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C+History
History · Westphalia

2 of Westphalia’s places are on the National Register

More historic than 35% of U.S. towns · #124 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it

Its Register listings are the Melwood Park and the Cottage, The. Most of Westphalia was built recently: 0.7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2012. Below: maps from 1900 on.

2on the National Register
0.7%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

About Westphalia’s history

How historic is Westphalia?

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More historic than 35% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Westphalia’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Westphalia is more historic than 35% of U.S. towns, #124 of 261 in Maryland. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Westphalia’s overall grade.
Founding eraNo founding year we can rely on, so the grade uses the other two–Homes built before 19400.7% of homes (±0.8) · typical MD town 3.3% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register2 listings, 9 historic buildings, 6.8 per 10,000 residents · typical MD town 0.9 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 35%
NewerOlder
Maryland towns of 2,500+ (261)Ahead of 53%

Few Maryland towns list much on the Register (a typical Maryland town has 0.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Westphalia’s 6.8 sits above most of its state (65% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 9 historic buildings outnumber those of 75% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Westphalia’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Westphalia are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19007 editions of the USGS map, 1900 to 1993. Watch Westphalia change.Lost villages7 hamlets and corners are still on the map.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Westphalia’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Westphalia’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Westphalia on the map, 1900 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Westphalia. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Westphalia on the 1900 USGS mapWestphalia on the 1934 USGS mapWestphalia on the 1944 USGS mapWestphalia on the 1957 USGS mapWestphalia on the 1965 USGS mapWestphalia on the 1971 USGS mapWestphalia on the 1993 USGS map1900Washington sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Westphalia.

Places that used to be

Old corners and places now gone

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Chester GroveD'Arcy HillsFernwood Mobile Home ParkLittle WashingtonNorth Roblee AcresRoblee AcresWestphalia Estates
Gone or out of use
Forestville SchoolschoolWestphalia Schoolschool

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Westphalia came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Westphalia.

Read it all →

The U.S. Census Bureau first defined the Westphalia census-designated place for the 2010 U.S. census. In the 2020 U.S. census, portions of Westphalia were given to the new Brown Station CDP.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Westphalia, decade by decade

Today30 recent
2020-08-30 13 32 01 View west along Maryland State Route 221 (Ritchie-Marlboro Road) at the exit for Interstate 95-Inte…20202020-08-30 13 32 01 View west along Maryland State Ro…2020-08-13 14 05 00 View north along Maryland State Route 223 (Woodyard Road) from the overpass for Maryland State Rout…20202020-08-13 14 05 00 View north along Maryland State R…2019-10-10 13 23 57 View south along Maryland State Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) from the overpass for Interstate 95-I…20192019-10-10 13 23 57 View south along Maryland State R…2019-10-02 14 18 05 View south along Maryland State Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) at the exit for Maryland State Route …20192019-10-02 14 18 05 View south along Maryland State R…2019-10-02 14 15 19 View south along Maryland State Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) at the exit for Marlboro Pike and Dow…20192019-10-02 14 15 19 View south along Maryland State R…2019-10-02 14 05 15 View south along Maryland State Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) just north of the Suitland Parkway in…20192019-10-02 14 05 15 View south along Maryland State R…2019-10-01 11 23 35 View north along Maryland State Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) at the exit for Interstate 95-Interst…20192019-10-01 11 23 35 View north along Maryland State R…2019-10-01 11 19 57 View north along Maryland State Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) at the exit for Interstate 95-Interst…20192019-10-01 11 19 57 View north along Maryland State R…2019-10-01 11 17 04 View north along Maryland State Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) at the exit for Westphalia Road in We…20192019-10-01 11 17 04 View north along Maryland State R…2019-10-01 11 07 57 View north along Maryland State Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) at the exit for Maryland State Route …20192019-10-01 11 07 57 View north along Maryland State R…2019-09-15 13 45 34 View east along the westbound lanes of the Suitland Parkway from the overpass for Interstate 95 and…20192019-09-15 13 45 34 View east along the westbound lan…2019-09-15 13 43 46 View east along the eastbound lanes of the Suitland Parkway from the overpass for Interstate 95 and…20192019-09-15 13 43 46 View east along the eastbound lan…2019-09-09 15 05 26 View east along the Suitland Parkway just west of Maryland State Route 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue) on t…20192019-09-09 15 05 26 View east along the Suitland Park…2019-07-05 10 26 32 View north along Interstate 95 and Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) from the overpass for D'Arcy Ro…20192019-07-05 10 26 32 View north along Interstate 95 an…2019-07-05 10 26 12 View south along Interstate 95 and Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) from the overpass for D'Arcy Ro…20192019-07-05 10 26 12 View south along Interstate 95 an…2019-05-27 14 42 47 View north along the outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) at Exit 1…20192019-05-27 14 42 47 View north along the outer loop o…2019-05-27 14 38 51 View north along the outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) at Exit 1…20192019-05-27 14 38 51 View north along the outer loop o…2019-05-27 14 36 32 View north along the outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) at Exit 1…20192019-05-27 14 36 32 View north along the outer loop o…2019-05-27 13 41 38 View south along the inner loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) at Exit 1…20192019-05-27 13 41 38 View south along the inner loop o…2019-05-27 13 37 52 View south along the inner loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) at Exit 1…20192019-05-27 13 37 52 View south along the inner loop o…2016-09-11 12 36 04 View west along the Suitland Parkway just west of Old Marlboro Pike in Westphalia, Prince Georges C…20162016-09-11 12 36 04 View west along the Suitland Park…2016-09-11 12 35 51 Sign for the Suitland Parkway just west of Old Marlboro Pike in Westphalia, Prince Georges County, …20162016-09-11 12 35 51 Sign for the Suitland Parkway jus…2016-07-04 08 36 49 View south along the inner loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) at Exit 1…20162016-07-04 08 36 49 View south along the inner loop o…2016-07-04 08 36 27 View south along the inner loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) at Exit 1…20162016-07-04 08 36 27 View south along the inner loop o…2016-07-04 08 35 53 View south along the inner loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) 1-2 mile …20162016-07-04 08 35 53 View south along the inner loop o…2016-01-22 09 19 25 View north along the outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) at Exit 1…20162016-01-22 09 19 25 View north along the outer loop o…2016-01-22 09 18 53 View north along the outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) about one…20162016-01-22 09 18 53 View north along the outer loop o…2016-01-22 09 18 24 A sign describing distance to exits along the northbound outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interst…20162016-01-22 09 18 24 A sign describing distance to exi…2016-01-22 09 17 09 View north along the outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) at Exit 1…20162016-01-22 09 17 09 View north along the outer loop o…2016-01-22 09 16 47 View north along the outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495) at Exit 1…20162016-01-22 09 16 47 View north along the outer loop o…
On the National Register

2 historic places in Westphalia

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
9
each building in a district counts
first listed
1976
Melwood Park
Melwood ParkCottage, The
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Italianate1
Greek Revival1
Melwood ParkBuilding
Cottage, TheItalianate

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Westphalia

Nobody well known was born in Westphalia itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Markelle FultzAmerican basketball player · b. 1998
Angela AlsobrooksAmerican politician and lawyer · b. 1971
John CarrollFirst Roman Catholic bishop and archbishop in t… · b. 1735
Daniel CarrollAmerican politician, signer of the US Constitut… · b. 1730
Rico NastyAmerican rapper · b. 1997
Chase YoungAmerican football player · b. 1999
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

MorningsideIts storyD−Brown StationIts storyD−QueenslandIts storyDLargo1 historic placeCForestvilleIts storyC−Andrews AFBIts storyDMarlboro VillageIts storyDMelwoodIts storyD−Upper Marlboro6 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Westphalia’s history

How does Westphalia rank for history?

Westphalia is more historic than 35% of U.S. towns, #124 of 261 in Maryland. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Westphalia?

Two places: the Melwood Park (listed 1976) and the Cottage, The (1989).

How old are the homes in Westphalia?

0.7% of Westphalia’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 2012.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (30), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.