Memories, Makeovers In Prince George's

Garrett, 62, a real estate agent who last year moved to Culpeper, still returns to Colmar Manor to show properties. The town, he said, is solidly blue-collar, with an average income of $45,000 to $55,000 a year. "Ninety-four percent of the houses in town are owned by the people who live there," he noted. "That is highly unusual."

Colmar Manor town is quiet. In the evenings, entire families stroll together up the steep hill leading to the town hall.

Cristine Squires, who works across Bladensburg Road in a warehouse, said she walks to her job and isn't afraid to walk the neighborhood after dark.

In the early days of the nation, when Colmar Manor was considered part of Bladensburg, it had a violent reputation. In the meadow below the steel footbridge, more than 50 duels took place during the first half of the 19th century, according to the historical marker placed by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The spot, known as the "dark and bloody grounds," would attract "gentlemen from Washington" who crossed into Maryland to "settle their political and personal differences."

The best-known combatants were naval hero Stephen Decatur and James Barron. On March 20, 1820, Barron mortally wounded Decatur, who had risen to fame as the conqueror of the Barbary Pirates off North Africa. Decatur died 12 hours later in his home on what is now Jackson Place, near the White House. Although Congress outlawed duels in 1839, they continued on the grounds until just before the Civil War.

On a sultry Sunday afternoon, in the gazebo installed in 2004 marking the site of the dueling grounds, Stevie Clark sat, pen and paper in hand. A resident of nearby Mount Rainier, Clark said he visits his mother's grave at Fort Lincoln and then uses the shortcut through the fence and walks to the gazebo. "It's quiet, and I can come over here and see my mother and reminisce," said Clark, 41.

The 178-acre Fort Lincoln Cemetery has its own rich history. The property was named for a fort that protected the District during the Civil War. Near the site, in 1814, Marines and flotilla men under the command of Commodore Joshua Barney waged a valiant but losing fight against the British in the Battle of Bladensburg, even as the bulk of the U.S. militia fled.

Squires was not the only member of her family who could not stay away from Colmar Manor. Her younger sister, Waverly Pollitt, 43, married and lived elsewhere for several years before returning to Colmar Manor. Pollitt bought a house around the corner from her sister, next to the entrance to the lush, rolling athletic fields.

"We all know each other," said Pollitt, a stay-at-home mom and 1980 graduate of Bladensburg High School. "We look out for each other's children."

Pollitt's husband, Donald, who does home improvements, stood by the boat he keeps in his front yard, just off Bladensburg Road. He said he enjoys the town for its peaceful surroundings; serious crimes are rare, he said.

Roland Squires, who operates a forklift at a Capitol Heights firm, said people take good care of their lawns and gardens, and stolen cars and gang activity are on the wane. The police "are doing a lot of things to get things right around here. Years ago, people would say, 'I ain't going to Colmar Manor.' You can go anywhere now."

In the midst of the small, tidy homes along Newton Street sits Colmar Manor Bible Church. The church, which has undergone several name changes, has been serving congregants and the larger community since 1936 at the same location, according to Kenneth Burge, the pastor. His is one of three churches in town. "It's a very warm and caring community," said Burge, who counts around 50 individual members at the nondenominational church.

Most worshipers, he added, live in town. "We're really happy about that, because our main focus is to really serve the people in that community."

Burge and his wife operate several ministries. His wife oversees the tutoring ministry during the school year. The town's mayor, Diana Fennell, who attends Burge's church, has assisted in opening the town hall for a Friday night basketball ministry run by Burge's son, Joshua, 19.

"It's a safe community," said Burge. "We're tucked in here, which is really nice."