Know Your County: Living in Upper Marlboro, MD

I've lived in Upper Marlboro for 25 years and raised my sons here. So it's the right place to start Know Your County, my series on the towns and areas that make up Prince George's County.

Where is Upper Marlboro?

Upper Marlboro is the county seat of Prince George's County. The town itself is tiny, with about 650 residents. But an Upper Marlboro mailing address covers a much bigger area, including parts of Largo and Mitchellville, so it's worth asking exactly where a home sits.

The area was first settled around 1695. The town grew up as a port on the Western Branch of the Patuxent River, shipping tobacco, and it's named for the first Duke of Marlborough.

What is there to do in Upper Marlboro?

• Watkins Regional Park. 794 acres with a farm, a nature center, mini golf, a carousel and a train.
• Festival of Lights. A drive-through holiday display at Watkins Park, running November 27 through January 1 this year.
• Lake Presidential Golf Club. A public course and one of my favorite places to spend a morning. Golfers also have Oak Creek Golf Club nearby.
• The County Courthouse. The center of town.
• Darnall's Chance House Museum. A house built in the 1740s that's now open to visitors.
• The Show Place Arena. Home to the Prince George's County Fair and major horse shows.
• Merkle wildlife area. About 1,670 acres of trails and birdwatching.
• Marlboro Grille. A Main Street spot I've been to many times. Great food and a great environment.
• Dutch Village Farmers Market. Most people call it the Amish market. You'll find meats, cheese, fresh bread and even woodwork, but I go for the sweets. Cranberry orange muffins, cornbread, pies, cakes, strawberry shortcake and, hands down, the best assortment of donuts around. Dunkin' Donuts has nothing on them.
• Deep Roots Farm. A 53-acre, Black woman-owned regenerative farm growing vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers. It isn't open for drop-in visits, but you can join its membership program or find it at local farmers markets.

How easy is it to get around?

This is one of the things I like most about living here. Route 4, Route 301 and Route 202 all run through the area, and the Capital Beltway is close by. That makes it easy to get to DC, Annapolis and Southern Maryland.

What kinds of homes are in Upper Marlboro?

You can find a complete cross-section of homes in the Upper Marlboro area. Whether you want to rent an apartment or buy a condo, a townhome, a single-family home or a luxury home, it's all here.

• Marlboro Meadows: classic suburban streets with colonials and split levels, developed in the 1970s.
• Brock Hall: a community of about 150 single-family homes, including many ramblers.
• Marlboro Ridge: a luxury community with equestrian amenities, where you may see horses grazing as you drive in.
• Marlboro Village: mostly condos and townhomes.
• Beechtree: single-family homes and brick townhomes tied to Lake Presidential Golf Club.

South of Route 4, you'll find open land where buyers can build custom homes or small farms.

What's the market like right now?

Like much of the DC area, this market has slowed this fall. Buyers have more choices than they did a year ago, and sellers need to price and prepare carefully.

A little-known fact about Upper Marlboro

Without this town, we might not have "The Star-Spangled Banner."

In August 1814, British forces arrested Dr. William Beanes, a physician who lived in Upper Marlboro, after local residents jailed some British stragglers. Francis Scott Key went to help negotiate his release. Key was held aboard ship during the attack on Fort McHenry, and on the morning of September 14, he saw the flag still flying. He wrote the poem that became our national anthem.

And one more. The town was once spelled "Marlborough." The story goes that a postal clerk dropped the last letters because they wouldn't fit on a rubber stamp.

Thinking about Upper Marlboro?

If you're thinking about buying or selling here, call or text my office at 240-255-9027. After 25 years in this town, I'm happy to tell you what the listings don't.