Georgetown, MD

Georgetown is a historic town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,868 at the 2010 census. Georgetown is home to the Georgetown University Law Center and many of the town's historic buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The earliest inhabitants of what would become Georgetown were members of the Piscataway tribe who traveled up the Potomac River from their homeland near present-day Baltimore in search of new hunting grounds. The first European settler in what would become Georgetown was Nicholas Conte, who built a small cabin on Conte Point in 1694.

In 1751, George Washington purchased land along the Potomac River from Conte for use as a plantation and home. Construction on Washington's mansion, Mount Vernon began in 1754 and continued for several years; during this time, Washington spent considerable time at his estate in Georgetown.

Following Washington's death in 1799, his widow Martha moved to Georgetown to live with her son George Augustine Washingtons III. During Martha's lifetime, much of Mount Vernon was destroyed by fire (in 1814 and 1816), but she managed to save many important artifacts and furnishings for use at her grandson's plantation house in Georgetown.

Georgetown remained an agricultural community until 1835, when railroad construction began linking it with other major cities in Maryland and Virginia. This development led to an influx of new residents and businesses; by 1850, Georgetown had reached its current population of 17,868.

Today, Georgetown is a bustling commercial center with numerous restaurants and shops; it also features several notable attractions including the Woodrow Wilson School (where President Wilson attended school), St John's Church (the oldest Protestant church west of the Alleghenies), and George Washington Masonic National Memorial (the largest freestanding masonic temple west of the Alleghenies).