Broomes Island, Maryland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Broomes Island
Census-designated place
Broomes Island, Maryland Location in Maryland
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Calvert
Area
• Total	0.74 sq mi (1.91 km2)
• Land	0.73 sq mi (1.88 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	379
• Density	521.32/sq mi (201.25/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Area code(s)	410, 443, & 667
GNIS feature ID	589831

Broomes Island is a small town right by the water. It's in Calvert County, Maryland, in the United States. You can find it at the very end of Route 264, sitting on the Patuxent River. It's about 10 miles south of Prince Frederick, which is the main town in the county. In 2019, about 421 people lived there.

Even though Broomes Island is small, it has its own post office and zip code, 20615. In 2007, the United States Postal Service thought about closing this post office. They wanted to send all the mail through the bigger post office in St. Leonard. But people who lived there contacted US Senator Barbara Mikulski. Because of their efforts, the postal service decided to keep the post office open.

Broomes Island is close to the mouth of St. Leonard Creek. This creek is the biggest stream that flows into the Patuxent River, completely within Calvert County. Some important naval battles happened near Broomes Island during the War of 1812.

History and Economy

In the early and mid-1900s, Broomes Island was a busy place for processing oysters. They would catch oysters and put them in cans. This was a big industry for the town.

Today, most people who live in Broomes Island travel to other places for their jobs. The town is now more of a quiet community.

Protecting the Patuxent River

Each May, a special event called a "wade-in" takes place at Broomes Island. It was started by former Maryland State Senator Bernie Fowler. He and others would walk into the waters of the Patuxent River. They would keep walking until their feet disappeared from view. This event was held on land owned by Mr. Donald Rogers, with his permission.

Senator Fowler started this tradition to show how clear the water in the Patuxent River was. Or, more often, how cloudy it had become. He wanted people to care about the river's health.

In recent years, the "wade-in" has become a very well-known public event. Many important people have joined Senator Fowler. These include Maryland Governors Martin O'Malley and Robert Ehrlich. US Senator Barbara Mikulski also joined in. The event no longer happens at the original location. Even though Bernie Fowler passed away in 2021, the "wade-in" at Broomes Island is still an annual tradition. It continues to raise awareness about the river's water quality.

Hurricane Isabel's Impact

In 2003, Hurricane Isabel hit Broomes Island. It caused a lot of damage to many buildings. The biggest loss was the last part of the old oyster industry. This was a large red barn where oysters were shucked (opened). The hurricane destroyed it.

Now, the spot where the oyster barn used to be is part of a local seafood restaurant called Stoney's. It is also used for weddings and other events.

Population Information

See also

In Spanish: Broomes Island para niños