-ID: CBE) provides local air transportation to the Cumberland area. The airport is located in West Virginia, to the south of the Potomac River, which forms the boundary between the City of Cumberland and Mineral County, West Virginia. Formerly owned by the City of Cumberland, the airport is now owned and operated by a bi-state intergovernmental airport authority whose members are four representatives from West Virginia and five from Maryland. In addition, Mexico Farms Airport (Airport-ID: 1W3) is also located in Cumberland.

Local media

Main article: Media in Cumberland, MD-WV-PA

Cumberland has several media outlets; most carry some form of satellite programming. WCBC-AM and WFRB-FM have some local news content, but do not actively collect it. The closest public radio station is WFWM, Frostburg, MD. Allegany Magazine is a recent media addition.

Aside from some local news programming, virtually no mass media content originates from Cumberland. The local media tends to re-broadcast Hagerstown and Washington, D.C. television stations for news coverage.

Cable customers of Cumberland mainly receive service from Atlantic Broadband. Cumberland's Atlantic Broadband customers receive two NBC affiliates, WJAC-TV from Johnstown, PA and WHAG-TV from Hagerstown, MD. ABB customers also receive three CBS affiliates: WTAJ-TV from Altoona, PA, WJZ-TV from Baltimore, MD, and WUSA (TV) from Washington, DC. ABB customers can also receive two Fox affiliates, WTTG-TV from Washington, DC and WWCP-TV from Altoona, PA, as well as one ABC affiliate, WJLA-TV from Rosslyn, VA.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Cumberland, Maryland

Tourist attractions in the area include:

Annual and seasonal events

Main article: List of festivals and events in Cumberland, MD-WV

Architecture

Some of Cumberland's most architecturally significant homes are located in the Washington Street Historic District. Considered the elite residential area when the city was at its economic peak, Washington Street was home to the region's leading citizens including the president of the C&O Canal. Significant public buildings include the Allegany County Courthouse, Allegany County Library, and Emmanuel Episcopal Church, located on the site of Fort Cumberland. It features Gothic Revival architecture with three large Tiffany windows, fort tunnels, and ammunition magazine cellars.[27]

The 1850 Emmanuel Episcopal Church, standing at the eastern end of the Washington Street Historic District, is one of Maryland's most outstanding examples of early Gothic Revival architecture.

The Allegany County Courthouse dominates the city's skyline. It was designed in 1893 by local architect Wright Butler.

The Queen City Hotel was built by the B&O during the 1870s. The battle to preserve it was lost when the building was demolished in 1972.

Temple B’er Chayim's 1865 Gothic Revival building is one of the oldest surviving synagogue buildings in the United States.

Sister city

Noted residents and natives

Notes

  1. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ 'Local area personal income', 1998-2000', Bureau of Economic Analysis, republished by HighBeam Encyclopia, 2002.
  3. ^ Dataplace: Cumberland, MD-WV MAS
  4. ^ Special Report: Best Places For Business And Careers, Forbes, April 2007.
  5. ^ The Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2007
  6. ^ Washington Post Real Estate section, 14 July 2007
  7. ^ "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. 
  8. ^ According to the United States Census Bureau
  9. ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
  10. ^ All distances from urban core of Cumberland were calculated by http://maps.google.com, 2007
  11. ^ All Abroad for Cumberland: Cumberland History
  12. ^ Parts of this article are copied from the Cumberland History, a National Park Service website whose contents are in the public domain.
  13. ^ "Average Monthly Temperatures for Cumberland, MD". The Weather Channel. July 2011. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USMD0115. Retrieved July 22, 2011. 
  14. ^ City of Cumberland: Public Works Department
  15. ^ "Mayor & Council". City of Cumberland, Maryland. http://www.ci.cumberland.md.us/new_site/index.php/contents/view/6. Retrieved 2011-01-09. 
  16. ^ Cumberland Times-News - Plaque to honor fallen city police officer
  17. ^ http://www.odmp.org/officer/17429-patrolman-august-baker
  18. ^ http://www.fedstats.gov/mapstats/crime/county/24001.html
  19. ^ http://www.allbusiness.com/crime-law-enforcement-corrections/criminal-offenses-crimes/14009606-1.html
  20. ^ http://www.newstribune.info/news/x1566714192/NEWS-BREAK-Nephew-charged-in-Cumberland-womans-murder
  21. ^ http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-02-14/news/bal-cumberland-shooting0214_1_c3i-cumberland-man-suspect Baltimore Sun
  22. ^ http://www.ci.cumberland.md.us/cpd/command.html
  23. ^ http://www.ci.cumberland.md.us/cpd/specialized.html
  24. ^ "North Branch Correctional Institution." North Branch Correctional Institution. Retrieved on September 22, 2010.
  25. ^ Calvert, Scott and Kate Smith. "Death row inmates transferred to W. Maryland." The Baltimore Sun. June 25, 2010. Retrieved on September 22, 2010.
  26. ^ Elaine Blaisdell (July 20, 2011). "No job listing for administrator position, yet". Cumberland Times-News. http://times-news.com/local/x202401024/No-job-listing-for-administrator-position-yet. Retrieved August 30, 2011. 
  27. ^ All Aboard For Cumberland: Washington Street
  28. ^ "Mayor and City Council Year 2000 Minutes". City of Cumberland, MD. July 11, 2000. http://www.ci.cumberland.md.us/citygovt/minutes/min2000-list/2000minutes/2000minutes_27.html. Retrieved 2007-07-07. 

References

External links

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