Burkittsville, Historic town in Frederick County, Maryland
Burkittsville is a settlement in Frederick County, Maryland, located along the eastern base of South Mountain. Historic wooden and brick buildings line Main Street, while residential streets with nineteenth-century houses spread across the surrounding slopes.
The settlement formed in the early nineteenth century and was later named after a local family. During the Civil War, several buildings were converted into hospitals after Union and Confederate forces fought in the nearby mountains in 1862.
Residents gather at events that celebrate the settlement's rural heritage, while the town office in a brick building on Main Street handles local matters. Homeowners maintain their historic houses and yards, keeping the streets looking much as they did in the nineteenth century.
Maryland Route 17 runs directly through the settlement and provides access to trails in nearby Gathland State Park. Visitors can walk through residential neighborhoods and spot several dozen nineteenth-century buildings.
A film from the 1990s brought worldwide attention to the settlement, even though the plot actually takes place in a different part of Maryland. Since then, movie fans regularly visit the area to photograph the quiet streets and mountain scenery.
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