Kensington is a U.S. town in Montgomery County, Maryland. The population was 2,122 at the 2020 census.[4] Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 ZIP code, with a population of 19,753 in 2020.[5]
History
Kensington Plat (c. 1890)Kensington in 1972Kensington railroad station, built in 1891 and now used as a MARC commuter train station
The area around Rock Creek where Kensington is located was primarily agricultural until 1873, when the B&O Railroad completed the Metropolitan Branch across 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 developer Brainard Warner began purchasing land parcels to build a planned Victorian community, complete with church, library, and local newspaper. Fascinated by a recent trip to London, Warner named his development "Kensington Park", the tenth and largest subdivision in the area. When the town was incorporated in 1894, Warner convinced the mayor and council to name it Kensington.[6]
Originally a farming community at Knowles Station, Kensington developed into a summer refuge for Washington residents wishing to escape the capital's humidity. As years passed and more residents remained year-round, Kensington evolved into a commuter suburb. Commuters reached downtown Washington, D.C., on B&O passenger trains and, beginning in 1895, a streetcar line founded as Chevy Chase Lake & Kensington Railway and later called the Kensington Railway Company.
The large southernmost section originally mapped out by Warner remains largely unchanged, and is a historically preserved zone. The only major changes in the town's basic layout have been the bridging of the original railroad crossing in 1937, and the extension and widening of Connecticut Avenue, the town's main thoroughfare, in 1957. As well, the right-of-way of the streetcar line, which was replaced with bus service in 1935, was paved to become Kensington Parkway.
In March 1975, Kensington gained attention regionally when Sheila and Katherine Lyon walked to Wheaton Plaza, a local shopping mall, and never returned home. Their abduction and murder was solved only in 2017.[7]
In the early 21st century, the town gained national attention three times in 10 months for events within a 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 dozens of Santas riding everything from motorcycles to fire trucks. Eight months later, an Amtraktrain derailed near the town center when the tracks separated at an overheated joint, injuring 95.[9] And on October 2, 2002, Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera became the fifth victim of the "Beltway snipers" while cleaning her car at a Kensington gas station.
Kensington is located in Montgomery County, northwest of Silver Spring, northeast of Bethesda, west of Wheaton and southeast of Rockville. Its latitude is 39°1′48″N, longitude 77°4′30″W.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.50 square miles (1.29 km2), all land.[2]
The Kensington post office (ZIP Code 20895) serves a larger area, including the neighboring town of Chevy Chase View, most of the unincorporated neighborhoods known by the Census Bureau as North Kensington and South Kensington, and small portions of North Bethesda and the Wheaton Planning District.
The Washington D.C. Temple in South Kensington is a local landmark, thanks to its striking design and its prominence along the Capital Beltway.[10] D.C.-area traffic reports often refer to the "Mormon temple" or "temple".[11][12]
As of the census[14] of 2010, there were 2,213 people, 870 households, and 563 families residing in the town. The population density was 4,610.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,780.1/km2). There were 902 housing units at an average density of 1,879.2 per square mile (725.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 82.0% White, 6.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 5.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.8% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.4% of the population.
There were 870 households, of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.3% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.17.
The median age in the town was 42.1 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 30% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.
2000 census
As of the census[15] of 2000, 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
The Noyes Library, Montgomery County's oldest library, is located in the Kensington Historic District.
Kensington is primarily a bedroom community for workers who commute to jobs in the Washington, D.C., area, but it has some commercial enterprises, including "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. The town hosts a website, Explore Kensington, listing businesses, services, news and events.
The town is home to the Noyes Library for Young Children, Montgomery County's oldest public library.
Events
April 23 or the closest Sunday: The Kensington Day of the Book Festival or World Book Day is celebrated on the Sunday closest to April 23. This afternoon street festival is celebrated with live music, author readings, open mic, activities for children and adults, storytellers, and books. Local authors, book artists, publishers, booksellers, and literary groups line Howard Ave in Historic Old Town Kensington to show, sell, and discuss their works. In conjunction is the Gala Craft Fair on Armory Avenue featuring crafts.
Labor Day: Kensington holds an annual Labor Day parade.[16]
Late September: Held since 1994, the Kensington 8K Race includes 8-km, 2-mile, and 1-km races through the historic core of the town and along nearby Beach Drive and in the Rock Creek Hills neighborhood.
Saturdays:Kensington parkrun, a free, timed 5K run/walk on the Rock Creek Trail.
Law and government
A mayoral election is held in even-numbered years for a two-year term. Kensington has a four-member council, elected for two-year terms. Terms are staggered. Every year there are two council seats up for election. For contested elections, election winners are noted in bold.
The 2021 Kensington Town Election was held on June 7, 2021 [17]
Conor D. Crimmins, Council Member, 318 votes
Darin R. Bartram, Council Member, 246 votes
Tim Willard, Council Member, 151 votes
The 2020 Kensington Town Election was held on June 1, 2020 [18]
Tracey Furman, Mayor, 420 votes
Peter Fosselman, Mayor, 368 votes
Bridget Hill-Zayat, Council Member, 549 votes
Nate Engle, Council Member, 511 votes
Jon Gerson, Council Member, 356 votes
The 2019 Kensington Town Election was held on June 3, 2019 [19]
Darin R. Bartram, Council Member, 72 votes
Conor D. Crimmins, Council Member, 71 votes
The 2018 Kensington Town Election was held on June 4, 2018 [20]
Tracey Furman, Mayor, 147 votes
Bridget Hill-Zayat, Council Member, 113 votes
Duane L. Rollins, Council Member, 136 votes
The 2017 Kensington Town Election was held on June 5, 2017 [21]
Darin R. Bartram, Council Member, 210 votes
Conor D. Crimmins, Council Member, 233 votes
Tom H. Rodriguez, Council Member, 207 votes
The 2016 Kensington Town Election was held on June 6, 2016 [22]
Tracey Furman, Mayor, 129 votes
Duane Rollins, Councilman, 125 votes
Sean McMullen, Councilman, 108 votes
The 2015 Kensington Town Election was held on June 1, 2015[23]
Four state highways serve Kensington. The most prominent of these is Maryland Route 185 (Connecticut Avenue), which provides the most direct link between Kensington and both Interstate 495 (the Capital Beltway) and Washington, D.C. The other major state highway serving the town is Maryland Route 193, which follows University Boulevard and Greenbelt Road east from Kensington across the northern and northeastern suburbs of Washington. The other two state highways, Maryland Route 192 and Maryland Route 547, are short connectors linking Kensington to nearby communities.
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