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Oakland, Maryland
Town of Oakland
Second Street in Oakland, part of the Oakland Historic District
Second Street in Oakland, part of the Oakland Historic District
Location of Oakland, Maryland
Location of Oakland, Maryland
Country  United States
State  Maryland
County Garrett
Incorporated 1862
Government
 • Type Mayor-council government
Area
 • 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
2,398 ft (731 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 0586276

Oakland is a town in the west-central part of Garrett County, Maryland, United States. The town has a population of 1,925 according to the 2010 United States Census. The town is also the county seat of Garrett County and is located within the Pittsburgh DMA.

Oakland 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, a major ski resort for many Marylanders and other visitors.

History

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. 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. Also listed on the National Register are the Garrett County Courthouse and Hoye Site.

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, a Catholic church located on Fourth Street. A large neoclassical courthouse is also very prominent and dominates the town center.

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. The hotel was a major tourist attraction for that time period until it was torn down in the early 20th Century.

Geography

Oakland is in the south-central to western portion of Garrett County, located at 39°24′38″N 79°24′16″W / 39.41056°N 79.40444°W / 39.41056; -79.40444 (39.410480, −79.404380). 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. It is only 6.61 miles from Second Street to Deep Creek Lake.

Oakland, due 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), with 106 in (2.7 m) of snowfall in an average season. 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 days and falling to 0 °F (−18 °C) or below on an average of 5.8 nights; from 1981 to 2010, only 13 years reached 90 °F (32 °C). The average first and last dates for freezing temperatures are September 28 and May 15, respectively; for measurable (≥0.1 inches or 0.25 centimetres) snowfall, they are November 13 and April 7. The state record low of −40 °F (−40 °C) was recorded here on January 13, 1912; the record high is 101 °F (38 °C) on August 7, 1918, which, together with the preceding day, are the only two instances of 100 °F (38 °C)+ readings on record in Oakland. The most snow in 24 hours was 40.0 in (102 cm) on February 16, 1908.

According 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, Maryland, is the snowiest place in the state of Maryland with an average of 105.9 inches of snow per year.

Climate data for Oakland, Maryland (1981−2010 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)
Average high °F (°C) 34.5
(1.4)
38.2
(3.4)
47.6
(8.7)
59.0
(15.0)
67.6
(19.8)
75.3
(24.1)
78.8
(26.0)
77.8
(25.4)
71.4
(21.9)
61.8
(16.6)
50.3
(10.2)
38.9
(3.8)
58.4
(14.7)
Average low °F (°C) 15.8
(−9.0)
17.3
(−8.2)
24.9
(−3.9)
34.3
(1.3)
44.5
(6.9)
53.4
(11.9)
58.0
(14.4)
56.1
(13.4)
48.6
(9.2)
37.0
(2.8)
28.3
(−2.1)
20.7
(−6.3)
36.6
(2.6)
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) 3.54
(90)
3.20
(81)
4.13
(105)
3.87
(98)
5.14
(131)
4.42
(112)
5.46
(139)
3.78
(96)
3.45
(88)
3.15
(80)
3.83
(97)
3.85
(98)
47.82
(1,215)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 30.9
(78)
22.2
(56)
17.6
(45)
5.2
(13)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
.5
(1.3)
6.8
(17)
22.9
(58)
106.1
(268.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 15.5 11.9 13.6 13.7 15.0 13.5 13.0 11.3 10.9 10.7 12.4 15.1 156.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 10.2 7.9 5.6 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 .4 2.6 7.9 36.5
Source: NOAA

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
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

2010 census

As of the census 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.

The median age in the town was 46.9 years. 17.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 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.

Attractions and Events

The Oakland post office is home to a Depression-era mural, Buckwheat Harvest, painted by American artist Robert F. 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.

Transportation

2021-08-07 17 00 10 View north along U.S. Route 219 (Third Street) at Center Street in Oakland, Garrett County, Maryland
US 219 northbound in Oakland

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

Images for kids

See also

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