Mount Savage, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mount Savage, Maryland
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 Mount Savage, Maryland
Location in Maryland
Mount Savage, Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Maryland |
| County |  Allegany |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.96 sq mi (2.48 km2) |
| • Land | 0.96 sq mi (2.48 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,243 ft (379 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 733 |
| • Density | 765.14/sq mi (295.36/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
21545
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| Area code(s) | 301, 240 |
| FIPS code | 24-54325 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2583661 |
Mount Savage is a small community in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" and a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means it's a recognized area with a population, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. In 2010, about 873 people lived there.
Mount Savage is located at the bottom of Big Savage Mountain in the Allegheny Mountains. It's nestled between the cities of Frostburg and Cumberland. The town started as a small farming area in the mid-1800s. However, it became famous in 1844 when the first iron rail in the United States was made there. Because of this, Mount Savage grew quickly and became the fifth largest city in Maryland for a time.
The town was the main base for the Mount Savage Railroad and later the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad (C&P). This made it an important industrial center. Besides the railroads, Mount Savage had an foundry (a place where metal is cast), two brick factories called refractories, and many local shops. The industries in this "company town" built homes for workers and gave land for schools, churches, and other public buildings. It was a place where many cultures came together, including English business owners and workers from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, and Germany. This mix of people helped shape Mount Savage into a strong, close-knit community. Even though the big industries are gone, Mount Savage still remembers its hard-working past. The Mount Savage Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Contents
Mount Savage: Early History
The name Mount Savage comes from a land surveyor named Thomas Savage. He traveled through the area in 1736. Later, the Archibald Arnold family settled in the area around September 30, 1774. They called their settlement "Arnold's Settlement," which is now Mount Savage. This town is the oldest in Allegany County to be started by a group from the same family.
The Arnolds were Catholic farmers from southern Maryland. They settled northeast of the current town, near an old Native American trail. This trail later became known as "Turkey Foot Road." The Arnold family built "Arnold's Hotel," which welcomed pioneers heading west towards the Ohio River Valley. They also had a farm that grew most of its own food. This farm is now part of the Glen Savage Dairy Farm. The Arnold family eventually owned most of the land in what is now Mount Savage. Archibald sometimes bought 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) at a time!
In the early 1800s, Mount Savage was mostly a farming community that could support itself. It didn't need much from nearby towns or industries. Mount Savage was the only town west of Cumberland with a Catholic church. So, many families from other states and towns came there for Mass. When the National Road was finished, thousands of settlers moved west. This brought attention to the rich minerals found in the Mount Savage area.
Mount Savage: Industrial Growth
The Maryland and New York Iron and Coal Company was started in 1837. An Englishman named Benjamin Howell, who traveled along the National Road, founded this important company. They built the Mount Savage Iron Works, which used the iron ore found in Mount Savage.
After building blast furnaces in 1839, the company built the Mount Savage Railroad in 1844. This railroad connected the town to Cumberland and to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O). In 1845, the company produced about 200 tons of iron each week. At that time, the Mount Savage works was the only company in America that made heavy railroad iron.
As the industry in Mount Savage grew, clay, brick, coal, and locomotives were also made. These products were then sent to nearby towns and states using the new railroad system. The most successful coal mines were the Eckhart Mines, located southwest of Mount Savage. They produced a type of coal called bituminous coal. The Mount Savage railroad system became the main supplier for the B&O and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. By 1852, the iron works was thought to be the largest in the United States. By 1864, the Union Mining Company was started in Allegany County. This company controlled most of the clay and brick exports. Little Mount Savage had truly become a famous American industrial center.
The iron works later faced strong competition from factories in Pennsylvania and the Great Lakes region. The company's rolling mill closed in 1868, and the blast furnaces stopped working around 1870. However, the brick factories continued to do well. They remained the main industry in the town through the late 1900s.
The C&P Railroad bought the Mount Savage Railroad in 1854. In 1866, they built shops in Mount Savage to make locomotives and other train cars. This railroad continued to operate until the mid-1900s.
Mount Savage: Population Details
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 733 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, there were 873 people living in Mount Savage. These people lived in 338 households. About 236 of these were family households. Most of the people living in Mount Savage were White (96.4%).
Out of the 338 households, 32% had children under 18 living with them. More than half (53.3%) were married couples living together. About 26% of all households were made up of people living alone. About 12.1% of these were people aged 65 or older living by themselves. The average household had 2.58 people, and the average family had 3.10 people.
The population of Mount Savage was spread out by age:
- 23.1% were under 18 years old.
- 8.0% were from 18 to 24 years old.
- 25.5% were from 25 to 44 years old.
- 27.0% were from 45 to 64 years old.
- 16.5% were 65 years or older.
The average age in Mount Savage was 40.3 years. The population was almost evenly split between males (49.5%) and females (50.5%).
Mount Savage: Geography and Location
Mount Savage is located at an elevation of about 1,234 feet (376 m) (376 meters). It sits in the valley of Jennings Run in western Allegany County. A smaller stream called Mount Savage Run flows into Jennings Run right in Mount Savage.
Maryland Route 36 is a main road that goes through the community. This road leads southwest about 5 miles (8 km) (8 km) to Frostburg. It also goes east about 10 miles (16 km) (16 km) to Cumberland. Sampson Rock, which is the 2,934-foot (894 m) (894 meter) peak of Big Savage Mountain, rises about 2 miles (3 km) (3.2 km) west of the village.
Mount Savage: Historic Places to Visit
Mount Savage has several places where you can learn about its history:
- Mount Savage Museum & Historical Park
- Union Mining Company Office Building
- C&P Railroad Office building
- The remains of the iron furnace where the first iron rail was made
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