Basic Information
- Type of Place
- Suburb
- Metro Area
- DC
- Politics c. 1860?
- Don’t Know
- Unions, Organized Labor?
- Don’t Know
Sundown Town Status
- Sundown Town in the Past?
- Probable
- Was there an ordinance?
- Don't Know
- Sign?
- Don’t Know
- Year of Greatest Interest
Census Information
| Total | White | Black | Asian | Native | Hispanic | Other | BHshld | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | ||||||||
| 1870 | ||||||||
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| 1890 | ||||||||
| 1900 | ||||||||
| 1910 | ||||||||
| 1920 | ||||||||
| 1930 | ||||||||
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| 1960 | ||||||||
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| 1990 | ||||||||
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| 2010 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 1003 | 1245 | 106 | 184 | 1961 | 1765 |
Method of Exclusion
- Reputation
Main Ethnic Group(s)
- Unknown
Group(s) Excluded
- Black
Comments
Brentwood was a sundown suburb until the 1960s.
Blacks had to live in nearby North Brentwood.
An elderly Maryland resident who was born in North
Brentwood says, “We weren’t allowed on 34th St.,”
referring to the main north-south business street of
Mt. Rainier, the next white town just southwest of
North Brentwood. “If we went on 34th St.,” on
bicycles, in her childhood, “we better be flying.”
Otherwise, “they threw things at us, called us ‘nigger,’
‘spook,’ all kind of things.” “The white children?” I
asked. “Uh-huh,” she affirmed, “and the adults.” She
also detailed threats made by one white homeowner,
in particular, including leaflets he gave to black
children that used racial slurs and stated “One-Way
Ticket Back to Africa.”
An entire racial etiquette was passed down in
North Brentwood regarding what one could and could
not do in adjoining sundown towns. One was allowed
to walk only on the north side of Rhode Island Avenue,
for example, the main artery leading into Washington,
D.C. When going to the Safeway supermarket, one
must cross Rhode Island Avenue at the Safeway, not
before, then cross back after shopping. One could
take the streetcar or bus into the District but one must
not get off until the district line. African Americans
could watch the Fourth of July fireworks in Magruder
Park in Hyattsville, the neighboring town to the north
of North Brentwood, from their own side of the river
that created the border between the two towns, but
could not set foot in Magruder Park. And underlying
all these rules was the generalized fear of what whites
might do. “Our parents had been treated so badly, by
white people,” Mrs. Thomas explained, “that they
warned us.”
A metal barrier was erected on the borderline between Brentwood and North Brentwood, the first incorporated African American town in the county, in 1957. This barrier, erected shortly after Brown v. Board of Education served as a way to reinforce racial divide. In 2019, The Barrier Project, a multi-location site-specific dance and design performance which traversed audiences through the town was led by Orange Grove Dance (Hyattsville CDC, 2020; Orange Grove Dance; 2024). In June 2024, the metal barrier was repurposed into a sculpture symbolizing unity in the newly created Windom Road Historic Barrier Park situated on the border between North Brentwood and Brentwood (Beckwith, 2024; The Neighborhood Design Center, 2025).
“This is the culmination of the deep partnership between the towns and proof of what happens when communities fight racism together,” said Brentwood Mayor Rocio Treminio-Lopez. “As an immigrant who grew up in this community, [I believe that the] unveiling cements a commitment to pave the way for a future of inclusion and rights for anyone who lives here.” North Brentwood Mayor Petrella Robinson said that the June 29 unveiling of the park offered an opportunity to “reflect on the cause that unites us and also celebrate the community efforts that got us to this solemn and joyful event.” “We honor the residents who fought against this blatant discrimination, and we pave the path for unity and equity,” she said. (Weaver, 2024)