| Town of Williamsport, Maryland | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Conococheague Street in Williamsport in 2007 | |
| Location of Williamsport, Maryland | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| County | Washington |
| Government[1] | |
| • Mayor | James G. McCleaf II |
| • Assistant Mayor | Anthony T. Drury |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) |
| • Land | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 407 ft (124 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 1,868 |
| • Density | 1,725.6/sq mi (666.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 21795 |
| Area code(s) | 301 |
| FIPS code | 24-85100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0591561 |
| Website | http://williamsportmd.gov/ |
Williamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,137 at the 2010 census.[2]
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Williamsport is located at (39.598496, −77.818464)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all of it land.
Per Mapquest, Williamsport is located 7.69 miles driving distance SW of Hagerstown, Maryland[4] and 16.23 miles driving distance N of Martinsburg, West Virginia.[5]
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 1,868 people, 785 households, and 471 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,725.6 people per square mile (667.8/km²). There were 836 housing units at an average density of 772.3 per square mile (298.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.29% White, 0.80% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.27% of the population.
There were 785 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,243, and the median income for a family was $41,115. Males had a median income of $30,833 versus $21,708 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,179. About 7.4% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.
The town lies on one of the early Native American trails between New York and the Carolinas. In the mid-18th century, tens of thousands of European settlers and pioneer families with their wagons followed the same route on the Great Wagon Road from Pennsylvania to Virginia and points south and west. In 1744, a ferry was established at the present site of Williamsport to carry the traffic across the Potomac River. Today’s travelers make the crossing on Interstate 81 a mile downriver from the town.
The actual land of present day Williamsport was owned by American Revolutionary War Otho Holland Williams, of which the town was named.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal opened in the area of 1834. Williamsport became a very popular waterfront town which benefited the economy. But then after a large flood the canals were shut down for good in 1924. The overflowing flooding waters of the River prevented General Robert E. Lee's army, on its retreat from Gettysburg, from crossing and making it safely into Virginia for several days.
The town's historic core was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Williamsport Historic District in 2001.[7]
The town in May 2010 secured Michael Sparks, a previous town consultant and writer of a revitalization feasibility study, as Director of Economic and Community Development to revitalize downtown and attract tourism.[8][9] Mr. Sparks outlined a revitalization initiative with the acronym of C.A.R.E.
Over a one year experiment with having a full-time economic development employee[11] hundreds of thousands of grant dollars were secured for projects including handicap accessibility for town buildings,[12] reconstruction of sewage pump stations,[13] a possible bike-and-boat rental facility,[14] and the town was approved as a Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area Target Investment Zone.[15] Bike lanes,[16] bike racks[15] and directional signage were installed to better direct tourists and connect the town with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.[12] A new permit process was set up with the Washington County, Maryland permit office, building code enforcement[15] and heavy truck traffic were addressed.[17] Events were coordinated that emphasized revitalization and the downtown merchants.[18][19][20] Additionally local youth were honored for community involvement,[21] events were coordinated for town youth[22] and a Boys and Girls Club was created.[23] The changes increased business in Williamsport.[24][25] The town is part of a regional initiative known as the Canal Towns Partnership.[26]
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