Kensington, Maryland

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Kensington, Maryland
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location of Kensington, Maryland


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Maryland
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Montgomery
government_footnotes =
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unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 1.3
area_land_km2 = 1.3
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 0.5
area_land_sq_mi = 0.5
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 1873
population_density_km2 = 1416.5
population_density_sq_mi = 3668.6

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 87
elevation_ft = 285
latd = 39 |latm = 1 |lats = 34 |latNS = N
longd = 77 |longm = 4 |longs = 22 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 20891, 20895
area_code = 301
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 24-43500
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0590589
website =
footnotes =

Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census.

History

The area around the Rock Creek basin where Kensington is now found was primarily agricultural until 1873, when the B&O Railroad completed a branch which traversed Montgomery County. A community arose where the new railroad line intersected the old Rockville to Bladensburg road. This early settlement was first known as Knowles Station. In the early 1890s, Washington, D.C. developer Brainard Warner began purchasing land parcels to build a planned Victorian community, complete with church, library, and a local newspaper. Fascinated by a recent trip to London, Warner first named his town Kensington Park. Upon incorporation in 1894, the town was renamed Kensington.

Initially Kensington was a summer refuge for Washington, D.C., residents wishing to escape the capital's humid summers. As years passed and its residents increasingly remained year round, Kensington evolved into a commuter suburb. The large southernmost section originally mapped out by Warner remains largely unchanged since inception, and is a historically preserved zone. Indeed the only major changes in the town's basic layout have been the bridging over of the original railroad crossing in 1937, and the extension and widening of Connecticut Avenue, the town's main thoroughfare, in 1957.

The little town gained national notoriety three times in a 10-month span early in the 21st century as a result of events which occurred within a mere quarter-mile radius. In December 2001, the town responded to complaints from anonymous citizens by banning Santa Claus from the annual holiday parade. Protesters arrived at the parade en masse, including hundreds of Santas riding everything from motorcycles to fire trucks. Eight months later, a MARC train derailed adjacent to the town center when the tracks separated at an overheated seam, sending over a hundred victims to area hospitals. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Then, tragically, on October 2, 2002, Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera became the fifth victim of the snipers who terrorized the Washington area that month, while cleaning her auto at a Kensington gas station. (See Beltway sniper attacks.)

Geography

Kensington is located in Montgomery County, northwest of Silver Spring, northeast of Bethesda, southwest of Wheaton, and southeast of Rockville. Its latitude is 39^o1'48" N, longitude 77^o4'30" W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 square kilometres (0.5 square miles), all land.

While the town proper is but one-half square mile in size, the Kensington Post Office services a much larger area and extends into North Bethesda, MD and the Wheaton Planning District. Residents within this ZIP code (20895) generally refer to Kensington as their home town.

Significant through roads in Kensington include Maryland Routes 185 (Connecticut Avenue), 193 (University Boulevard West), and 547 (Knowles Avenue).

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,873 people, 729 households, and 467 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,668.6 people per square mile (1,418.0/km²). There were 768 housing units at an average density of 1,504.3/sq mi (581.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.96% White, 2.51% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 2.94% Asian, 1.49% from other races, and 2.51% from two or more races. 4.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 729 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $76,716, and the median income for a family was $96,394. Males had a median income of $65,804 versus $41,364 for females. The per capita income for the town was $35,919. About 0.9% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

Commerce

Kensington is primarily a bedroom community for workers who commute to jobs in the Washington, D.C., area, but it is not without its own commercial enterprises, which include "Antique Row" on Howard Avenue, the West Howard Antique District, and Kaiser-Permanente's Kensington facility, plus art shops, restaurants, supermarkets, auto repair shops, hardware stores, and others.

During the warmer months, the Town of Kensington hosts a farmer's market on Saturday mornings between 8am and noon at the historical train station which is still in use today as part of the MARC commuter train network. The town is also home to the Noyes Library for Young Children [http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Apps/Libraries/branchinfo/no.asp] .

Law and government

Elected Officials

A mayoral election is held in even years for a two year term. The current Mayor of Kensington is Peter Fosselman (term ends 6/30/2008).

Kensington has a four-member council, elected for two-year terms. Terms are staggered. Every year there are two council seats up for election.

The current council members are:
*David Beaudet (term ends 6/30/2008)
*Sean McMullen (term ends 6/30/2008, elected to complete term of Alfred C. Carr, Jr., who resigned to accept an appointment to the Maryland House of Delegates)
*Mary Donatelli (term ends 6/30/2009)
*Sharon Scott (term ends 6/30/2009)

Education

The Town of Kensington is served by the Montgomery County Public Schools system.

Public schools that serve Kensington include:
* Rock View Elementary School
* Oakland Terrace Elementary School
* Kensington-Parkwood Elementary School [http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/parkwoodes/ link title]
* North Bethesda Middle School
* Walter Johnson High School
* Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
* Albert Einstein High School
* Newport Mill Middle School
* Grace Episcopal School

Places Of Worship

* Saint Pauls United Methodist Church
* Temple Emmanuel
* Kensington Baptist Church
* Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church
* Holy Redeemer Parish Kensington
* First Baptist Church Kengar
* Jehovah's Witnesses‎
* Lee Memorial AME Church

ee also

* List of people from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area

References

"Kensington, a Picture History". Kensington (MD), Kensington BusinessDistrict Association, 1994.

External links

* [http://www.tok.org/ Town of Kensington]