Where Did That Sign Come From?

If you live in the area, when you're driving south on Baltimore-Washington Parkway, you might take the exit that takes you onto East West Highway to get home.

That sign to MD 410 lets motorists know that if they turn right, they'll go to Hyattsville and if they turn left it'll take them to New Carrollton. But below the main sign is a smaller one that says "Riverdale Park."

Was this a sign to draw tourists into town or was just a landmark?

So after speaking to the town of Riverdale Park, the Federal Highway Commission and the National Park Service, which actually operates the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, I learned that the sign just designates that motorists are entering Riverdale Park. Technically, it's not really Riverdale Park, it's an unincorporated county land more commonly referred to as Riverdale.

It's a landmark, it's as simple as that.