College Park Timeline

A dated outline of the people, places, and events that shaped College Park. Each entry is sourced; full references are on the resources page.

College and railroad

  • c. 1798 — the Rossborough Inn is begun along the Washington & Baltimore Turnpike (today's Route 1).5
  • 1835 — the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad reaches the area; the stop is later named "College Station."7
  • 1856 — the Maryland Agricultural College is chartered, driven by Charles Benedict Calvert of Riversdale.3
  • 1858 — Calvert donates the Rossborough Inn land to the college.6
  • 1867 — a post office opens at Branchville, the area's oldest neighborhood.8
  • 1890 — developer John Oliver Johnson subdivides land and names the development "College Park" after the college.2
  • 1900 — a streetcar line reaches the area, connecting it to Washington.9

The airfield (1909–1920s)

  • 1909 — the Army Signal Corps establishes an airfield so Wilbur Wright can train its first pilots; instruction begins October 8.1112
  • October 1909 — Lt. Frederic Humphreys makes the first solo by an Army officer in a government airplane; Mrs. Van Deman becomes the first woman to fly as a passenger in the United States.1314
  • 1911 — the Army opens the Signal Corps Aviation School at College Park, the nation's first military aviation school.15
  • 1912 — on June 7, a machine gun is fired from an airplane at College Park for the first time.16
  • 1918 — on August 12, the first U.S. Post Office–operated airmail flight departs College Park for New York.17
  • 1920 — the University of Maryland name is adopted for the former Maryland Agricultural College.4
  • early 1920s — Emile and Henry Berliner conduct pioneering helicopter experiments at College Park.18

City and museum (1945–present)

  • 1945 — College Park is incorporated as a city.1
  • 1958 — streetcar service to College Park ends.10
  • 1977 — College Park Airport is added to the National Register of Historic Places.19
  • 1993 — Washington Metro Green Line service reaches College Park.10
  • 1998 — the current College Park Aviation Museum building opens on the airfield.20

  1. City of College Park, Maryland — About the City. https://www.collegeparkmd.gov/253/About-the-City ↩

  2. City of College Park, Maryland — About the City. https://www.collegeparkmd.gov/253/About-the-City ↩

  3. History of the University of Maryland, College Park. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_University_of_Maryland,_College_Park ↩

  4. University of Maryland, College Park. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Maryland,_College_Park ↩

  5. The Rossborough Inn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rossborough_Inn ↩

  6. The Rossborough Inn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rossborough_Inn ↩

  7. City of College Park, Maryland — About the City. https://www.collegeparkmd.gov/253/About-the-City ↩

  8. Streetcar Suburbs — Branchville history. https://streetcarsuburbs.news/the-history-of-branchville/ ↩

  9. Greater Greater Washington — Rhode Island Avenue streetcar. https://ggwash.org/view/42090/a-streetcar-used-to-run-down-rhode-island-avenue-connecting-college-park-and-downtown-dc ↩

  10. Greater Greater Washington — Rhode Island Avenue streetcar. https://ggwash.org/view/42090/a-streetcar-used-to-run-down-rhode-island-avenue-connecting-college-park-and-downtown-dc ↩↩

  11. College Park Airport. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Park_Airport ↩

  12. National Park Service — College Park Airport. https://www.nps.gov/articles/college-park-airport.htm ↩

  13. College Park Airport. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Park_Airport ↩

  14. National Park Service — College Park Airport. https://www.nps.gov/articles/college-park-airport.htm ↩

  15. National Park Service — College Park Airport. https://www.nps.gov/articles/college-park-airport.htm ↩

  16. Field of Firsts — College Park Airport. https://www.fieldoffirsts.com/post/a-field-of-firsts-a-chronological-journey-through-college-park-airport-s-legacy ↩

  17. Smithsonian National Postal Museum — The 1918 Flights. https://postalmuseum.si.edu/the-1918-flights ↩

  18. College Park Airport (Berliner helicopter). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Park_Airport ↩

  19. College Park Airport (NRHP). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Park_Airport ↩

  20. College Park Airport. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Park_Airport ↩