Chillum, Maryland

Chillum is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, bordering Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County.

In addition to being its own unincorporated neighborhood, Chillum is also a census-designated place covering a larger area than the Chillum neighborhood. As of the 2010 census, the Chillum CDP included Chillum, as well as the adjacent unincorporated communities of Avondale, Carole Highlands, Green Meadows, and Lewisdale. The population was 36,039 at the 2020 census.

Chillum, the neighborhood, is contained between the Northwest Branch Anacostia River to the east, East West Highway (MD 410) and Sligo Creek to the north, New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650) to the west, and Eastern Avenue NE to the south. Chillum borders the adjacent communities of Avondale, Green Meadows, and Carole Highlands in Prince George's County as well as the city of Takoma Park in Montgomery County, and the Riggs Park (also known as, "Lamond Riggs"), Queens Chapel, and North Michigan Park neighborhoods of Northeast Washington D.C. Actor Jonathan Banks is from Chillum.

Geography

Chillum is located at (38.968210, −76.979046).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.94%, is water. Chillum is unincorporated and does not have its own zipcode; therefore it relies on its neighboring city of Hyattsville for its postal addresses/ zipcodes. While a vast majority of the residents living in/ businesses located in Chillum, MD are assigned the Hyattsville postal zipcodes of either 20782, or 20783, there are a few residents living on the far west side of Chillum/ businesses located very close to New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650) and the Prince George's/ Montgomery County Line, bordering the city of Takoma Park, MD, are assigned the Takoma Park, MD zipcode of 20912. Residents of Chillum that are assigned Takoma Park's 20912 zipcode have Takoma Park addresses though they are not even located within Takoma Park's boundaries. All of the other residents living in / businesses located in Chillum, have Hyattsville addresses.

History

Chillum takes its name from "Chillum Castle Manor," the land patent established in 1763, by William Dudley Digges. It included lands in the present-day District of Columbia and in Prince George's County, and was composed of previously established land patents such as Henrietta Maria, Widows Purchase, Yarrow and Yarrow Head. Chillum Castle Manor was named after Chilham Castle, the old home of Sir Dudley Digges, an ancestor of William Dudley Digges, in Kent, England.

The manor house for the Henrietta Maria parcel was named Green Hill. It was home to William Dudley Digges and was the place where Pierre L'Enfant, designer of nearby Washington, D.C., died in destitution in 1825. The Green Hill plantation was subsequently purchased by George Washington Riggs, who built the present Green Hill historic home in 1868.

Government and infrastructure

The Chillum-Adelphi Volunteer Fire Department (CAVFD) serves Chillum. The station is in Langley Park CDP and has an Adelphi postal address. In March 1951 and June 8, 1951, the CAVFD was established and chartered, respectively. From November and March 1953 the fire station on Riggs Road was constructed; the County Volunteer Firemen's Association designated it Station No. 34. Portions of Station No. 34 were rebuilt in the early 1960s, and it was rededicated on November 16, 1963. In 1962 the CAVFD began building a substation, No. 44, which was dedicated on November 16, 1963, but in 1992 it sold the substation to the county government. PGFD Station 844 now provides fire and EMS services to the Chillum area.

Education

thumb|Lewisdale Elementary School

thumb|Rosa L. Parks Elementary School

The Chillum CDP is served by public schools that are part of the Prince George's County Public Schools System.

Elementary schools within the Chillum CDP include Chillum Elementary School, Cesar Chavez, Lewisdale, Rosa Parks, and Ridgecrest. Chavez was originally known as Parkway Elementary School. The school administration decided to rename the school after they found a liquor store had a similar name. According to principal Adela Acosta, the community chose Chavez since he was Hispanic/Latino as was most of the school's students. The parent-teacher organization chose Chavez, the school held a public hearing on the matter on January 10, 2000, and the county board approved the name change on March 30, 2000; it was effective fall 2000.

Carole Highlands Elementary School has a Takoma Park postal address but is within the 2010-defined Langley Park CDP boundaries. As of the 1990 US Census and the 2000 US Census, Carole Highlands Elementary, as well as all of the Langley Park CDP areas south of Road 193, was in the Chillum CDP. Carole Highlands Elementary serves parts of the current Chillum CDP. Northwestern High School in Hyattsville and High Point High School in Beltsville CDP serve sections of the CDP.

In addition to these public schools, Chillum is also served by four private schools; the St. John's De La Salle School, Children's Guild School, Parkway School, and the George E. Peters Adventist School.

Parks and recreation

The Chillum neighborhood is served by three parks:

1. Chillum Community Park (This park is located at the intersection of Ray Road and Cypress Creek Drive on the far east side of Chillum, located directly west of the Northwest Branch Anacostia River but directly south of the Sligo Creek River. This park is contained between two neighborhoods, Chillum and Avondale. The part of Chillum Community Park located west of the Northwest Branch Anacostia River is in Chillum while the part of Chillum Community Park located east of the Northwest Branch Anacostia River is in Avondale. Both sides of the Chillum Community Park consist of a small-size playground and small-size picnic pavilion. The only difference is that the Chillum Community Park contains a soccer field on the Chillum side while containing a small-size basketball court on the Avondale side.

2. Michigan Park Hills Neighborhood Park (This park is located at the intersection of Chillum Road and 15th Avenue, directly across the Chillum Community Park. This park consists of a small-size playground, tennis court, small basketball court, and two small benches.

3. Parklawn Community Park (This park is located on East West Highway directly east of where the Sligo Creek River intersects East West Highway. This small park with a playground, a county maintained park building, and direct access to the Sligo Creek Trail).

In addition to these three parks, Chillum is also served by the Rollingrest Community Center/ Splash Pool, located on Sargent Road.

Transportation

Several highways/ major intersections pass through the neighborhood, such as East West Highway (MD 410), New Hampshire Avenue (MD 650), Riggs Road (MD 212), Sargent Road (MD 211), Chillum Road (MD 501), and Eastern Avenue NE.

Though Chillum residents do not have direct access to the Washington Metro, there are several stations located within very close proximity to area, including the Fort Totten station in Washington D.C., which is served by the Red, Green and Yellow lines, and most of the bus routes that operate in the area ferry passengers to this station. The West Hyattsville station is located just outside Chillum's boundaries in Hyattsville and is served by the Green and Yellow lines of the Washington Metro.

Historic sites

The following is a list of historic sites in Chillum identified by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission:

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:98%"

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! width = 25% | Site name

! width = 8% class="unsortable" | Image

! |Location

! class="unsortable" | M-NCPPC Inventory Number

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| Green Hill

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| 2009 Van Buren Street

| 65-008

| Located in Lewisdale / West Hyattsville.

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