Accokeek

Accokeek is an unincorporated place in the southwest corner of Prince George's County. The name "Accokeek" is an Algonquian word meaning "at the edge of the hill." Before the arrival of Capt. John Smith in 1623, indigenous people had occupied the area intermittently for thousands of years. After an initial increase in the European population and a corresponding decline in the number of American Indians, the population of Accokeek stabilized. The area could be described as a rural community in harmony with nature. Since World War II, the size and diversity of the population have changed rapidly. In 1942, Indian Head Naval Reservation Access Road was constructed. The major highway passes through Accokeek and connects residents to federal government jobs in Indian Head to the south and Washington, DC, to the north. Today, Accokeek citizens continue efforts to preserve the natural environment and historical landmarks from development.

Kenneth Bryson, retired from the US Census Bureau after 38 years of government service, is the president of Friends of the Accokeek Library. The generosity of local residents who shared treasured family photographs brought a human face to local history. Access to materials from the Alice Ferguson Foundation, along with federal, state, county, and local archives and libraries, made this work possible.