20030629 Berlin Mayor Dr. John William Pitts and Corbit’s Charge

20030629 Berlin Mayor Dr. John William Pitts and Corbit’s Charge

Dr. John William Pitts[1]

By Kevin Dayhoff © June 29th, 2003

The first Mayor of Berlin, Dr. John William Pitts, had a small role in Corbit’s Charge in Westminster Maryland on June 29th, 1863.

In 1863, young Private John William Pitts, from Worcester County, was serving in Company K 1st Va. Cavalry (almost all the men in Company K were from southern Maryland). Private Pitts had been attending the University of Virginia as a medical Student and enlisted in the Confederate Army.

The morning after the conflict, June 30th, 1863, Co. A of the 3rd Pa. Calvary came sweeping into town thinking that there was a continued substantial Confederate force still in town, when in reality there were only stragglers left behind. The morning began with the Union Forces firing a few artillery rounds across the town to lay the ground work for a clean-up operation. Private Pitts was one of 25 Confederates captured around 7:30 AM and imprisoned at Fort Delaware, just outside of Wilmington, Delaware and subsequently released. (He somehow later returned to duty.)

After the war, Dr. Pitts became prominent in Maryland in the medical field and later distinguished himself by becoming the first Mayor of Berlin, when Berlin formed in 1896. He also remained in the service, becoming a captain in the Maryland National Guard, and was vice president of the C. B. Taylor Banking Company. He served eight years on the Democratic Central Committee and reportedly voted the Democratic ticket all his life.[2]

[1] G. Thomas LeGore, phone interview, 29 April 2003

[2] “Men of Mark in Maryland”, Volume IV, B. F. Johnson, Inc. 1912, page 91.

20030629 Berlin Mayor Dr. John William Pitts and Corbit’s Charge

20030618 George Street Community Association Meeting

20030618 George Street Community Association Meeting

GEORGE STREET COMM. ASSOCIATION MEETING


DATE: June 18, 2003

IN ATTENDANCE: Major Dean Brewer, Town Planning – Shawn Siders, Tom Thompson, Marie Close, Marleen Gawel, Shirley Haas and Mayor Dayhoff

George Street, Westminster, MD July 18th, 2003 6 PM – Kevin, Brian, Jeff and Shawn met with the George Street Association to discuss placement of trees. The issue distilled down to whether to place them on the properties in back of the sidewalks or cut a 36” x 36’ tree well in the sidewalk, and adjust the sidewalks to facilitate ADA standards of 36” clearance.

Disposition: The George Street Association will mark where they propose to place the tree wells and how they will adjust the sidewalks to allow 36’ pathway clearance.

SHIRLEY HAAS PRESENTATION:

Improve neighborhood, improve community relations, neighborhood beautification, police presence – wants more foot patrol

*TREES:
Talked with Katmna and Brian several years ago – got nowhere
Talked with me at Prayer Breakfast – I referred her to Shawn

SOLUTION – Get together and have a meeting and mark where we can plant trees.

*TRASH:
Dumped, stored on S.L. Co. property … Code enforcement issue ….
(TOM – trash not coming from George Street – Constant vigilance ... observe and call police with information)

*TRASH:
Cans stored just below 2,4,6,8 – Dean will talk with property owner

*GEORGE STREET Clean Up Idea

*INCREASE foot patrol – Dean will look into

*l be invited to future George Street Comm. Assoc.

*SPEED Limit and Special Issues . . .
Paint line down the center of the street
Ideas of trees down the center of street – NO
Speed bumps – NO
Speed Trailer – Dean will look into

*PARKING spaces are marked completed

*We’re looking forward to a playground – need research

*Paint George St of SL Co Property – SL Co Donate paint and material – George Street will paint …

*Put trees there

*I’ll talk with Mike Bennett

*MD Historic Trust Issue with Shirley Haas

*BGE Property

*Neighborhood permitting

*Upgrade lighting