Lansdowne, Maryland

In the late 1800s, the Whitaker Iron Company mined for ore in Lansdowne. Abandoned pits from the mining were filled up by underground springs creating small ponds and lakes. Lansdowne was mostly farmland, including the Kessler farm, MacLeod farm and Wades farm.

When the railroad came, Lansdowne became known as a B&O town. Most people worked for the B&O, commuting by train into Baltimore City. The first station was named Coursey Station. The Coursey Station senior housing center takes its name from this.

The two main roads were Hammonds Ferry Road and Hollins Ferry Road, both of which led to the Patapsco River where you could take a ferry across to the other side.

Early churches included the Lutheran Church of Our Savior, St. Clements Catholic Church, Lansdowne United Methodist Church, Lansdowne Christian Church and the First Baptist Church. The Hull Memorial Christian Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.[3] The site of the original wooden school house was on the property that is now St. Clements.

In the 1950s housing developments sprang up in the Riverview area, and new schools were built for these neighborhoods. The Lansdowne Elementary School, Lansdowne Middle School and Lansdowne Senior High were known as the "Golden Education Triangle."

In the early 1960s the B&O closed the railroad crossing and Lansdowne Boulevard was constructed, connecting Lansdowne to Washington Boulevard, bridging over the railroad tracks. A tunnel was also constructed under the tracks for pedestrian crossing. However, the railroad crossing effectively divided the community into two separate parts. Some old railroad cars were erected as a museum and shopping area alongside Hammonds Ferry Road and the railroad tracks.[4]

In the 1980s Baltimore County Recreation and Parks opened a large parcel of land for public use. Southwest Area Park is located on the Patapsco River, just below Baltimore Highlands.

A small library was built by Baltimore County in 1966, on Third Avenue. In 1993, the Lansdowne Library was closed due to budget cutbacks. The building is now used as the Police Athletic League Center. In 1989 the Lansdowne/Baltimore Highlands Senior Center was built directly behind the Library building. The library reopened on April 8, 2006 with much support from the Lansdowne Improvement Association.[5]

The Lansdowne Improvement Association has been instrumental in much community support, pride and beautification. With a grant from Baltimore Community Foundation they were able to have a gateway sign installed welcoming visitors to the community of Lansdowne as well as Baltimore Highlands and Riverview.[6]

On November 5, 2007, Lansdowne Station opened, which is a business and retail center located on Washington Boulevard. It features a Walmart Supercenter, Petco, Office Depot, small retail shops, sandwich and pizza restaurants as well as an office complex. [7]

Lansdowne is located at 39°14′35″N 76°39′30″W (39.2431, −76.6585).[8] It is bounded to the northeast by the border of Baltimore City, to the northwest by the former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (now CSX Transportation), separating the area from Arbutus to the west, to the south by the Patapsco River, which forms the boundary with Anne Arundel County, and to the east by the Baltimore–Washington Parkway, separating Lansdowne from Baltimore Highlands to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), of which 2.3 square miles (5.9 km²) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km²), or 5.30%, is water.[9]

As of the census[10] of 2010, there were 8,409 people, 3,057 households, and 2,132 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,513 people per square mile (1,356/km²). There were 3,255 housing units, at an average density of 1,415.2 per square mile (551.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 67.0% White, 23.9% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 3.7 some other race, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.7% of the population.

There were 3,057 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.1% were headed by married couples living together, 28.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75, and the average family size was 3.21.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.[2]