Catonsville, Maryland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Catonsville is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 39,820 at the 2000 census. Catonsville is bordered by the City of Baltimore to the north and east, by Elkridge to the south, and by Ellicott City to its west.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Education
5 Natives and residents of note
6 External links

[edit] History

Europeans were the second group to settle the area now known as Catonsville. It is generally believed by historians that native tribes, known as the Piscataway, established villages here before the European colonists arrived. This tribe occupied the land between the Potomac to the Chesapeake Bay and up the Patapsco River. Catonsville was located along the Piscataway Trail. The colonists and the tribes got along until the mid 17th Century, when the English government ended the practices of Catholic Missionaries in the area. It is believed that the tribes were driven from their villages and some were hunted by slave catchers. As happened in many areas of the early colonial America, diseases unknown to the tribes were spread by the colonists. Eventually, the tribes moved north under the protection of the Iroquois.

With most of the natives scattered, the colonists expanded across Maryland. Present day Catonsville was settled in the 1700s. In the early 1800s, a county road along the Patapsco River—named the Frederick Turnpike, later designated Route 144—was opened by the Ellicott family to service traffic between their flour mill, Ellicott Mills, and Baltimore. Catonsville as we know it today was settled along this route by Richard Caton, under the authority of his father-in-law Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Travelers along "the turnpike" (as it was then known) rested and conducted business in the area, causing Catonsville to grow.

The large Victorian and Colonial homes located in Catonsville were built by wealthy Baltimoreans. Originally, these communities were used as summer residences to escape the heat in Baltimore. Eventually, as in many communities with the introduction of the automobile and electric trolley, families began to reside in Catonsville year round. Baltimore has attempted over the years to annex Catonsville, the last attempt in 1918, but all attempts were rebuffed. The community remains an unincorporated town in Baltimore County. It is home to Spring Grove Hospital Center, the nation's second oldest continuously operating psychiatric hospital, as well as the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Catonsville was briefly made quite famous during the 1968 protest by the "Catonsville Nine", during which draft records were burned by Catholic anti-war activists.

In 2002, the Maryland legislature issued a proclamation declaring Catonsville to be "Music City, Maryland" due to a concentration of musical retail stores, venues and educational facilities in the area.

[edit] Geography

Catonsville is located at 39°16′26″N, 76°44′17″W (39.273756, -76.738012)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 36.3 km² (14.0 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 39,820 people, 15,503 households, and 9,255 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,098.2/km² (2,843.9/mi²). There were 16,054 housing units at an average density of 442.7/km² (1,146.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 82.28% White, 11.83% African American, 0.22% Native American, 3.61% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of the population.

There were 15,503 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $53,061, and the median income for a family was $67,005. Males had a median income of $44,705 versus $33,420 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $25,254. About 2.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education

Mount de Sales Academy is a Catholic All-Girls High school in Catonsville.
Catonsville High School is a public high school in the community of Catonsville. CHS is a part of Baltimore County Public Schools.
The Community College of Baltimore County has a campus in Catonsville across the street from the High School.
The University of Maryland Baltimore County is located in Arbutus, Maryland a community that neighbors Catonsville.