Evening star., 1927-05-15

Guard. The high school. with 100 pu-
pills. is rated as one of the best in the
State and an expansion soon will be
necessary Many private homes are
being erected.
About four miles south, on the pike
toward Washington, is Beltsville,
village of about 400 population, most
of whom work in Washington. There
has been village of some sort on the
present site of BeltSville for more than
100 years. 1t was known as Vansvilie
Hill in the old post-road days. Until
after the Civil War the surrounding
territory was covered with prosperous
wheat and tobacco plantations culti-
waited by scores of slaves. The Lin
thicum, Brown. Cook and Emack plan
tations occupied thousands of acres.
Beltsville was named about so years
ago for DR.. John Belt. country physi-
clan who had considerable land under
cultivation. In 1850 John Simms. origi-
naily an immigrant from County An
trim. Ireland, purchased 200 acres
from DIR. Belt and established a black
smiths 8 shop and store on the post
road. From that time on the village
grew slowly. During the Civil War
considerable detachment of Federal
soldiers was stationed there as rail-
road guards, and there also was con-
valescent camp in the vicinity.
The village received it's biggest inn
petus when the United States Depart
ment. of Agriculture Experimental
Dairy Farm was established there 20
years ago. bringing about 80 Govern
ment workers, who took up homes in
the vicinity. These attracted others
from Washington. There was another
period of growth, shared by all the
Baltimore pike villages, during the
World War.
There are two churches at Beltsville.
an Episcopal and a Methodist. and a
Catholic church at Ammendale Sta
ton. mile to the north. The Episco-
pal church. built in 1857. has been de-
stroyed twice, once by fire and once by
@torm.
Between Laurel and Beltsvlle Is
Muirkirk. where now are only four or
five houses, a railroad station and a
paint factory. 1t was once the site of
a profitable iron foundry. established
in 1S47 by Andrew and Elias Elliott
and named by them after Muirkrk
I Scotland A considerable amount of
the metal used in constructing the
Washington branch of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad was smelted there.
utOWUik SuDUtUdH NeuttT.
Four miles south of Beltsville is
Berwyn- Branchville. which is becom-
ing suburban center. The cluster
of villages contains nearly 1000 per
sons. most Of whom work i'm the MAJ
tional Capital. Only part is incor-
porated--Berwyn Heights. east of the
Baltimore & Ohio tracks and of Indian
Creek. tributary of the Northwest
branch of the Anacostia River. A
century ago, according to local ira
dition. boats used to come up as far
as Berwyn and load tobacco. Indian
Creek now is a small brook.
Forty-five years ago Berwyn was
known as Charleton Heights. after a
Mr.. Charleton who lived on the pres
ent site of st. Anne's Orphan Asylum.
Real estate speculation gave the vi
cinity bad name for a time. In 1897
the name was changed to Berwyn-a
word which has no local historic sig
| nificance. The euponious name
adopted by real estate developer for
| a small subdivision nearby was taken
over for the whole area.
There are 10 stores in the town and
three churches-Presbyter Catholic
and Baptist. There also is Summer
school for Catholic sisters in Berwyn
!
i is planning to incorporate and there
is an enterprise afoot To obtain ar
! tesian water.
Land titles in the villages run hack
mostly to the Higgins family. whose
plantation lay i'm the neighborhood
before the Civil War.
! Next comes Riverdale, the old
manor Of the Calverts and the home
, of the sixth Lord Baltimore, whose
mansion still is the show place of the
town and has been occupied for sew
eral years by Senator Hiram Johnson
of California but which has been
| purchased by Senator Caraway OF
| Arkansas. Riverdale is purely subur-
ban 1t has about 5000 inhabitants,
all of whom depend upon Washington
for their livelihood.
Riverdale now Is building up rapidly
| along the Baltimore pike. The older
part of the town lies east of the pike,
| nearer the Baltimore & Ohio tracks.
The homes have running water and
electricity. The streets have been
named for the Presidents, from Wash
iucton to Roosevelt.
The present village dates from 1889.