University Park, Maryland

Description

University Park is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,548 at the 2010 census.HistoryUniversity Park was developed on land owned by the Deakins family since the mid-1700s. The house known as Deakins Hall or Bloomfield was constructed on the land in the 1820s or 1830s. It is located at 6404 Queens Chapel Road. The farm was purchased by the University Park Company in 1923. The extension of water and sewer lines into area at that time prompted the subdivision of the Deakins tract. The developers promised a community of single-family homes without the intrusion of commercial facilities. Restrictive covenants were placed on the deeds and all house plans had to be approved by the developers. Homebuyers were attracted to University Park due to its high elevation and lush vegetation. The developers also agreed to provide streetlights and trash removal for a 10-year period, and constructed a school in the mid-1920s.The town was incorporated in 1936, and the current town hall is located at 6724 Baltimore Avenue, on U.S. Route 1.By 1940, the community had grown to 293 houses. The size of the town nearly doubled between 1940 and 1950, with the construction of another 255 houses. Houses constructed during these periods include brick and wood-frame Bungalow style and revival-style structures. The last building boom occurred in the late 1950s with the construction of 300 brick ranches.Community facilities include a police department, started in 1965, a school, and a community park. The two-room company school built in the mid-1920s was converted to a residence after the county constructed a new school building in 1928, which was replaced in 1978 with a modern facility. The town park was purchased in 1941, though its development was postponed by World War II. It was designed and developed in the early 1950s to include a sunken garden, trails, playground, tennis courts, and picnic area. The town remains without commercial properties.