The Levitt-Bowie Legacy: How 7,500 Homes Shaped a City

When people think of suburban America, many think of the name Levitt. William Levitt and his company, Levitt & Sons, are often credited with pioneering the modern planned suburb after World War II. While Levittown in New York and Pennsylvania often take the spotlight, Bowie, Maryland, tells one of the most complete stories of Levitt’s vision. Here, the company transformed farmland into a community of approximately 7,500 houses, creating a new suburban city in Prince George’s County.

This article explores how Levitt’s “Belair at Bowie” development was structured, which neighborhoods it included, and how those sections came together to form today’s Bowie.

Setting the Stage: Levitt Comes to Maryland

By the late 1950s, Levitt & Sons had already gained national recognition for large-scale suburban projects. Seeking to expand into the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the company purchased the historic Belair Estate in Prince George’s County. The land’s rolling fields provided ample space for a master-planned community designed around schools, parks, shopping centers, and curving residential streets.

Levitt branded the project “Belair at Bowie”, tying the development both to the prestige of the Belair Estate and the nearby railroad stop of Bowie. The vision was to build thousands of single-family homes, along with supporting infrastructure, effectively turning open land into a self-contained suburban city.

The Big Picture: 7,500 Houses

From the early 1960s through the 1970s, Levitt & Sons constructed roughly 7,500 homes in Bowie. The project unfolded in phases, with different sections (often called neighborhoods or “villages”) opening in sequence. Each neighborhood featured variations on Levitt’s familiar house models—Cape Cods, ranches, Colonials—appealing to middle-class families seeking affordability and a slice of suburban life.

The homes weren’t built in isolation. Schools, shopping centers, and community amenities appeared as part of the package, making Bowie more than a bedroom community. It was designed as a place where families could grow, socialize, and shop without leaving the city limits.

A Neighborhood Breakdown

The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) identifies at least 15 major neighborhoods in Levitt’s Belair at Bowie development. Two of these—Meadowbrook and the Belair Town townhouses—have confirmed home counts. The rest are estimated, but together they round out the total of roughly 7,500 homes. The rich history of the Levitt development in Bowie is fascinating.

Neighborhood	Homes (Approximate)	Notes
Meadowbrook	930 (confirmed)	One of the largest Levitt sections, well-documented.
Somerset	~500–600	Early section with traditional models.
Buckingham	~500–600	Companion to Somerset, similar scale.
Kenilworth	~400–500	Featured Colonial-style variations.
Foxhill	~500–600	Among the core family neighborhoods.
Tulip Grove	~400–500	Expanded eastward with slightly larger lots.
Long Ridge	~400–500	Reflected evolving buyer preferences.
Heather Hills	~400–500	Known for active civic associations.
Chapel Forge	~400–500	Middle-period section with strong school ties.
Whitehall	~400–500	Central neighborhood with curving roads.
Rockledge	~400–500	Anchored by proximity to shopping.
Overbrook	~400–500	Matured in the later 1960s.
Yorktown	~400–500	Featured larger floor plans than earlier sections.
Idlewild	~400–500	Late-stage section completing Levitt’s design.
Victoria Heights	~400–500	One of the final phases of Belair.
Belair Town I & II (townhouses)	300 (confirmed)	Built near the Belair Shopping Center as denser housing options.
Total	≈7,500	Confirmed aggregate across all sections.

Note: Counts other than Meadowbrook and Belair Town are estimates derived by distributing the remaining total (~6,270 homes) across the 14 single-family neighborhoods. Actual numbers may vary, but the table reflects the overall balance within Levitt’s Bowie.

The Neighborhood Experience

Each neighborhood within Belair at Bowie followed Levitt’s master-planned formula but had its own identity:

• Somerset and Buckingham were among the earliest sections, setting the tone with tree-lined streets and uniform house styles.
• Kenilworth and Foxhill followed with variations on the home models, drawing in families eager to settle in new housing close to Washington, D.C.
• Tulip Grove and Long Ridge expanded the community eastward, offering slightly larger homes and lots as Levitt adapted to changing tastes.
• Heather Hills and Chapel Forge reflected a maturing suburb, with residents increasingly organizing civic associations and PTA groups.
• Whitehall, Rockledge, Overbrook, and Yorktown formed the backbone of Bowie’s middle period of growth, consolidating its reputation as a commuter-friendly yet family-oriented city.
• Idlewild and Victoria Heights rounded out Levitt’s vision, completing the mosaic of Belair neighborhoods by the early 1970s.

Together, these neighborhoods gave Bowie not just housing, but a sense of community through schools, playgrounds, and shared architectural DNA.

The Architecture of Levitt Homes in Bowie

The houses themselves were typical of Levitt developments—affordable, mass-produced, and designed for young families. Models included:

• Ranch-style homes with open floor plans, designed for efficiency.
• Cape Cods and Colonials, giving a more traditional look while remaining within modest price ranges.
• Townhouses, built in limited numbers, which introduced a denser housing option.

While critics often dismissed Levitt homes as cookie-cutter, their affordability and livability attracted thousands of buyers. Over time, many Bowie homeowners modified, expanded, and personalized their properties, adding individuality to once-uniform streetscapes.

Schools, Shopping, and Amenities

Levitt didn’t just sell houses; the company sold an entire lifestyle. The Belair development included multiple elementary schools, junior high schools, and Bowie High School, ensuring children could be educated within walking distance. Shopping centers such as the Belair Shopping Center and later the Free State Mall provided retail convenience.

The community also featured parks, pools, and churches, reinforcing Bowie’s identity as a self-sufficient suburb. These amenities were essential in marketing the development to families who wanted not only affordable housing but also community infrastructure.

Bowie’s Transformation Into a City

Before Levitt arrived, Bowie was a small railroad town with historic roots. Within two decades, it had become one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Maryland. The Levitt-built neighborhoods formed the nucleus of modern Bowie, which was officially incorporated as a city in 1963.

By the 1970s, Bowie was nationally recognized as an archetypal planned suburb. Its rapid growth mirrored broader trends in postwar America: a booming middle class, an automobile-driven lifestyle, and a preference for suburban over urban living.

Lasting Impact and Preservation

Today, Bowie is Prince George’s County’s largest city by area and one of the most populous. The Levitt neighborhoods remain the backbone of its housing stock, even as newer developments have expanded the city’s footprint.

Preservationists and historians have recognized Bowie’s Levitt sections as historically significant examples of mid-20th-century suburban planning. The Historic American Buildings Survey has documented the community, ensuring its place in the architectural and cultural record.

Conclusion: More Than Just Houses

Levitt & Sons built more than 7,500 homes in Bowie, Maryland—they built a community. Through carefully planned neighborhoods like Meadowbrook, Somerset, and Foxhill, and through the provision of schools, shopping centers, and amenities, Levitt transformed farmland into a thriving suburban city.

While exact counts per neighborhood remain less well documented, the overall impact is clear: Bowie stands today as one of the most complete examples of Levitt’s suburban vision outside of the original Levittowns. For residents, the legacy is lived every day on tree-lined streets, in local schools, and in a community that owes much of its existence to one of America’s most influential builders.

As a home remodeling company that grew up in Bowie, MD and still serves this area today, we love to see all the ways homeowners have customized or added on to their original Bowie homes. We’ve done everything: full gut renovations, new bathroom remodels, updated kitchens, you name it. With a heart for Bowie, we know Bowie Levitt homes better than anybody and we’re ready to help you make your Bowie home your own!