Fort Ritchie, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fort Ritchie, Maryland
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| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| County | Washington |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.01 sq mi (2.61 km2) |
| • Land | 0.97 sq mi (2.52 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.09 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,398 ft (426 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12 |
| • Density | 12.32/sq mi (4.76/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
21719
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| Area code(s) | 301, 240 |
| FIPS code | 24-29450 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2389111 |
Fort Ritchie is a small community in Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is located just south of the Pennsylvania state line. This area is called a census-designated place (CDP) because it's a specific area identified by the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2020, only 12 people lived there.
Fort Ritchie used to be a military base for the U.S. Army. It closed down in September 1998. This happened because of a government plan to reorganize military bases.
History of Fort Ritchie
Fort Ritchie started as a training area for the Maryland National Guard. During World War II, the U.S. Army took it over. It became a special training site for soldiers who would question enemies and work on psychological warfare. These soldiers were famously known as the Ritchie Boys.
After the war, Fort Ritchie became an important communications center. It helped the Army in the Washington, D.C. area. It also supported the Air Force, especially for a nearby secret military command center.
The military base officially closed in September 1998. Since then, people have been trying to figure out what to do with the land and buildings. In 2017, the last people living in the old military homes had to move out. By 2021, a private investor named John Krumpotich bought the property. He is now working to fix up the old buildings, including the former military houses.
Geography and Climate
Fort Ritchie covers about 1.0 square mile (2.6 square kilometers) of land. A small part of this area, about 0.04 square miles (0.09 square kilometers), is water.
The area around Fort Ritchie, including Cascade, Maryland, has a unique geography. It sits in a "high valley" about 1,400 feet (427 meters) above sea level. This valley is surrounded by mountains that are over 2,000 feet (610 meters) high.
This high elevation was very important in the late 1800s. It allowed a company called Buena Vista Ice Company to collect and sell natural ice. They sold this ice to big cities like Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Buena Vista was the southernmost ice company in the United States. The old buildings and setup of this ice company later helped the Maryland National Guard decide to use the site for their training.
Other nearby towns, like Smithsburg, MD and Waynesboro, PA, are much lower, around 700–800 feet (213–244 meters) high. However, Quirauk Mountain, which is part of South Mountain, reaches 2,145 feet (654 meters) nearby.
Because of its high elevation, the Cascade area, including Fort Ritchie, often gets much more snow and ice than other parts of Washington County. Students at Cascade Elementary even have their own special weather zone. This means they might have school delays or cancellations when other schools in the county do not. It is common for Fort Ritchie to receive twice as much snow as nearby communities. Ice storms are also frequent, making travel very difficult and dangerous in winter.
Population Facts
In 2000, there were 276 people living in Fort Ritchie. These people lived in 83 households, and 73 of these were families. The population density was about 282 people per square mile (109 people per square kilometer). There were 335 housing units in the area.
Most of the people in 2000 were White (67.39%). There were also African American (17.75%), Native American (1.45%), and Asian (1.81%) residents. About 6.16% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 75.9% of the households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (65.1%) were married couples. The average household had 3.33 people, and the average family had 3.42 people.
The population was quite young in 2000. About 42.4% of the people were under 18 years old. The median age was 24 years. This means half the people were younger than 24 and half were older.
See also
In Spanish: Fort Ritchie para niños
