WHO WE ARE
Manhattan Beach, a quiet residential community in Severna Park, Maryland, is bordered by Cypress Creek, the Magothy River, Dividing Creek and Governor Ritchie Highway (Maryland-2). Auto access from Ritchie Highway at Jones Station Road is limited to tree-lined Manhattan Beach Road.
The character of old "Bushy Neck" (the colonial forerunner of Manhattan Beach) has changed significantly over its history. Originally occupied by Indians, the area became a major tobacco-growing center after large tracts were granted to farmers who tilled the rich soil bordering the Magothy. One among them was Edward Bates, whose receipt of 150 acres of Bushy Neck was recorded on July 13, 1665.
In the 1880s, Alfred A. Stinchcomb, owner of 226 acres of what became Manhattan Beach, occupied a farmhouse at the junction of the Magothy River and Dividing Creek. The Stinchcombs grew fruits and vegetables for shipment to markets in Baltimore and Annapolis.
The Magothy became a bustling waterway in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with Ferry Point at the juncture of Mill and Dividing Creeks serving as a port for scores of schooners and steamships which plied the river and Chesapeake Bay with passengers and cargoes of fish, seafood and crops.
Residential development began in the area in 1921 after George Stinchcomb sold 177 acres of the farm to J. Brooks Melchor of Baltimore’s Ashburton Realty for $37,000. The land was subdivided into residential lots, usually 70 to 100 feet wide. Melchor named the nascent community Manhattan Beach when he found an Indian axe and other artifacts that reminded him of the Indian name Manhattan.
Early resident Christian Zeichner, who still has property on Dividing Road, said the waters of Dividing Creek in those days were clear and cool, with flowing green seaweed growing above the water’s surface. Buckingham Cove, where Dividing Creek divides, nurtured wild water lilies. Large turtles swimming in the creek would occasionally be caught in the propellers of motorboats and then set free by concerned boaters. The silence of the pristine scene was punctured by the squawks of mergansers paddling in the creek.
Many lots sold off quickly in the 1920s as city residents seeking relief from summer heat and humidity built cottages near the inviting waters. (Being located on a peninsula bordered on three sides by water, Manhattan Beach enjoyed warmer than usual temperatures during much of the winter and cooler days in summer.)
Crystal Beach on the Magothy near Cypress Creek evolved as a popular shoreside park complete with picnic grounds, row boating, a Ferris wheel, waterslides and pony rides. Trains from Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington stopped at Jones Station just west of Manhattan Beach where their passengers boarded horse- and mule-drawn carriages for the short ride to the playgrounds. (The railroads are long gone, replaced by a bicycle and walking trail.)
In 1929, Crystal Beach attracted large crowds to a newly decorated ballroom, a bowling alley and a pool hall. Popular Maryland shore dinners were served along the large boardwalk fronting the Magothy.
(The history of Manhattan Beach and the Magothy is beautifully told and illustrated in My River Speaks by Marianne Taylor, Bay Media, Arnold, MD, 1998).
The character of the community changed further with the development of Gov. Ritchie Highway and the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge The bridge gave summer residents easy access to Ocean City and other Atlantic resorts. And Ritchie Highway provided an easy route for commuters to drive to Baltimore and environs. As a result, Manhattan Beach’s summer cottages gave way to year-round structures. Residents today easily reach any and all cities and towns of the Baltimore-Washington complex. Piers, motoryachts and sailboats line the creeks.
The community’s public school children attend Severna Park High School and Jones Elementary and Severna Park Middle Schools. Private schools nearby include the Severn School, Chesapeake Academy and a parochial elementary school at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.
Manhattan Beach streets are paved. Speed humps on Manhattan Beach and Stinchcomb Roads help enforce the community-wide 25-mph speed limit. Motorists are encouraged to observe the speed limit to ensure the safety of pedestrians and children at play.
The community accommodates three non-residential activities: American Legion Post 175 on Manhattan Beach Road, Magothy Marina, and Cypress Creek Marina.
Manhattan Beach Civic Association
Residents organized the Manhattan Beach Civic Association (MBCA) in 1929. Its Certificate of Incorporation was written on September 9 and recorded on December 6, 1929.
Manhattan Beach became a Special Community Benefit District within Anne Arundel County on May 15, 1992. Neighborhoods within the community--Manhattan Manor, Manhattan Woods, Oak Grove, Buckingham Estates and Windrush Farm—are included in the district, with MBCA acting as administrator. All property owners in the special tax benefit district are assessed an annual tax of $25 as part of their county property taxes. Anne Arundel County returns the aggregated funds to the MBCA for Community Center maintenance, insurance and community upkeep.
A Board of Directors, including the officers (president, vice president, secretary and treasurer), all residents who volunteer their time and energy to community betterment, governs the MBCA.
The Community Center at 742 Dividing Road was opened in 1958. MBCA meetings and many civic activities are held there. Board meetings are open to the public and convene at 8:00pm on the first Tuesday of every month, September through June. MBCA general membership meetings are held on the first Tuesdays of September, October, December, April, and May and also convene at 8:00pm. Officers and directors are nominated at the April meeting and elections open to all members are held on the first Tuesday of May. Upon election, officers and directors are installed for one-year terms.
The Community Center accommodates community groups such as Boy Scouts and a children’s summer camp. It is available for private occasions, which sometimes include wedding receptions. The Association maintains a playground on the Community Center grounds, a community boat ramp on Magothy Road, and water access areas to the Magothy at the end of Dividing and Magothy Beach Roads.
The Association sponsors several special events each year, including a flea market in the spring, a community picnic in September, and "Breakfast with Santa" in December. During the annual cleanup week, residents can dispose of certain unwanted materials in a dumpster at the Community Center parking lot.
The MBCA security patrol operates during the spring, summer and fall. Citizen volunteers cruise through the community in a marked car during the evening to detect any suspicious activities, which may be reported to county police. Manhattan Beach normally enjoys a quiet, benign environment that is crime-free.