Cumberland

Cumberland is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Allegany County, Maryland. It is the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,076. Cumberland was named by English colonists after the son of King George II, Prince William, the Duke of Cumberland. After the American Revolution it served as a historical outfitting and staging point for westward emigrant trail migrations throughout the first half of the 1800s. It also became an industrial center, served by major roads, railroads, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which connected Cumberland to Washington, D.C. Today the city is one of the poorest in the United States, ranking 305th out of 318 metropolitan areas in per capita income. The city is in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians at the junction of the North Branch Potomac River and Wills Creek. The majority of the land lies in a valley created by these two streams, and Interstate 68 runs through the city in an east-west direction. The abandoned Ohio and Chesapeake Canal National Historical Park is now part of the city's historic district. It was the starting point for British General Edward Braddock's ill-fated attack on the French stronghold of Fort Duquesne (present-day Pittsburgh) during the French and Indian War, the North American front of the Seven Years' War.

History

Cumberland is the primary city name, but also Cresaptown, Lavale are acceptable city names or spellings. Cumberland was named by English colonists after the son of King George II, Prince William, the Duke of Cumberland. It is built on the site of the mid-18th century Fort Cumberland, the starting point for British General Edward Braddock's ill-fated attack on the French stronghold of Fort Duquesne. Cumberland was the terminus, and namesake, of the Cumberland Road (begun in 1811) that extended westward to the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal had its western terminus here; it was built to improve the movement of goods between the Midwest and Washington, DC. The city developed as a major manufacturing center, with industries in glass, breweries, fabrics, tires, and tinplate. With the restructuring of heavy industry in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states following World War II, the city lost many jobs. As a result, its population has declined by nearly half, from 39,483 in the 1940 census to fewer than 20,000 today. In the 1850s, many black fugitives reached their final stop on the underground floor of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church. A maze of tunnels beneath the church provided refuge before the final five mile trip to freedom in Pennsylvania. The surrounding hillsides were mined for coal and iron ore, and harvested for timber that helped supply the Industrial Revolution. In 1794, George Washington returned as President of the United States to Cumberland to review troops assembled to thwart the Whiskey Rebellion.

Geography

Cumberland is in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians at the junction of the North Branch Potomac River and Wills Creek. Interstate 68 runs through the city in an eastwest direction, as does Alternate U.S. 40, the Old National Road. The abandoned Chesapeake and Ohio Canal's towpath is maintained, allowing travel by foot, horse or bicycle between Cumberland and Washington, D.C. A separate trail/path extension, called the Great Allegheny Passage, has been developed that leads to Pittsburgh as its western terminus. Cumberland lies at the beginning of the transition from a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) to a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) The region has four distinct seasons, with hot, humid summers, and moderate winters (compared to surrounding communities, Cumberland receives milder winters and less snow). Average seasonal snowfall totals 30.3 inches (77 cm) The record high is 109 °F (43 °C) set in July 1936 and August 1918, both of which are state record highs, while the record low is 14°F (26 °C), set at the current site on January 1819 1994 and January 2021, 1985. On 13 January 1912, Cumberlands reached minus 40 degrees, the coldest recorded temperature in the Southern United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.15 square miles (26.29 km²), of which 10.08 square miles [26.11 km²) is land and 0.07 sq mi [0.18 km²] is water.

Demographics

Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked 305th out of 318 metropolitan areas in per capita income. Forbes ranked the Cumberland Metro as having the 6th-lowest cost of living in the US, based on an index of cost of housing, utilities, transportation and other expenditures. The population of the city has continued to decline since 1990, with the 2010 census population of 20,859 the lowest since the 1900 census. In 2007, The Baltimore Sun newspaper, citing the National Association of Realtors figures on home prices, stated that while most areas were stagnant, Cumberland home prices were rising by more than 17%, the highest in the country.Population decline from 1950 to 1990 was due to a string of industrial plant closures. Plants such as Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Allegany Munitions and Celanese closed down and relocated as part of widespread industrial restructuring after WWII. The 1987 closure of the Kelly Springfield Tire Plant marked a turning point, as it was the last major manufacturing plant in the city limits to close its doors. The city is located on the Potomac River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay and the Little Rappahannock River. It is located in the Eastern Seaboard region of the U.S. and is on the Eastern seaboard of the West Coast of the United States. The Cumberland, Maryland-West Virginia border is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of Baltimore. The town is located at the junction of the Eastern and Western Panhandles.

Economy

The top employers in Cumberland are as follows. Cumberland is a small town with a population of about 2,000 people. It is located on the Cumberland River, which runs through the town of Cumberland. The town's economy is largely based on the mining industry. It also has a strong manufacturing sector, which is the town's main source of employment. The top employers are all based in the mining area of the town. The unemployment rate is currently at 3.7 per cent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The economy is estimated to have grown by 1.8 per cent in the past three years. The state economy is expected to grow by 2.5 per cent over the next three years, and the economy is projected to grow again in the next five years.

Arts and culture

Cumberland is home to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and the Allegany Museum. The Thrasher Carriage Museum has one of the nation's top collections of horse-drawn vehicles, representing every walk of life. Cumberland's most significant architecturally are located in the Washington Street Historic District. The town is located at the western terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and the intersection of the railroad, canal, and Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland. The Paw Paw Tunnel is one of world's longest canal tunnels and was one of greatest engineering feats of its day. The Narrows and Lovers Leap is 1,652 feet (504 m) above sea level and made up of oddly squared projectories of rock, from its top, all the way down to the National Highway (U.S. Rte. 40) below. The City of Cumberland and the neighboring states of Pennsylvania and West Virginia may be seen from this point. It is notable as an impressive man-made mountain pass, visible from miles away and one of best rock exposures in Maryland and indeed the entire northeastern United States in this road cut. The Sideling Hill road cut is a 340-foot (100 m) deep road cut where Interstate 68 cuts through Sideled Hill. It features three large Tiffany windows, ammunition tunnels, and a fort with three large Gothic windows and cellars standing at the eastern end of the historic Fort Emmanuel Episcopal Church District, standing on the site of Fort Cumberland.

Government

Cumberland's current mayor is Ray Morriss, who was elected in 2018 after defeating two-term incumbent Brian Grim. The city council holds public meetings twice per month. Cumberland is in Maryland's 6th congressional district and is represented in the United States Congress by Representative David Trone and Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen. In fiscal year 2021, the city government recognized $46.4 million in revenue, and it incurred $42.2 million of expenses. During that period, theCity government employed 234 people. In the Maryland House of Delegates, Cumberlands is represented by Michael W. McKay. in the Maryland Senate, Cumberland was represented by George C. Edwards. In Maryland's House of Representatives, Cumberlanders were represented by Michael W. "Rock" Cioni, Laurie P. Marchini, and Joseph P. George. The City of Cumberland has a Councilmanager government composed of an elected mayor, four elected city council members, and an appointed city administrator. The Councilmanager Government is responsible for running the city's day-to-day operations. It is the only government in the state of Maryland that does not have a mayor or city council. The councilmanager government was formed in the early 1990s to replace the previous city council, which had been in charge of the city for more than 50 years. The current mayor and city council are Eugene T. Frazier, Richard J. " rock" CIONi, and Laurie P.- Marchini.

Education

The offices of Allegany County Public Schools are located in Cumberland. The first public school for African-Americans operated in a colored YMCA on Independence Street, and was named the Mary Hoye school. In 1923 a new school for blacks was built on Frederick Street. In 1941 an election was held of students and faculty, and the school was renamed George Washington Carver School. The schools were integrated in 1955, when 54 negro children attended the white schools. In 1956, 3 black students became the first to graduated from Allegansy County's newly integrated schools.Approximately 39,000 people hold library cards in Alleghany County, with libraries such as Washington Street Library and Lavale Public Library and several others. The city is served by the private Bishop Walsh School and Calvary Christian Academy, and elementary schools such as Cresaptown Elementary School, South Penn Elementary School and John Humbird, and Cash Valley Elementary School. In addition to serving the local population, many black people from surrounding areas in West Virginia sent their children to Carver because of the inadequate local facilities. In 1864 the state legislature provided funds, and a structure for obtaining local funds from taxes and private donations for the purpose of funding schools for Negroes. The state legislature also provided funds in 1864 for a school for the deaf and mute, and in 1866 for the blind. The school was opened in 1868. The high school is called Fort Hill High School.

Infrastructure

Water and sewer service is supplied by the City of Cumberland. Hospitals include UPMC Western Maryland and Thomas B. Finan Center. Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides intercity service to Cumberland via the Capitol Limited, which runs between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Illinois. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad operates steam and diesel excursion trains from Cumberland to Frostburg and back. The Greater Cumberland Regional Airport (Airport-ID: CBE) provides local air transportation to the Cumberland area, located in Wiley Ford, West Virginia, to the south of the Potomac River. There was once a working oil well that pumped crude oil from a location near the Fruit Bowl in the Cumberland Narrows. The municipal watershed is located to the north within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Water is drawn from two lakes on city land, Gordon and Koon. The primary public transportation in the city is bus service provided by Allegany County Transit. This service consists of five scheduled routes that reach most areas of the city and provide access to most public facilities. Other significant roads serving Cumberland include U.S. Route 40 Alternate, Maryland Route 51, Maryland Route 61, MarylandRoute 639 and Maryland Route 807. The Cumberland Amtrak Station is located downtown at Queen City Drive and East Harrison Street. There is a large hump yard for full service to Pittsburgh over Sand patch grade to the west, the Grafton, West Virginia and the Baltimore, Maryland, line to the east.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland = 83. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 72. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 60. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Cumberland = 3.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 19,076 individuals with a median age of 40.7 age the population dropped by -6.47% in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,896.98 residents per square mile of area (732.43/km²). There are average 2.16 people per household in the 9,045 households with an average household income of $30,890 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.90% of the available work force and has dropped -2.77% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 26.56%. The number of physicians in Cumberland per 100,000 population = 240.8.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Cumberland = 37.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 31.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 122. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 165. 88 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 21.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 43, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland which are owned by the occupant = 48.26%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 11.0 years with median home cost = $96,820 and home appreciation of 9.99%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $10.65 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,651 per student. There are 14.5 students for each teacher in the school, 414 students for each Librarian and 366 students for each Counselor. 7.84% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 8.03% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.18% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).