Brentwood is a town in

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. Per the 2020 census, the population was 3,828. Brentwood is located within of

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

The municipality of Brentwood is located just outside the northeast boundary of the District of Columbia and surrounded by the communities of

Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...

, Cottage City, North Brentwood, and the nearby Hyattsville. Along the Route 1 Corridor, Brentwood is part of the Gateway Arts District.

History

19th century

The town was originally incorporated in 1922 and is named after the Brentwood estate built in 1817 by Robert Brent in Northeast Washington, D.C. The town was developed beginning in the 1890s around the Highland Station of the Washington Branch of the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

and the Columbia and Maryland Railway. Brentwood was created by Wallace A. Bartlett, a

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

veteran, former foreman for the

Government Printing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO), formerly the United States Government Printing Office, is an agency of the Legislature, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal gove ...

Patent Office A patent office is a governmental or intergovernmental organization which controls the issue of patents. In other words, "patent offices are government bodies that may grant a patent or reject the patent application based on whether the applicati ...

examiner, and inventor originally from

Warsaw, New York Warsaw is a town in Wyoming County, in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 5,316 at the 2020 census. It is located approximately 37 miles east southeast of Buffalo and approximately 37 miles southwest of Rochester. The town ma ...

. Captain Bartlett lived in

, until 1887, when he purchased of farmland from Benjamin Holliday, which abutted the Highland subdivision. Bartlett built a farmhouse for his family on the land and, with two partners J. Lee Adams and Samuel J. Mills, formed the Holladay Land and Improvement Company.Denny, George D., Jr. ''Proud Past, Promising Future: Cities and Towns in Prince George's County''. Brentwood, Maryland: Tuxedo Press, 1997. Captain Bartlett died in 1908. In 1891, the Company platted a residential subdivision called "Holladay Company's Addition to Highland" on of the Bartlett Farm. The lots were approximately by and were arranged around an irregular grid of streets. The lots in the northern part of the subdivision, which eventually would become North Brentwood, were smaller and were subject to flooding from a

mill race A mill race, millrace or millrun, mill lade (Scotland) or mill leat (Southwest England) is the current of water that turns a water wheel, or the channel ( sluice) conducting water to or from a water wheel. Compared with the broad waters of a m ...

. These lots were less expensive, and Bartlett encouraged their purchase by African-American families with whom he was indirectly associated from his command of U.S. Colored Troops in the Civil War. The more expensive lots to the south were purchased by white working-class families, many of whom were employed as federal government clerks. Seven additional houses were built by 1896. In 1899 Bartlett purchased the Fenwick family farm which was located to the west of the Holladay Company's Addition to Highland. With two new partners, J. Baker and Dr. Sigmund A. Czarra, Bartlett began the Brentwood Company. The area was surveyed and platted in 1899.Pearl, Susan G. Historical Survey: Brentwood, Maryland. Upper Marlboro: M-NCPPC, 1992. The Holladay Addition homes represented a typical cross-section of housing styles popular in the late-19th century, including I-houses, vernacular houses with Queen Anne detailing, four-squares, and front-gable houses.

20th century

The community continued to grow in the early 20th century. A school was built, and the Brentwood Citizens' Association formed in 1903, a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

church was constructed in 1904, a fire department was started in 1905, and was formed in 1903.

Kerosene Kerosene, or paraffin, is a combustibility, combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in Aviation fuel, aviation as well as households. Its name derives from the Greek (''kērós'') meaning " ...

street lamps were added in 1917, and electric lights were installed in 1920. When incorporated, the town included the southerly part of the Holladay Addition, the Brentwood Company subdivision, and two smaller additions. The houses built during this time consisted of small frame

bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is typically single or one and a half storey, if a smaller upper storey exists it is frequently set in the roof and Roof window, windows that come out from the roof, and may be surrounded by wide ve ...

s. Growth continued through the 1940s and 1950s, fueled by an influx of government workers. In the 1950s, many older homes were replaced and empty lots were filled with small cottages and

ranch-style house Ranch (also known as American ranch, California ranch, rambler, or rancher) is a domestic architectural style that originated in the United States. The ranch-style house is noted for its long, close-to-the-ground profile, and wide open layout. ...

s. The majority of homes in Brentwood were built during and after World War II; young people coming to Washington, D.C., to support the war effort found a quiet place to raise their families. There are two small service-oriented commercial areas. A focal point is Bartlett Park named for Captain Bartlett who deeded the land to the town. The park is home to the Wohlfarth Building, which serves as the Town Hall.

21st century

In 2024, Brentwood demolished its

sundown town Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, were all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States. They were towns that practiced a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combinati ...

-era metal barrier erected in 1957 to separate the majority-white Brentwood from the historically Black town of North Brentwood.

Geography

Brentwood is located at (38.942011, -76.955597). According to the

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 ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 3,046 people, 933 households, and 624 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 1,046 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 25.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 38.0%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.6% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 27.7% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 45.3% of the population. There were 933 households, of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 11.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.26 and the average family size was 3.78. The median age in the town was 32.8 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.4% were from 25 to 44; 22.7% were from 45 to 64; and 7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.

2000 census

Bunker Hill Fire Station Brentwood Maryland USA

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,844 people, 905 households, and 636 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 971 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 28.62%

, 49.75%

, 0.42% Native American, 2.11% Asian, 15.05% from other races, and 4.04% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 23.63% of the population. There were 905 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were

living together, 23.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.68. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $45,427, and the median income for a family was $45,244. Males had a median income of $28,563 versus $27,694 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $15,700. About 9.8% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Prince George's County Police Department District 1 Station in Hyattsville serves Brentwood. Brentwood's government system is composed of an elected mayor and four council members, who are all elected at-large. As of May 2023, the current mayor of Brentwood is Rocio Treminio-Lopez. Elections are held in May every two years on the first Monday of the month. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates the Brentwood Post Office.

Transportation

Two state highways serve Brentwood. The more significant of the two is U.S. Route 1, which connects southward through

and northward through North Brentwood, Hyattsville and College Park to

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

/ Interstate 495 (the Capital Beltway). The other highway serving Brentwood is Maryland Route 208, which heads southeast to Cottage City and northwest to Hyattsville.

Education

Prince George's County Public Schools operates public schools serving Brentwood. The city of

has two elementary schools in its neighborhood that children who live in Brentwood can attend; Mount Rainier Elementary School and Thomas S. Stone Elementary School. Both serve grades Pre-K through 6. Secondary schools: * Hyattsville Middle School (in the city of Hyattsville) * Northwestern High School (Hyattsville)

Notable people

* William R. Callahan, dissident Catholic priest * Beethaeven Scottland, professional boxer

References

External links

* *
Route 1 Communities: Brentwood

Statistical population breakdown based on race, gender and age for Brentwood
{{authority control Towns in Maryland Washington metropolitan area Towns in Prince George's County, Maryland Populated places established in 1922 1922 establishments in Maryland Sundown towns in Maryland