Burkittsville, Maryland
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Burkittsville is a town located in Frederick County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 171.
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Geography
MDMap-doton-Burkittsville.PNG
Location of Burkittsville, Maryland
Burkittsville is located at 39°23'29" North, 77°37'38" West (39.391459, -77.627099)Template:GR.
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.
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 9, 1862, the Confederate cavalry under the command of ColonelThomas Munford (under General J.E.B. Stuart) captured Burkittsville. On September 13 and 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. Colonel Munford used the Reformed Church and its parsonage as hospital and headquarters for the more than 50 Confederate wounded (these buildings still stand today). Most of the inhabitants, having fled to nearby villages, returned on September 15. Both churches and the schoolhouse (used as an amputation room) were used as hospitals until long after Christmas 1862 for both Confederate soldiers on the ground floor and Union soldiers on the second floor.
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.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR 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. 0.00% of the population are 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.
| Missing image Frederick_County_md_seal.gif Seal of Frederick County | 
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| Cities, towns and villages | ||
| Brunswick | Burkittsville | Emmitsburg | Frederick | Middletown | Mt. Airy | Myersville | New Market | Rosemont | Thurmont | Walkersville | Woodsboro | ||
| Unincorporated areas | ||
| Ballenger Creek | Braddock Heights | Buckeystown | Clover Hill | Discovery-Spring Garden | Green Valley | Ijamsville | Libertytown | Linganore-Bartonsville | Monrovia | Mt. Pleasant | Point-of-Rocks | Sabillasville | Unionville | Urbana |
External links
- burkittsville.com (http://www.burkittsville.com) Introduction to the town
- burkittsville.org (http://www.burkittsville.org) Site started by residents who want to set the public straight