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The Washington Monument is the centerpiece of intersecting Mount Vernon Place and Washington Place, an urban square in the Mount Vernon-Belvedere neighborhood north of downtown
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
. It was the first major monument begun to honor
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
(1732–1799).


History

The Monument, a colossal landmark column, was designed by American architect Robert Mills (1781–1855), who also designed the later
Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and ...
on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Construction began in 1815 on land donated by Colonel
John Eager Howard John Eager Howard (June 4, 1752October 12, 1827) was an American soldier and politician from Maryland. He was elected as governor of the state in 1788, and served three one-year terms. He also was elected to the Continental Congress, the Con ...
(1752–1827), from his extensive "Belvidere" estate just north of Baltimore Town, and the masonry work was completed by 1829. The 178 foot, 8 inch
doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...
column holds a ground-floor gallery offering digital exhibits about the construction of the Monument, the history of Mount Vernon and Washington Places neighborhood and of the life and accomplishments of General and President George Washington. Climbing the 227 steps to the top provides a view of the city from the historic neighborhood where it is located. Its neighbors and cultural institutions within a few blocks include the Peabody Institute, The Walters Art Museum, the Central Library of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, the Maryland Historical Society with its Enoch Pratt Mansion, the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called the Baltimore Basilica, was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the United States, and was among the first major religious buildings constru ...
(old Baltimore Cathedral), and the Baltimore School for the Arts (public high school). The glorification of Washington began long before his death at his beloved Mount Vernon estate, along the
Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...
in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
in December 1799. The old Confederation Congress (1781–1789 under Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union) had first announced a desire for a sculpture in his honor in 1783 after the end of the War and of General Washington's resigning of his commission and after his death, revived the idea of a memorial. However, these expressions of honor in the national capital floundered and would not be realized for decades. A monument honoring Washington in
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
, then an up-and-coming rising town, the third largest in North America, was first proposed as early as 1807, and in 1809 a Board of Managers of private citizens formed to commission and fund the monument intended to be erected in the old former colonial-era Courthouse Square on North Calvert Street, between East Lexington and East Fayette Streets (today's location of the Battle Monument Square, constructed simultaneously 1815–1822). In 1810, the first lottery authorized by the General Assembly of Maryland, was held. In 1813, an architectural competition was announced with a $500 prize to design and build the Monument at a cost of $100,000. Mills's design was chosen in 1814, the architect having taken pains to demonstrate to the Board of Managers that he was the first native born American with architectural training. The cornerstone was laid with great ceremony on Independence Day, July 4, 1815.Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, "Historical Timeline: Washington Monument and Mount Vernon Place" http://mvpconservancy.org/digital-exhibits/ Mills's competition-winning designs included rich ornamentation, six iron galleries (balconies) dividing the exterior shaft into seven sections with text and images on each level highlighting important moments in Washington's life. An interior spiral staircase led to the top, where surmounting the column Washington was depicted in a quadriga. Concerns over the expense of this design, as well as its projected height caused later changes in not only its design, but location. Residents of old Courthouse Square feared the tall column would fall on their houses in the event of some natural disaster, so a new location was found in Howard's Woods, north of the city, on the "Belvidere" estate and with a 200 square feet of surrounding land for future public squares/parks, which was donated by noted leading citizen,
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
hero, Col.
John Eager Howard John Eager Howard (June 4, 1752October 12, 1827) was an American soldier and politician from Maryland. He was elected as governor of the state in 1788, and served three one-year terms. He also was elected to the Continental Congress, the Con ...
, (1752–1827) of the famed "
Maryland Line The "Maryland Line" was a formation within the Continental Army, formed and authorized by the Second Continental Congress, meeting in the "Old Pennsylvania State House" (later known as "Independence Hall") in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in June ...
" regiment of the
Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
. By the time the Monument's cornerstone was laid in Howard's Woods in 1815, Mills had significantly simplified the original elaborate design as depicted in an account of the Fourth of July ceremony. The design of the completed column is very similar to the Colonne Vendôme in
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, which ultimately derived from Trajan's Column in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
and was adopted in this time of the increasing popularity of
Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism ...
in American architecture. The dignified cornerstone ceremony was overseen by the Monument's Board of Managers. Board President and noted citizen, James Buchanan observed that the city of Baltimore had not only "the glory of being the first to erect a monument of gratitude to the father and benefactor of our country," but that it had a "peculiar propriety" in erecting "this first expression of national gratitude," because of its successful defense against the British King's Army and
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
during the Battle of Baltimore the previous fall.See the full 1815 account https://archive.org/details/authenticaccount00prat At the ceremony it was declared that the Monument was to stand as "memorial of the blessings and advantages that our country derived from the character of and conduct of that personage whose name it is to bear, and whose virtues it is to perpetuate." Following speeches, the cornerstone was laid by
Levin Winder Levin Winder (September 4, 1757 – July 1, 1819) in Baltimore, Maryland. During the Revolutionary War, he was appointed major of the 4th Maryland Regiment, finally attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel at war's end. After the war, he served ...
, then
Governor of Maryland The Governor of the State of Maryland is the head of government of Maryland, and is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state and has a broad range of appointive powers ...
and head of the Maryland
Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, in a dignified masonic ceremony. The entire proceedings were printed in the local newspaper, picked up by newspapers in other major cities, and published in a souvenir booklet with illustrations. Almost from the moment the cornerstone was laid, and particularly as the structure began to rise out of the ground (the first marble was laid in 1816), the Monument was a destination and an active memorial. In June 1817, during fifth President James Monroe's visit to the city, his itinerary included a visit to the Monument. Construction sites in the early nineteenth century were not what they are today, and during the building period it is clear the Monument was visited inside and out. As early as 1819 guests were leaving evidence of their visit in the Monument's subterranean vaults. By shortly after 1820 with the column proper largely complete with its integral interior staircase, visitors were already climbing to the top.
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
newspaper editor Nathaniel H. Carter visited in February 1823 and climbed to the top, escorted by a boy with a candle, to take in the views of the city. The monument, constructed of marble from three quarries further north in
Baltimore County, Maryland Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City o ...
, rises 178 feet 8 inches and consists of three main elements: a low, square base containing a gallery; a plain, unfluted column; and, atop the column, a standing figure of Washington. The marble was sourced from three quarries: the base from General
Charles Carnan Ridgely Charles Carnan Ridgely (December 6, 1760July 17, 1829) was born Charles Ridgely Carnan.Gerson G. Eisenberg, ''Marylanders Who Served the Nation: A Biographical Dictionary of Federal Officials from Maryland'' (Annapolis: Maryland State Archives, ...
's (1760–1829), quarry, (near his
Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City ...
estate of Hampton Mansion near Towsontown), the column and other details from Scott's quarry, and the statue from the quarry of Mrs. Frances D. T. Taylor. Washington is depicted on the top of the Monument resigning his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the
Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
, an act which took place in the Old Senate chamber in the Maryland State House in the state capital of Annapolis, Maryland on December 23, 1783. The Confederation Congress was meeting in the Maryland capitol which served for a few months as the temporary national capital. While there, the Congress also ratified the Treaty of Paris of 1783, ending the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
and recognizing the independence of the United States by
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
. The statue was carved by Italian-born sculptor , who previous to his work on the Monument had been employed carving reliefs for the United States Capitol. William Rusk, in his book ''Art in Baltimore: Monuments and Memorials'', tells the following story about the raising of Causici's marble statue of Washington in 1829. "Tradition recalls a prodigy occurring when the statue was raised to the summit of the monument – a shooting star dashed across the sky and an eagle lit on the head of the settling general." Details added to the monument in the 1830s include the bronze inscriptions on all facades documenting eight principal events in George Washington's life, including his military and presidential career. Former president John Quincy Adams assisted the monument's board of managers in determining the wording of these events. The interior of the monument was stuccoed at this time and exterior wood doors installed, painted to imitate ancient Roman bronze doors. The cast-iron fence around the base was also designed by Mills and added in 1838. It contains symbolic references to the Maryland and the strength achieved through the union of the original thirteen colonies. Other memorials to Washington were erected in Maryland and in the nearby national capital, including the one now in
Washington Monument State Park Washington Monument State Park is a public recreation area located approximately southeast of Boonsboro, Maryland. The park preserves the Washington Monument, a tower honoring George Washington, the first President of the United States. The mo ...
(near Boonsboro, Maryland and the Appalachian Trail), which was first constructed in 1827. The Boonsboro monument as it now stands reflects at least two rebuildings after the structure had fallen into ruin. In 1848 Mills's
Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and ...
in the national capital was begun, but it would not be completed and dedicated until 1885. Because of this, for decades the Baltimore Washington Monument served as a leading symbol of American pride and gratitude towards George Washington, as a founding father and the first President of the nation. Mid 19th century maps, for instance, pair the Baltimore column with the Capitol building because the Washington, DC monument had only just begun. The monument is now open for tourists.


Lighting of the Washington Monument

Since 1971, the city has held the annual "Lighting of the Washington Monument" during the first Thursday in December. A holiday village is held prior to the lighting ceremony in the West Square of Mount Vernon Place. Typically, the mayor and his or her family flips the switch for the lights, followed by a fireworks show. After the lighting, the holiday lights remain on the monument until after Christmas Day. The 49th annual Downtown Partnershop Monument Lighting was held virtually, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Cultural references

* The Monument is referenced by
Herman Melville Herman Melville ( born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are '' Moby-Dick'' (1851); '' Typee'' (1846), a ...
(as Ishmael) in Chapter XXXV (The Mast-Head) of '' Moby-Dick'', "Great Washington, too, stands high aloft on his towering main-mast in Baltimore, and like one of Hercules' pillars, his column marks that point of human grandeur beyond which few mortals will go." * In the show '' Ace of Cakes'' the star Duff does the ceremonial lighting of the Monument. He was quoted saying that Baltimore's monument was first, better, cooler, and lights up. * The Hollywood film '' ...And Justice for All'' has a scene of
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...
running around the monument. * The film '' The Bedroom Window'', directed by Curtis Hanson, is set largely in Mount Vernon and is about an attempted murder that takes place at the base of the monument. * In 1998, an opening scene to the movie '' Pecker'' was filmed in front of the Washington Monument. In audio commentary that accompanies the DVD, director John Waters states that the photo the film's titular character (played by Edward Furlong) takes of the monument is "the oldest dirty joke in Baltimore" due to the resemblance of Washington's extended arm to a large
phallus A phallus is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history a figure with an erect penis is described as ithyphallic. Any object that symbolically—or, more precise ...
when viewed from the angle at which the photo is taken. * The TV show ''House of Cards'' includes some scenes of the monument and surrounding area such as the Peabody Institute and the Belvedere.


Restoration

The Monument was closed in June 2010 by the City of Baltimore for safety reasons, according to articles in the '' Baltimore Sun'' and ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
'' newspapers. Missing mortar and rusted support brackets were among specific safety concerns. Several months later, a driver ran a 1997 Chrysler van through the southeast corner on October 30, 2010 and damaged roughly 15 feet of the fence. While reports initially indicated the Monument's closure would last three months, it was later determined that reopening would not take place until a renovation was completed. In 2012 the City of Baltimore entered into a partnership agreement with the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy to restore, maintain, and manage the Monument and parks squares of Mount Vernon Place. The monument has undergone a $5.5 million restoration by the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy which began in January 2014. It was reopened and rededicated on July 4, 2015, in celebration of the bicentennial of the cornerstone being laid.Wenger, Yvonne. "Washington Monument set to undergo $5 million in repairs," ''The Baltimore Sun'', Friday, October 18, 2013.
/ref>


1815 Cornerstone rediscovered and 1915 Time Capsule discovered

During the monument's restoration two time capsules were discovered, the Monument's original 1815 cornerstone and a 1915 Centennial time capsule. Although the Monument's cornerstone had long been known to exist, its exact location was unknown. The 1915 Centennial time capsule, however, had been forgotten to time. The first to be discovered, the 1915 time capsule, was a sealed copper box that had been placed behind a plaque in the monument during the centennial celebrations in 1915. It was discovered in October 2014. In February 2015, during digging for a sewage tank, a second time capsule, the Monument's original cornerstone, was discovered containing three well preserved glass jars stuffed with and surrounded by newspapers from July 1 and July 3, 1815, the days right before the laying of the cornerstone. The cornerstone was a nearly perfect granite cube with a marble lid, weighing between 1,000 and 1,500 pounds (roughly 450 to 700 kg). Besides the jars, the cornerstone contained a panel carved by local stonemasons and carvers of the time, and is expected to contain additional items, including coins and a metal plate. Like the 1915 capsule, the cornerstone contents were taken to the Walters Art Museum for analysis.Baldwin, Brooke. "200-year-old time capsule discovered," ''CNN'', Wednesday, February 18, 2015.
/ref> The contents of the 1815 cornerstone were fully revealed, and the 1915 time capsule opened, on June 2, 2015, at the Walters Art Museum. Among many interesting artifacts, the 1815 cornerstone contents included a copy of the
United States Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ( ...
printed in the (Baltimore) Federal Gazette on July 3, 1815, the day before the cornerstone was laid. The newspaper was folded open to the page printing the Declaration, and appears to be the last item placed in the stone. This inclusion suggests that to those who built the Monument in 1815, it was not just the first monument to honor America's founding father, George Washington, but also one of the earliest American monuments celebrating American national independence. The contents of both time capsules can be seen on public display at the Maryland Historical Society, located just 2 blocks from the monument.


Historic designation

The Washington Monument is the centerpiece the public squares of Mount Vernon Place, which comprise the Mount Vernon Place National Historic Landmark District, designated in 1971. The Historic District is in turn within the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, and the
Baltimore National Heritage Area Baltimore National Heritage Area is a federally designated National Heritage Area encompassing portions of Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The designated area includes the central portion of the city, waterfront, inner neighborhoods and portions of the ...
.


See also

*
List of memorials to George Washington This is a list of memorials to George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and first president of the United States. Federal holiday Washington's Birthday has been a federal holiday in t ...
* List of public art in Baltimore *
List of statues This is a list of notable statues worldwide, past and present. Algeria * Ain El Fouara Fountain, Setif * Constantine statue, Constantine * Dihya statue, Khenchela * Oruç Reis statue, Aïn Témouchent * Shoshenq statue, Tizi Ouzou Aust ...
*
Washington Monument State Park Washington Monument State Park is a public recreation area located approximately southeast of Boonsboro, Maryland. The park preserves the Washington Monument, a tower honoring George Washington, the first President of the United States. The mo ...


References


External links


Mount Vernon Place Conservancy website
* at the Maryland Historical TrustFROM=NRCountyList.aspx?COUNTY=Baltimore%20City * Owner: City of Baltimore * {{Authority control 1829 establishments in Maryland Statues of George Washington Buildings and structures in Baltimore Monuments and memorials to George Washington in the United States Landmarks in Baltimore Monuments and memorials in Maryland Robert Mills buildings Neoclassical architecture in Maryland Tourist attractions in Baltimore Baltimore National Heritage Area 1829 sculptures Buildings and structures completed in 1829 Marble sculptures in the United States Mount Vernon, Baltimore Historic American Buildings Survey in Baltimore Monumental columns in the United States Public art in Baltimore Baltimore City Landmarks