Wheaton, Maryland

Wheaton is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, situated north of Washington, D.C., and northwest of downtown Silver Spring. Wheaton takes its name from Frank Wheaton (1833–1903), a career officer in the United States Army and volunteer from Rhode Island in the Union Army who rose to the rank of major-general while serving before, during, and after the Civil War.

Wheaton had a population of 52,150 at the 2020 census. The United States Postal Service has assigned ZIP code 20902 to Wheaton, but the Wheaton Post Office is a part of the larger Silver Spring area. Downtown Wheaton is located around the triangle formed by Veirs Mill Road, University Boulevard, and Georgia Avenue.

History

Three roads

Wheaton developed from Leesborough (named in 1826), a small business district that grew near the junction of three major roads. The first of these is Brookeville Pike (also known as the Washington-Brookeville Pike and later as the Union Turnpike, now Georgia Avenue) a north/south toll thoroughfare running from Washington, D.C., to Brookeville and eventually to Baltimore.

The second road, Veirs Mill Road (named after a grist and sawmill built on Rock Creek by Samuel Clark Veirs in 1838), was one portion of a much longer thoroughfare running west to Rockville, Maryland, and thence towards the Potomac River and subsequently to Virginia via ferry crossings. This was also known as the "City Road" in Rockville, and around the time of the Civil War it was known also as the "New Cut Road."The History Of Montgomery County, Maryland, From Its Earliest Settlement In 1650 to 1879 (Boyd, T. H. S.)

The last of these roads was known as Old Bladensburg Road (now University Boulevard) which, as it does in present day, connected Georgetown, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Wheaton, Silver Spring, and Bladensburg.

Mitchell's Crossroads

The business district became known as Mitchell's Crossroads, after Robert T. Mitchell's tavern, which sat at the northeast corner of Union Turnpike and Old Bladensburg Road.

In 1864, Confederate General Jubal Early led troops through the area on their way to attack Washington, D.C.Sween, Jane C.; Offutt, William. ''Montgomery County: Centuries of Change''. American Historical Press, 1999. . Union General Frank Wheaton and his division beat them back at the Battle of Fort Stevens.

Mitchell's Tavern was destroyed by a fire in 1940.

After the Civil War

After the Civil War, the area's first postmaster was war veteran George F. Plyer,
Town Named After Leader in Civil War]". ''The Washington Post''. p. C2. who in October 1869, renamed the post office in honor of his commanding officer, General Wheaton.

For many years, the Wheaton area was only lightly used, mostly for farming. In 1871, the first African American Church, Allen Chapel AME Church, was established. This religious body maintained its presence in the Wheaton community until 2000, at which time the New Creation Church purchased the property.

Into the early 20th century, civic growth in the area was slow, with a few new businesses established along the major roads. But after World War II, Wheaton quickly expanded. The area's first modern post office opened in 1947 (earlier records show that the post office had used the Leesborough name). In addition, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) was active, adding utility infrastructure to the area. As part of that work, and just north of Wheaton, the prominent Glenmont Water Tower was constructed in 1947. Wheaton was steadily built-out by several developers (Kay Construction Co. in particular), becoming a part of the modern-day suburbs of Washington, D.C. Today, as an unincorporated town, Wheaton is governed locally by the civic government of Montgomery County. For some modern information databases, such as official real estate records, Wheaton (along with several neighboring locales) is considered to be a sub-section of larger Silver Spring.

Demographics

In the 1950s the area was developed with Cape Cod, ranch houses, and split-level homes purchased by white, largely middle-class, families; a mix of blue-collar and white-collar workers. Now, more of this older housing stock is owned or rented by a diverse population.

Wheaton first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. Census formed from part of the deleted Wheaton-Glenmont CDP and from part of the Forest Glen CDP.

2020 census

As of 2010–2020, Wheaton is 23.8% White, 40.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% African American (4.1% Ethiopian, 1.3% Jamaican), and 13.9% Asian (4.42% Vietnamese, 3.72% Filipino, 1.67% Chinese, 1.59% Indian). 2.4% of the population identified as mixed-race. The largest immigrant groups were from El Salvador, Ethiopia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Honduras.

Between 2000 and 2010, Wheaton's Hispanic population has increased from 29% to 42%. Wheaton's Hispanic population is highly ethnically diverse - as of the 2010 Census, Wheaton is 18.5% Salvadoran, 3.2% Mexican, 2.8% Guatemalan, 2.3% Peruvian, 2.3% Honduran, 1.3% Dominican, 1.2% Nicaraguan, 1% Bolivian, 0.9% Colombian, 0.8% Puerto Rican, 0.7% Ecuadorians, 0.3% Cuban, 0.3% Chilean, and 0.3% Argentine, all numbering over 100 residents. 16.5% of Wheaton's residents were White Hispanics/Latinos, 1% were Afro-Hispanics/Afro-Latinos, 0.6% were American Indian or Alaska Native Hispanics/Latinos, 0.2% were Asian-American Hispanics/Latinos, 3% were Hispanics/Latinos of two or more races, and 20.5% were Hispanics/Latinos from some other race.

In 2020, local prosecutors said in a 28-page indictment that 21 MS-13 Gang members had committed crimes against 18 victims, including 9 in Wheaton. The crimes against Wheaton residents includes murder, attempted murder with a gun, assault and racketeering.

Features

Wheaton is home to the Wheaton Regional Park, which includes a nature center; riding stables; dog park; a picnic area with carousel and miniature train; an athletic complex with indoor tennis, ice rink, inline skating rink, and ball fields; and Brookside Gardens, Montgomery County's 50-acre (200,000-m²) public display garden. Much of Wheaton was developed in the 1950s. In the 1960s, its shopping center, Wheaton Plaza (now known as Westfield Wheaton), was the largest in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.
The Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad is one of the busiest (11,000 calls in 2007) predominantly volunteer fire departments in Montgomery County.

The diversity of the neighborhood is reflected by the high concentration of various ethnic restaurants located in Wheaton.

It is served by the Red Line of the Washington Metro system. Spanning 508 feet (155 m), the Wheaton station has the longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere.

Since Wheaton has the highest location in the Washington, D.C., area, it was also the home of the first television license in the United States. Using the call sign W3XK, Charles Francis Jenkins began broadcasting from his home at the corner of Windham Lane and Georgia Ave. starting on July 2, 1928.

Other points of interest include

* The Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity - Named after former Montgomery County Executive Charles W. Gilchrist, opened Sept. 8th 2001, it provides services to an increasing immigrant population in Montgomery County.
* Wheaton Library and Recreation Center opened on September 8, 2019, replaced the old library and Wheaton Youth Center.
* Holy Cross Health Cancer Center, opened on February 23, 2023. (former Ana G. Méndez University System and Circuit City.)

Designation as a Maryland Arts and Entertainment District

Wheaton has been designated by the State of Maryland as an Arts and Entertainment District, joining Silver Spring and Bethesda as the third district in Montgomery County to receive the distinction. The Arts and Entertainment District designation provides artists working in that area with an income tax break. Developers who create spaces for artists to live and work can be exempt from paying certain property taxes on the value of the renovations for up to 10 years. Designated districts are exempt from admissions and amusement taxes.

Notable people

* Marat Akbarov
* Diana Barrera
* Joe Bonomo
* Chas Gessner
* James Gist
* Laurie Ann Haus
* Kelli Hill
* Zach Hilton
* Marty Hurney
* Robin Koontz
* Benjamin F. Kramer
* Katherine and Sheila Lyon
* Jim Parsley
* Michael Parsons
* Marina Pestova
* Bill Quinter
* Ron Weber

References

External links

Brookside Gardens

Montgomery Art Association

Wheaton Regional Park

The Gilchrest Center for Cultural Diversity

Wheaton Hills Civic Association

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Census-designated places in Maryland
Census-designated places in Montgomery County, Maryland
Hispanic and Latino American culture in Maryland