National Register of Historic Places

Hilltop Manor

Bladensburg, Prince George's County, Maryland
Listed
December 21, 2007
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
07001288

About this property

Hilltop Manor is a historic apartment complex located in Bladensburg, Prince George's County, Maryland. The complex consists of eight brick garden apartment buildings, each of which is divided into two to six units or sections, constructed in 1942 and 1943. The structures exhibit characteristics of both the Colonial Revival and Moderne style, reflecting an architectural transition between the traditional elements of the Colonial Revival style and the streamlined features of the Moderne style. The complex consists of 150 apartments interspersed among eight buildings with 32 units. Each unit contains between four and eight apartments, with the exception of one unit, 5210 53rd Place, which consists of only three apartments. In all, there are five apartment layouts with varying numbers of bedrooms. The majority of the apartments (122) have one bedroom. The remaining apartments consist of two-bedroom apartments; there is one three-bedroom basement apartment. The five basic apartment types, excluding the one three-bedroom apartment, consist of one-bedroom apartments with eat-in kitchens; one-bedroom apartments with separate dining rooms; L-shaped one-bedroom apartments; two-bedroom apartments; and duplex apartments. Despite minor renovations, the interior configurations of the apartments have remained intact. It was one of the first garden-apartment complexes constructed in the county as a result of the population increase of the Washington metropolitan area during World War II. Hilltop Manor was financed under Section 608 Title VI of the National Housing Act, the primary vehicle for World War II Defense Housing and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) financing. Thus, Hilltop Manor, intended as permanent housing, illustrates the size, scale, and design of garden-apartment complexes constructed during World War II, which was often characterized by temporary housing developments. Hilltop Manor, surrounded by the established streetcar suburb of Defense Heights and adjacent to the new Bladensburg Elementary School, was an alternative to the single-family dwellings in the area and was ideal for young middle-class families. Its location along Defense Highway, which opened in 1927, heightened convenience to Washington, D.C. It is one of the first garden-apartment complexes designed by accomplished local architects Ross & Walton. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Location

4100-4112, 4200-4214 53rd Ave., 4100-4210 53rd Pl., & 5300-5304 Annapolis Rd.
Bladensburg, Prince George's County, Maryland
38.94271, -76.92908

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Hilltop Manor

This page lists Hilltop Manor. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Hilltop Manor report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Bostwick
Industrial
0.4 mi
Market Master's House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Hilleary, William, House
Industrial
0.5 mi
Peace Cross
Listed
0.6 mi
Washington, George, House (Additional Documentation)
Industrial
0.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Bladensburg (Burning of Washington)
1814Early Republic
0.2 mi
Burning of Washington DC — Battle of Bladensburg
1814Early Republic
0.2 mi
Battle of Bladensburg
1814Early Republic
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hilltop Manor listed on the National Register?

Hilltop Manor was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 21, 2007.

What type of historic resource is Hilltop Manor?

Hilltop Manor is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Hilltop Manor?

The period of significance for Hilltop Manor is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Hilltop Manor?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Hilltop Manor will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Prince George's County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Prince George's County.

Explore Prince George'sCounty ›

More historic places in Maryland

Browse all historic places in Maryland.

View Marylandhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Maryland history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Marylandhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Hilltop Manor will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report