to
Update
is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,422 at the 2000 census. It has been the site of a naval base specializing in gun and rocket propellants since 1890. The name of the base has varied over the years from Naval Powder Factory, to Naval Propellant Plant, to Naval Ordnance Station, to the present Naval Support Facility Indian Head. The facility's main tenant activity is the Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC/IH). Advanced research in energetic systems takes place at NSWC/IH. NSWC/IH absorbed the function of the closed Naval Ordnance Laboratory, formerly in White Oak, MD. 3,700 employees currently work at the base.
The city of Indian Head was incorporated in 1920. One source cites that its name came from a legend relating to the Algonquin Indian tribe. Another story claims that the town was named Indian Head because it resembles an Indian’s head from the air. But the simplest explanation is that the peninsula, a "head" of land, was occupied by Indians when the first white settlers arrived - thus "Indian Head" means "Indian Peninsula."
Indian Head was a thriving small town during the WWII years and up until the late 1960s. The construction of St. Charles, a giant planned community south of nearby Waldorf, brought with it retail chains and big-box stores, which attracted Indian Head's shopping dollars and started the demise of local businesses.
Today, Indian Head is rich in history but is lacking many basic retail and service businesses. Many remedies for this situation have been attempted, but the desired growth has been slow in coming.
Indian Head is bisected by Maryland Route 210, generally known as Indian Head Highway, which dead-ends in the middle of town at the entrance to Indian Head Naval Support Facility. Because of this, the town cannot benefit from through-traffic, but must be a destination in its own right.
Plans to build a massive "Chapman's Landing" housing development a few miles to the north, were thwarted in the 1990s when the state government purchased the land to preserve as green space under its "smart growth" program.
The town recently opened a "black box" stage theater, a new community center building, new ball fields, and is exploring other efforts to revitalize the town. A year-round swimming pool is at the nearby Henry E. Lackey High School.