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History · Bladensburg

Bladensburg’s post office opened in 1834, and 100% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 2 old photos and papers and maps from 1912 on.

1834first post office
0on the National Register
100%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Bladensburg’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Bladensburg began

When was Bladensburg founded?

1834

The Bladensburg post office opened in 1834, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 180192 years
Founding year: the first Bladensburg post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Bladensburg’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Bladensburg’s homes were built before 1938.On the map since 19123 editions of the USGS map, 1912 to 1961. Watch Bladensburg change.Deep rootsA post office since 1834: 192 years of Bladensburg.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Bladensburg’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo2 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewBladensburg Concrete Bowstring Bridge, …: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Bladensburg came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Bladensburg.

Read it all →

Bladensburg was originally spelled "Bladensburgh", and under the latter name was laid out in 1833. A post office has been in operation at Bladensburg(h) since 1834.

Bladensburg is the former home of East Knox Elementary School.

Bladensburg is also home to the Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department, with 42 volunteer firefighters. It is the main station for the Bladensburg Joint Fire District.

Bladensburg is the home of a popular annual Christmas parade, which has been held since 1971.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

On the map

Bladensburg on the map, 1912 to 1961

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

Bladensburg on the 1912 USGS mapBladensburg on the 1943 USGS mapBladensburg on the 1961 USGS map1912Gambier 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 Bladensburg.

By decade

Bladensburg, decade by decade

Date unknown2 to date
Bladensburg Concrete Bowstring Bridge, Spanning Wakatomika Creek at State Route 541Date?Bladensburg Concrete Bowstring Bridge, Spanning Wakat…Mill Road Bridge, Township Road 184 spanning Wakatomika CreekDate?Mill Road Bridge, Township Road 184 spanning Wakatomi…
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Bladensburg Concrete Bowstring Bridge, Spanning Wakatomika Creek at State Route 541
Retake this viewBladensburg Concrete Bowstring Bridge, Spanning Wakatomika Creek at State Route 541

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Bladensburg’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

Famous people close to Bladensburg

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

See all →
Paul LyndeAmerican comedian and actor · b. 1926
Daniel Sheldon NortonAmerican politician · b. 1829
Dan EmmettAmerican entertainer and composer · b. 1815
Charles F. WestAmerican politician · b. 1895
Myers Y. CooperAmerican politician · b. 1873
Benton Jay HallAmerican politician · b. 1835

Questions about Bladensburg’s history

What year was Bladensburg founded?

The Bladensburg post office opened in 1834, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From the Library of Congress (2), Wikipedia and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.