Brownsville, Maryland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brownsville, Maryland
Census-designated place
Brownsville, Maryland Location in Maryland
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Washington
Area
• Total	0.28 sq mi (0.73 km2)
• Land	0.28 sq mi (0.73 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	568 ft (173 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	102
• Density	360.42/sq mi (139.12/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	21715
Area code(s)	301, 240
FIPS code	24-24043
GNIS feature ID	2583591

Brownsville (also called Banjotown) is a small community in Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is known as an unincorporated community and a census-designated place. This means it's a recognized place, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Brownsville is located near Gapland in a beautiful area called Pleasant Valley. In 2010, about 89 people lived there. By 2020, the population grew slightly to 102 people.

History of Brownsville

Early Settlers and Naming the Town

One of the first people to settle in Washington County was Tobias Brown. He owned a large farm that stretched from Gapland all the way south to where Brownsville is today. His son, John Brown, and his grandson, Cornelius, started a business called a tannery. A tannery is a place where animal hides are turned into leather. They built their home overlooking the tannery. The community was named Brownsville after their family.

The First Post Office

The first post office in Brownsville opened on January 28, 1833. John H. Beall was the first postmaster. A few years later, on February 3, 1836, John Brown took over as postmaster. John Brown was born near Brownsville in 1790. He was a soldier in the War of 1812 and fought in the Battle of North Point.

After the war, in 1824, John Brown built the first house in what became Brownsville. The wooden parts of the house were cut in Hagerstown and brought to the site by wagons. Handmade bricks filled the spaces between the wood, and the outside was covered with wood cut from trees on South Mountain. John Brown was the postmaster until 1863. His son, Cornelius, then became postmaster and served for many years. Later, Cornelius's son, George T. Brown, became postmaster in 1898 and held the job for over 40 years!

Churches in Brownsville

Two important churches were started in Brownsville.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church

Church of the Brethren

The Church of the Brethren was founded by Rudolph Brown after the Revolutionary War. A meetinghouse for the church was built in the village in 1852. This building was used until a new church was built along MD 67 in 1960. Two other church groups, West Brownsville and South Brownsville, were formed from the original Brownsville Church. However, they rejoined the main Brownsville Church in 1960.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church

St. Luke's Episcopal Church was started on August 21, 1837. The brick church building was finished in 1839 and is still used by the church today. During the Civil War, the church was used as a field hospital. This means it was a place where injured soldiers were treated after the Battle of Antietam. After the battle, the church building was damaged to prevent soldiers from using it. The church was later repaired and restored in 1869.

Population Information

Brownsville is a small community. In 2010, the population was 89 people. By the 2020 census, the population had grown to 102 people.

See also

In Spanish: Brownsville (Maryland) para niños