Takoma Park, a historic community that straddles the District of Columbia border, was founded in the late 19th century as a railroad suburb. Home buyers took a short-line trip from the swamps of the District of Columbia into a tree filled, elevated oasis.
Developer Benjamin Franklin Gilbert built summer bungalows as getaways, and year-round residents soon flocked to the community. Commercial areas grew around the railroad station.
A decidedly progressive political ethos developed in Takoma Park early on, and remains. Residents are famously involved at the local, state and national levels, and Takoma Park is known to take positions that sometimes subject it to ribbing elsewhere in the Maryland, earning it the nickname of “The People’s Republic of Takoma Park.”
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
