Braddock Heights Neighborhood
Braddock Heights is located west of the Frederick city limits, south of I-70. Turn left on Maryland Avenue off of Alternate route 40…the Neighborhood extends along the ridge of the hill, through Jefferson Blvd. It is a small community with beautiful views of Frederick and the Middletown Valley. Braddock Heights is part of the Middletown School District.
Braddock Heights Neighborhood Statistics and Demographics
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Braddock Heights Real Estate Data
The population: c. 2600
Estimated median house value in 2016: $371,000. The eclectic range of architecture, dates of construction, and customized styles of homes in the neighborhood make averages a bit meaningless.
AVERAGE TAXES IN BRADDOCK HEIGHTS: $6,253 COUNTY AVERAGE: $5,986
AVERAGE YEAR BUILT IN BRADDOCK HEIGHTS: 1946 COUNTY AVERAGE: 1967
Local Folklore: Fun Trivia
Braddock Heights is the home of the fabled “Snallygaster”, in German: “quick spirit”, a half-bird-half-reptile creature supposedly responsible for the dissapearance of livestock in the Middletown Valley since the mid-18th Century. Evidently, a missing resident was also blamed on the Snallygaster throughout the years. The Frederick area was settled by Germans, and their folklore can still be heard. We can see seven-pointed stars painted on some local barns, symbols to keep the monster at bay.
You can read all about it in Patrick Boyton’s book: Snallygaster: the Lost Legend of Frederick County
Braddock Heights History
Named for General Edward Braddock from the days of the French and Indian Wars, a lot of history surrounds Braddock Heights. It was the site of a major battle during the Civil War. The view of the City of Frederick from Old Braddock inspired Oliver Wendell Holmes to write about the “clustered spires” in his journal in 1862, and his friend John Greenleaf Whittier popularized the term in his famous poem about Barbara Fritchie.
Braddock Heights was founded in 1896 as a winter resort community, one of the first modern planned communities in the country. It grew to include several hotels, a pool, an amusement park, wooden skating rink (which was the nation’s oldest until it burned down in 1998…I used to take my kids there:) Until 1980 there was a small ski resort.
Railroad service between Frederick and Braddock Heights started in 1896. Service from Braddock to Jefferson Md was added in 1906, bringing hotel guests and vacationers, and continued until 1940 and 1946.
The Braddock Heights Historic Society has a website and newsletter, their mission is to preserve the history of the area. You can see old photos and submit any that you have.
Braddock Becomes a Permanent Neighborhood
After World War II, Braddock Heights became more of a community with permanent residents, as opposed to a vacation resort. There is a Braddock Heights Community Association which holds events at the local Park. (like the Braddock Heights Community Association of Facebook for the latest information) Originally Camp Schley Inn, the local restaurant The Braddock Inn is still in operation, one of the remaining historic places.
Memberships to the pool are available, check the Association website or hours and swimming lessons. The swim team is called “the Barracudas”.
You see homes that are very eclectic and unique, with varying architectural styles, reflecting how the community grew over the years. There are a number of Victorians and Arts & Craft homes, as well as contemporary homes, all custom built and different. As a result, it’s not the neighborhood to find a tract home.
Green Home Building is Gaining Momentum