unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
in Southern
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County (often shortened to PG County or PG) is located in the U.S. state of Maryland bordering the eastern portion of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population was 967,201, making it ...
, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 2,720. Croom largely consists of former
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
farms and forests converted to
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
bedroom subdivisions such as nearby Marlton. The main part of Patuxent River Park (Jug Bay Natural Area) is located in Croom.
History
The community was patented in 1671 as ''Croome'' by Christopher Rousby; it was named for the manor of Croom, near
Sledmere
Sledmere is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, about north-west of Driffield on the B1253 road.
The village lies in a civil parish which is also officially called "Sledmere" by the Office for National Statistics, although th ...
in the East Riding of Yorkshire. In August 1814, British forces marched through Croom on their way to the
Burning of Washington
The Burning of Washington, also known as the Capture of Washington, was a successful United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British Amphibious warfare, amphibious attack conducted by Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet, Georg ...
in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
NRHP
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of sites, buildings, structures, districts, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
Mattaponi (John Bowie Jr. House)
Mattaponi, also known as the John Bowie Jr. House, is a historic home in Croom, Maryland, built c. 1820 on the foundation of an earlier house dating to the 1730s, three miles northwest of Nottingham, Prince George's County, Maryland.
John Bowie, ...
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, Croom has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.43%, is water.
Demographics
Croom first appeared as a
census designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
Prince George's County Police Department
The Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD) is the primary law enforcement agency in Prince George's County, Maryland, Prince George's County, Maryland in the United States, servicing a population of over 900,000 residents and visitors ...
District 5 Station in Clinton CDP serves the community.
Education
Prince George's County Public Schools
Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is a public school district that serves Prince George's County, Maryland. During the 2023–24 academic year, the district enrolled around 133,000 students and operated over 200 schools. PGCPS is t ...
operates public schools serving the census-designated place.
Elementary schools serving sections of Croom are Baden, Brandywine, Marlton, Mattaponi, and Patuxent. Most areas are zoned to Gwynn Park Middle School, with some zoned to James Madison Middle School and Kettering Middle School. Most areas are zoned to Frederick Douglass High School in Croom, with some areas to the north zoned to Dr. Henry A Wise, Jr. High School and some to the south zoned to
Prince George's County Public Schools
Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is a public school district that serves Prince George's County, Maryland. During the 2023–24 academic year, the district enrolled around 133,000 students and operated over 200 schools. PGCPS is t ...
Robert Bowie
Robert Bowie (March 1750 – January 8, 1818) was an American politician who served as the 11th Governor of the state of Maryland in the United States, from 1803 to 1806, and from 1811 to 1812.
He was the third child born to Captain William ...
, governor of Maryland (1750–1818)
* William Williams (c. 1793–1814), an escaped slave who enlisted in United States Infantry Branch and died from his wounds after the British bombardment of
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry is a historical American Coastal defense and fortification, coastal bastion fort, pentagonal bastion fort on Locust Point, Baltimore, Locust Point, now a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. It is best known for its role in the War ...
in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...