Mount Airy Town

Frederick County, Maryland

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Mount Airy town offices are located at 110 South Main Street, Mount Airy, MD 21771.
Phone: 301-829-1424.

Mount Airy [†] is 13 miles from the junction of MD 27 and I-270, and is affected by the pattern and strength of development along this growth corridor. Many families have relocated to Mount Airy seeking a high quality of life and convenient commuting distance to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The Town continues to function as a "bedroom community" while providing a respectable amount of services and commercial enterprises for its residents.

Neighborhoods

The Town was originally settled in the early 1830s by a core group of six families. Dorsey, Davis and Bussard were the most prominent names in that first settlement, which was followed closely by the construction of the B & O railroad line in 1831. Because Mount Airy sits at an elevation of 830 feet, a series of four inclined planes were constructed in order for the trains to climb the steep hills. Locomotives and cars were lifted with the assistance of horses and steam wenches. Passengers had to disembark during this process. Plane #4, located west of the Town at the intersection of Woodville Road and MD Route 144 is still a recognized location today.

In 1839 the planes were abandoned and the new line was constructed north of where Mount Airy is today. This was a result of more powerful locomotives that had been constructed and heavier loads were being hauled. In 1901, the tunnel was constructed on the south side of town and the existing line into town became a spur line through what is now the Town of Mount Airy.

The Town named the first resident, Henry Bussard, the station agent for the new train station. Mr. Bussard was also the first major landowner in Mount Airy. By 1846, the Town was sparsely settled with several houses, a Town store, barber shop and shoemaker shop. Pine Grove Chapel, circa 1846, now a historic monument, was constructed to fill the need for a community church. From the time it was constructed, the chapel basement functioned as a private school. The chapel remained open during the early part of the Civil War despite soldier encampments in close proximity. The school and church were closed later because of distracting soldier activity around the vicinity of the school. After the war ended, the church reopened in 1867 after undergoing a renovation. In 1893, the Carroll County Board of Education funded the construction of a three-room schoolhouse which was completed in September 1894. The building, approximately 1,700 sq. ft. in size, was located on the east side of Main Street, 1/4 of mile south of the railroad tracks. It is now part of the Calvary United Methodist Church property. The school operated from 9:00 am to 4:00 p.m., much like today's schools.

W

ith the incorporation of the Town in 1894, came the establishment of the Town government structure, including a Mayor and Council. The first Mount Airy Mayor was Byron S. Dorsey who served ten years in that office between 1894 and 1904.

In 1900, the Town population had grown to 332 residents. By 1910, the Town population was 428 and it was determined that the Town had enough student population to justify a State accredited high school. A high school with classes was organized but an official high school "building" to house all eleven grades was not built at that time.

Town of Mount Airy Comprehensive Plan, 2014, www.nountairtndorg, accessed June, 2021.


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