Burkittsville, Maryland, United States of America

Burkittsville is a town located in Frederick County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 171.

Burkittsville Geography

Burkittsville is located at 39°23'29" North, 77°37'38" West (39.391459, -77.627099).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²). 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Burkittsville History

Burkittsville was first founded by two property owners: Major Joshua Harley and Henry Burkitt. The western half was first founded as "Harley's Post Office" in 1824. After Harley's passing in 1828, Burkitt renamed it Burkittsville. Over the next thirty years it grew as a community with stores, shops, blacksmiths, a schoolhouse, and a tannery.

On September 13, 1862, Confederate cavalry under command of Colonel Thomas Munford (under General J.E.B. Stuart) occupied Burkittsville. On Sunday, September 14, the forces of the Union and Confederate armies engaged in the Battle of Crampton's Gap, a bloody prelude to the Battle of Antietam. as hospitals (these buildings still stand today). The Reformed and Lutheran churches and adjacent schoolhouse were used as hospitals for the more than 300 wounded of both sides.

Culture

Burkittsville gained notoriety with the 1999 release of the film The Blair Witch Project, which attracted fans of the cult film, and provided a spike to local commerce. Contrary to popular belief, however, the majority of the film was not filmed in Burkittsville, and the events depicted in the film and the legend of the Blair Witch itself were entirely fabricated by the producers themselves, proven by the lack of notable landmarks (Coffin Rock, the Black Hills, Black Rock Road, and even a town convenience store) in the real town or surrounding area. With the exception of the scenes of the cemetery and sign, the majority of the film was shot in Montgomery County, Maryland. There never existed a township of Blair, and no mention of any such legend exists in local folklore.

Burkittsville Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 171 people, 72 households, and 49 families residing in the town. The population density is 161.0/km² (415.8/mi²). There are 76 housing units at an average density of 71.6/km² (184.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 94.74% White, 1.17% African American, 0.00% Native American, 4.09% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.00% from two or more races. Zero percent of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 72 households out of which 30.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% are married couples living together, 5.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% are non-families. 26.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.38 and the average family size is 2.92.

In the town the population is spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 2.3% from 18 to 24, 38.6% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $50,313, and the median income for a family is $53,125. Males have a median income of $45,833 versus $30,417 for females. The per capita income for the town is $24,919. 4.4% of the population and 4.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 0.0% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

• burkittsville.com Introduction to the town

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Burkittsville,_Maryland".