WELCOME TO THE CITY OF MOUNT RAINIER
Mount Rainier is a city of contrasts. Known as a busy urban
gateway to the nation’s capital, it is also known for its intimate,
tree-shaded neighborhoods. Mount Rainier’s greatest asset—the
source of its vibrant community life—is its ability to nurture and
sustain a variety of interests. The 100-acre Thomas Clemson farm
was purchased by real estate developers after the Civil War ended.
Clemson, a diplomat and son-in-law of John C. Calhoun, had returned
to South Carolina with his family where they founded the university
that bears their name. Local tradition has it that the surveyors of
the new subdivision were from the Pacific Northwest and gave the
town its name. Some of the original street names included "Cascade"
and "Shasta."
The area in and around Mount Rainier retained its agrarian
character until the last decade of the 19th century. In early 1897,
a streetcar line connecting Mount Rainier with downtown Washington
began operation. This line was run by the Maryland and Washington
Railway; the stop at Mount Rainier was known as the District Line
Station and was located at the intersection of what would become
Rhode Island Avenue (extended) and 34th Street. By 1902 there were
15 houses within a half mile radius of the District Line Station;
the population of the area was 50 persons. The presence of
affordable and modern transportation, connecting Mount Rainier with
downtown Washington, became the most important aspect of the area's
growth in the early 20th century. Mount Rainier became a "streetcar
suburb."
By 1910 development in Mount Rainier concentrated near the
streetcar station at the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and
34th Street. The area surrounding the station became the
community's downtown, with buildings housing both shops and their
owners. In an effort to secure better service for their growing
suburb, a group of early residents banded together to pursue the
idea of incorporating the town. The citizens petitioned the State
Legislature and the town was incorporated by charter granted on
April 14, 1910. The census shows the population at the time of
incorporation at 1,242, a 2384 percent increase from 50 persons
just eight years earlier.
Mount Rainier grew rapidly throughout the late 1910s and 1920s.
The town took its own initiatives by constructing a water and sewer
system which was completed in 1919. In 1920, with a population of
nearly 2,500, bonds could be issued for the construction of
sidewalks and streets. In October 1932, a grand celebration was
held to commemorate the completion of Rhode Island Avenue which
followed the streetcar track from Washington D.C. to Hyattsville;
by this time Mount Rainier had grown to a population of 5,000. In
1939 a new streetcar terminal was built at 34th Street and Rhode
Island Avenue, providing a loop which made it possible to serve
Mount Rainier with the new lightweight high speed streetcar.
In the 1940s Mount Rainier's growth was concentrated on the
north side of town. Just before the U.S. entered World War II,
several garden apartment complexes were built. In 1945 the Town of
Mount Rainier became the City of Mount Rainier. The decades of the
1920s to 1950s were a time of expansion as the City underwent three
annexation processes, 1929, 1943, and 1955. The population grew to
11,000 in 1950, and then dropped to 10,000 in 1960. September 7,
1958 was the end of an era in Mount Rainier. On that date the
streetcars were supplanted by buses and for the first time in over
50 years, streetcar traffic ceased in Prince George's County.
With most of its buildings built prior to 1939 and in good
enough shape to be considered, in preservationist terminology,
“contributing resources,” Mount Rainier was named to the National
Register of Historic Places in 1990. Visitors are not surprised.
The city looks and feels like the old trolley town that it is. But
when newcomers are drawn into the life of the city, they quickly
realize that it is well endowed to thrive in the 21st century.
Mount Rainier’s enduring embrace of its institutions and its people
is only enhanced by the passage of time.
This MML Geotrail cache is hidden on the grounds of the Mount
Rainier Nature & Recreation Center. It is camouflaged well to
blend in with its surroundings. Please be respectful of the church
services that are held here on Sundays from 10:00am to 1:00pm.
Thanks for visiting Mount Rainier Maryland.
Thanks to Shady for helping with this hide!
