Washington Monument, Baltimore
The Washington Monument in Baltimore
|
|
| Coordinates | 39°17′51″N 76°36′57″W / 39.29750°N 76.61583°WCoordinates: 39°17′51″N 76°36′57″W / 39.29750°N 76.61583°W |
|---|---|
| Location | Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Designer | Robert Mills |
| Type | Colossal Doric column |
| Material | White marble |
| Height | 178 feet 8 inches (54.46 m) |
| Beginning date | 1815 |
| Completion date | 1829 |
| Opening date | 1815 [site visitation] |
| Dedicated to | George Washington |
The Washington Monument is the centerpiece of Mount Vernon Place, an urban square in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first major monument begun to honor George Washington.
The Monument, a colossal column, was designed by American architect Robert Mills, who also designed the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. Construction began in 1815 on land donated by John Eager Howard and the masonry work was completed by 1829. The 178 foot 8 inch doric column holds a ground-floor gallery offering digital exhibits about the construction of the Monument and the history of Mount Vernon Place. Climbing the 227 steps to the top provides an excellent view of the city from the historic neighborhood where it is located. Its neighbors include the Peabody Institute and The Walters Art Museum.
The glorification of Washington began long before his death in December 1799. Congress had first announced a desire for a sculpture in his honor in 1783 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 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 Courthouse Square on Calvert Street (today's Battle Monument Square). In 1810, the first lottery authorized by the Maryland General Assembly, 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 on July 4, 1815.
Mills's competition-winning designs included rich ornamentation, six iron galleries dividing the exterior 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 changes in not only its design, but location. Resident of 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, and a 200 square foot land donated by Revolutionary War hero John Eager Howard.
...
Wikipedia