City Tour of New Carrollton MD

During Colonial times, the territory that is now known as New Carrollton was called Terrapin Thicket, due to "a lot of turtles cavorting in the marshy land".

The thicket's first landowner was Ninian Beall, an immigrant who earned his passage to the Colonies as an indentured servant. When he was freed in 1677, Ninian was given a parcel of land in the thicket. Mr. Beall on his death at the age of 92 in 1717, owned 13,000 acres extending from Upper Marlboro to Georgetown. The Bealls built several houses as the family grew.

At the time of the Civil War, the sympathies of the local families were divided. The Becketts, who owned the farm where the Beltway Exit 20 is today, joined the Union Forces. The Lanhams sympathized with the Confederates.

During the Civil War, Benjamin Lewis Lanham, who at the age of 16 joined the Confederate Army, came home on furlough. One day as he ate his dinner, surrounded by his family, a squad of Union Soldiers emerged from the woods. The men of the Lanham family took their guns off the walls, ready to protect Ben. The Yankees were approaching, but it was learned, only to ask for some water to drink. Accidently one of the Lanham guns went off, and the Union soldiers hastily withdrew toward the site of the present day swimming pool on Westbrook Drive. It may be said, then, that the South was victorious in the "Battle of New Carrollton."

In the mid 1920's, Edward L. Mahoney purchased 300 acres of land, where he built his house in 1927. Shortly after establishing himself, Mahoney set up stables and a training track for horses. He entered his horses in competition throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania winning numerous prizes. In 1939, he converted his track into a midget and stock car racing oval. It was known as the Old Lanham Raceway, and car races were held there through 1954.

After Mahoney's death in 1957, his estate was purchased by New Carrollton's developer, Albert W. Turner and incorporated into the City. The Mahoney house was used as Turner's office while the City was being built; later it was razed and burned.

Albert Turner had envisioned a completely planned suburban city, at that time a novel concept in the United States. A bill was sponsored in the early 1950's and in the final hours of the 1953 General Assembly, on April 11, 1953, Senate Bill 475 was passed declaring the City of Carrollton an incorporated community with a charter under the laws of Maryland. Its government vested in the five councilmen at large, the first of whom were appointed by the General Assembly.

Mr. Turner wanted his new city to blend well with the existing towns and communities in Prince George's County. The City's name, he realized, had to have deep roots in Maryland's heritage. After scanning history books, he came across the name of one of the most notable figures in Maryland's history, Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Reading about the achievements of this great man one hundred and twenty years later, Mr. Turner felt it proper to name his new city "Carrollton".

The State of Maryland had three areas calling themselves "Carrollton". Because of considerable confusion over mailing addresses and lost revenues, a resolution was introduced to the City Council, to change the City's name to "New Carrollton". A public hearing was held on the name change, and on April 7, 1965, the City Council voted its approval of the change. The issue of a new name was brought to referendum and was approved by the voters on May 2, 1966.

In 1970, Mayor King appointed a task force on city government, chaired by Dr. Frank B. Pesci, which submitted its report, suggesting several major changes in the city charter to alter the City's basic form of government: a mayor-city council form of government instead of the commission form of government. In 1971 the voters approved a proposal to lower the minimum voting age for city elections from 21 to 18, making New Carrollton the first city in Prince George's county to take such action, the Council also initiated action to remove the "freeholder" requirement from the city charter, which stipulated that elected officials of the City must be property owners. This action permitted tenants to be eligible for office, and this was another first in the county for the City of New Carrollton.

In the early 1990's, the City participated with the General Services Administration of the U. S. Government and the Internal Revenue Service in the design of the three new 10-story office buildings that are located across from the New Carrollton Metro Station on Hawkins Road. The building is occupied by over 4,000 employees of the Internal Revenue Service.

Today the City of New Carrollton boasts over 13,000 residents and is expanding its government to include a New Carrollton Police Department (NCPD), which should be up and running by late 2005. The City takes pride in it’s long a prosperous history and never forgets those who have helped to make New Carrollton what it is today.

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