Grantsville, Maryland
The Casselman River in Casselman River Bridge State Park near Grantsville, Maryland.
Location of Grantsville, Maryland
Coordinates: 39°41′49″N 79°9′21″W / 39.69694, -79.15583
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Garrett
Area
- Total	0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²)
- Land	0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	2,303 ft (702 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	619
- Density	877.2/sq mi (338.7/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	21536
Area code(s)	301
FIPS code	24-34525
GNIS feature ID	0584690

Grantsville is a town in Garrett County, Maryland, United States. The population was 619 at the 2000 census.

History

Grantsville, a 1/2 mile west of the Casselman River, began as a small Amish and Mennonite settlement, called Tomlinson's or Little Crossing, along Braddock rd., which wound westward from Cumberland over Negro Mountain. Later a new village flourished as a stop along the nearby National Road, Route 40. From 1818, the national road carried hundreds of thousands of pioneers and settlers in stagecoaches and covered wagons. In the 1800s, an area just outside Grantsville (once known as Little Crossing but now marked by the Little Crossing Antique Store & Gift Shoppe and an ice cream parlor, The Dip) was a major stop on the old national pike. There is a "dip" in the road that travelers will not miss when they pass through Little Crossing on Route 40.

The Casselman Bridge

Signs mark the location of the post office and the blacksmith shop that stayed open all night to fix broken horseshoes. An 1879 article in Harper's Monthly described the wagons as "so numerous that the leaders of one team had their noses in the trough at the end of the next wagon ahead."

The Casselman Inn sits in the center of town, where it has provided food and lodging to travelers since 1824. A sign outside displays a replica 1842 stagecoach advertisement.

Near the Casselman Bridge, a historic stone arch bridge, is Penn Alps Restaurant and The Spruce Forest Artisan Village, which was founded in 1957 by Alta Schrock. Penn Alps Restaurant is housed in the last log hospitality house on the National Pike. It is situated between a 1797 gristmill and The Casselman Bridge, the longest single span of stone in America when built in 1813 ).

Spruce Forest Artisan Village, a part of the extended Penn Alps campus, has grown from a few cabins to some 12 log and frame structures of early vintage, two of which date to the Revolutionary War Period. Most of these provide studio space for artisans. Artisans work in various media, including: bird carving, stained glass, basket making, hand-loom weaving, and hand-thrown pottery.

Geography

Grantsville is located at 39°41′49″N, 79°9′21″W (39.696969, -79.155918)^[1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 619 people, 278 households, and 177 families residing in the town. The population density was 877.2 people per square mile (336.6/km²). There were 298 housing units at an average density of 422.3/sq mi (162.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.87% White, 0.48% African American, 0.32% Asian, and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.

There were 278 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,778, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $29,167 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,625. About 22.2% of families and 23.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.0% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

In the 1960's the town had a stable population of approximately 400 individuals.

Notable Residents and Natives

• George C. Edwards, Maryland State Senator.

References

1. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

External links

• Ruth Enlow Library

• Grantsville, Maryland is at coordinates 39°41′49″N 79°09′21″W / 39.696969, -79.155918 (Grantsville, Maryland)Coordinates: 39°41′49″N 79°09′21″W / 39.696969, -79.155918 (Grantsville, Maryland)

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Garrett County, Maryland County seat: Oakland Towns Accident | Deer Park | Friendsville | Grantsville | Kitzmiller | Loch Lynn Heights | Mountain Lake Park | Oakland Communities Bittinger | Bloomington | Crellin | Gorman | Hutton | McHenry | Jennings | Sang Run | Shalmar | Swanton