Oakland, Maryland

This article is about the city in Garrett County. For the unincorporated community in Caroline County, see Oakland, Caroline County, Maryland.

Oakland, Maryland
Town
Second Street in Oakland, part of the Oakland Historic District
Flag Seal
Location of Oakland, Maryland
Coordinates: 39°25′00″N79°24′08″W / 39.41667°N 79.40222°W / 39.41667; -79.40222
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Garrett
Incorporated	1862 [1]
Government
• Type	Mayor-council government
Area [2]
• Total	2.72 sq mi (7.05 km2)
• Land	2.71 sq mi (7.02 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation [3]	2,451 ft (747 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,851
• Density	682.52/sq mi (263.53/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	21550
Area code(s)	301, 240
FIPS code	24-57650
GNIS feature ID	2391338 [3]
Website	www.OaklandMD.com

Oakland is a town in and the county seat of Garrett County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,851 at the 2020 census. It is situated only miles from the source of the Potomac River, which flows directly into Chesapeake Bay. It is also near the Wisp Resort at Deep Creek Lake. Oakland is part of the Pittsburgh media market.

History

Oakland in 1910, with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad passing through town

Oakland was formally incorporated as a town in 1862.

The town is home to a historic B&O railroad station, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and restored in the 2000s. ^[4] Trains still run on the rail tracks behind the station, but it is mainly used for special organizations or gatherings at present. A gift shop is located within the station. In front of the station, there are a plethora of festivities that go on, mainly seasonal activities such as housing the town Christmas tree, decorating the plaza for a holiday, and sometimes parties.

Main Street of Oakland consists mainly of historic two to four story edifices that house the main shopping facilities in the area, such as a theatre, museum, book store, a local pharmacy, antique shops, clothing stores and banks. Many of the homes and businesses in the downtown area are examples of Victorian architecture. Much of the central section of Oakland is part of the Oakland Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. ^[4] Also listed on the National Register are the Garrett County Courthouse and Hoye Site. ^[4]

Oakland Hotel, circa 1909

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, a large hotel named the Oakland Hotel was located near the downtown railroad station. It was constructed in 1878 by the B&O Railroad. ^[5] The hotel was a major tourist attraction for that time period until it was torn down in the early 20th century.

One of the most prominent and historic churches in Oakland is St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, where U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, James Garfield, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison have all attended services. Because of this, it is now called the "Church of Presidents." Another prominent and historic church is St. Peter the Apostle Church, ^[6] a Catholic church located on Fourth Street. A large neoclassical courthouse is also very prominent and dominates the town center.

Geography

Oakland is in the south-central to western portion of Garrett County. It is set in a small valley. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.60 square miles (6.73 km²), of which 2.59 square miles (6.71 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water. ^[7] It is only 6.61 miles from Second Street to Deep Creek Lake.

Climate

Oakland, owing to its high elevation and valley location, is among the coldest and snowiest locales in the state of Maryland, and has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb). The state record low of −40 °F or −40 °C was recorded here on January 13, 1912. The monthly mean temperature ranges from 25.1 °F (−3.8 °C) in January to 68.4 °F (20.2 °C) in July, with temperatures not reaching above freezing on an average 34 afternoons and falling to 0 °F (−17.8 °C) or below on an average of 5.8 mornings. The average first and last dates for freezing temperatures are September 28 and May 15, respectively.

The record high is 101 °F (38.3 °C) on August 7, 1918, which, together with the preceding day, are the only two instances of 100 °F (37.8 °C)+ readings on record in Oakland; from 1981 to 2010, only thirteen years ever reached 90 °F (32.2 °C).

According to weather data tallied between July 1, 1985, and June 30, 2015, for every location in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's official climate database, Oakland is the snowiest place in the state of Maryland with an average of 106.1 inches or 2.69 metres of snow per year. ^[8] The most snow in 24 hours was 40.0 inches (1.02 m) on February 16, 1908, and the average first and last dates for measurable (≥0.1 inches or 0.0025 metres) snowfall are November 13 and April 7.

Climate data for Oakland, Maryland (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1893−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	75 (24)	76 (24)	83 (28)	88 (31)	89 (32)	95 (35)	98 (37)	101 (38)	95 (35)	88 (31)	78 (26)	74 (23)	101 (38)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	61.0 (16.1)	61.9 (16.6)	70.5 (21.4)	79.4 (26.3)	83.7 (28.7)	86.1 (30.1)	88.3 (31.3)	86.7 (30.4)	84.5 (29.2)	78.1 (25.6)	71.2 (21.8)	62.7 (17.1)	88.8 (31.6)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	36.7 (2.6)	40.3 (4.6)	48.9 (9.4)	61.3 (16.3)	70.0 (21.1)	77.0 (25.0)	81.0 (27.2)	79.6 (26.4)	73.8 (23.2)	63.4 (17.4)	51.5 (10.8)	41.5 (5.3)	60.4 (15.8)
Daily mean °F (°C)	27.5 (−2.5)	30.0 (−1.1)	37.8 (3.2)	49.0 (9.4)	58.9 (14.9)	66.5 (19.2)	70.7 (21.5)	69.0 (20.6)	62.4 (16.9)	51.4 (10.8)	40.6 (4.8)	32.7 (0.4)	49.7 (9.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	18.3 (−7.6)	19.8 (−6.8)	26.6 (−3.0)	36.7 (2.6)	47.7 (8.7)	56.1 (13.4)	60.4 (15.8)	58.3 (14.6)	51.0 (10.6)	39.5 (4.2)	29.7 (−1.3)	23.8 (−4.6)	39.0 (3.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	−6.5 (−21.4)	−3.1 (−19.5)	5.8 (−14.6)	20.7 (−6.3)	30.0 (−1.1)	39.6 (4.2)	46.4 (8.0)	45.2 (7.3)	35.0 (1.7)	24.0 (−4.4)	12.6 (−10.8)	3.7 (−15.7)	−9.4 (−23.0)
Record low °F (°C)	−40 (−40)	−29 (−34)	−20 (−29)	−2 (−19)	17 (−8)	26 (−3)	33 (1)	30 (−1)	19 (−7)	7 (−14)	−16 (−27)	−32 (−36)	−40 (−40)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.90 (99)	3.56 (90)	4.32 (110)	4.33 (110)	5.34 (136)	4.91 (125)	5.14 (131)	4.33 (110)	3.69 (94)	3.61 (92)	3.38 (86)	4.29 (109)	50.80 (1,290)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	30.2 (77)	22.0 (56)	19.6 (50)	3.7 (9.4)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	1.6 (4.1)	6.4 (16)	21.4 (54)	104.9 (266)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm)	13.2 (34)	9.4 (24)	5.0 (13)	1.0 (2.5)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	1.0 (2.5)	1.9 (4.8)	8.3 (21)	17.8 (45)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	17.4	14.1	14.8	15.1	16.1	14.7	13.4	12.3	11.7	12.7	12.4	16.0	170.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	11.3	8.3	6.4	1.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	2.9	7.8	39.1
Source: NOAA [9] [10]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	910		—
1890	1,046		14.9%
1900	1,170		11.9%
1910	1,366		16.8%
1920	1,225		−10.3%
1930	1,583		29.2%
1940	1,587		0.3%
1950	1,640		3.3%
1960	1,977		20.5%
1970	1,786		−9.7%
1980	1,994		11.6%
1990	1,741		−12.7%
2000	1,930		10.9%
2010	1,925		−0.3%
2020	1,851		−3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [11]

2010 census

As of the census ^[12] of 2010, there were 1,925 persons, 875 households, and 470 families living in the town. The population density was 743.2 inhabitants per square mile (287.0/km²). There were 1,009 housing units at an average density of 389.6 per square mile (150.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.0% White, 0.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 875 households, of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.3% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.73. and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.2% were from 45 to 64; and 22.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census ^[13] of 2000, there were 1,930 persons, 787 households, and 447 families living in the town. The population density was 915.7 inhabitants per square mile (353.6/km²). There were 918 housing units at an average density of 435.5 per square mile (168.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.13% White, 0.73% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.78% of the population. 33% of Oakland's residents were of German descent, 11% English, 11% Irish, 6% Italian, 2% Dutch, 2% French, 2% Polish, 2% Scottish, 2% Scotch-Irish and 2% Swedish. People of Swiss, British, Welsh and Hungarian descent each comprised 1% of the population. ^[14]

There were 787 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.75.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,728, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $29,625 versus $21,542 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,872. About 13.3% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 21.0% of those age 65 or over.

The Oakland area is home to an Amish community that consists of a church district of about 70 homes. The Amish community dates back to 1850 and became associated with the New Order Amish, with electricity permitted inside of homes. ^[15] The Amish community in Oakland has a small number of converts to the Amish faith, a rarity in the Amish world. There are only between 150 and 200 Amish converts in the United States out of a population around 200,000. The Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Amish have had only one successful convert in over 100 years. ^[16]

Attractions and events

Post office in Oakland

The Oakland post office is home to a Depression-era mural, Buckwheat Harvest, painted by American artist Robert Franklin Gates. Gates was funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts to complete the mural as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. Gates was probably inspired by Garrett County's strong tradition of growing buckwheat. ^[17]

Oakland is home to the Oakland B&O Museum ^[18] and the Garrett County Museum of Transportation. ^[19]

Transportation

Oakland station, formerly along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

Several state-maintained highways serve Oakland. The most prominent of these is U.S. Route 219, which follows Garrett Highway, Oak Street and Third Street through the town. To the north, US 219 connects to Maryland Route 42, Interstate 68 and U.S. Route 40, along with the towns of Accident and Grantsville, before passing into Pennsylvania. Heading south, US 219 briefly passes through Mountain Lake Park and connects with U.S. Route 50 before entering West Virginia. Two other state highways, Maryland Route 39 and Maryland Route 135 also serve Oakland. MD 39 heads northwest to West Virginia, while MD 135 heads east, connecting to Maryland Route 560, Maryland Route 38 and Maryland Route 495, as well as the towns of Mountain Lake Park and Deer Park, before entering Allegany County near the town of Luke.

Notable people

• Maurice Brookhart, chemist and professor at the University of Houston
• Darvin Moon, 2009 World Series of Poker runner-up

References

1. "Oakland". Maryland Manual. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Oakland, Maryland
4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
5. Long, Helen; Scharf, John Thomas (2003) [1882], History of Western Maryland, Genealogical Publishing Co., p. 1539, ISBN   9780806345659
6. https://www.garrettstpeter.com/
7. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
8. "The Snowiest Place in Each State". Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
9. "NowData − NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
10. "Station: Oakland 1 SE, MD". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991−2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 25, 2013.
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
14. "Oakland, MD, Ancestry & Family History". Epodunk.com. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
15. "Maryland Amish". Amish America. March 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
16. "Amish converts choosing their religion and building roots in oldest settlement". The Guardian. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
17. "Post Office Mural - Oakland MD - Living New Deal". Living New Deal. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
18. https://www.facebook.com/oaklandbandomuseum/ ^{[ user-generated source ]}
19. "Transportation Museum".

• Maryland portal

External links

• Official website

39°24′38″N79°24′16″W / 39.41048°N 79.40438°W / 39.41048; -79.40438