The Washington Monument in Washington County, Maryland, United States, honors the "Father of Our Country," George Washington. It is located within Washington Monument State Park four miles east of the town of Boonsboro. The monument sits near the summit of South Mountain's Monument Knob (1,540 feet).
 Quote from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Built in 1827, it was the first monument to George Washington to be completed. The Baltimore Washington Monument was completed two years later, although it had been started in 1815. The famous Washington Monument in the District of Columbia was not completed until 1885. The tower is 34 feet tall and was built by the citizens of the village of Boonsboro.
On July 4, 1827, a dedication service was held and the monument stood 15 feet high on a base 54 feet in circumference. Plans were made to complete the tower to a height of 30 feet "after the busy season," and in the fall of that year this was done.
During the Civil War (1862-1865) the monument was used by the Union Army as a signal station. The citizens of Boonsboro also utilized the Monument and surrounding land as a popular meeting place, but over the years, weather and vandalism reduced it to a pile of rubble. In 1882, the restoration of the monument was undertaken and carried out under the sponsorship of the Odd Fellows Lodge of Boonsboro. At this time, a canopy was added and a roadway for vehicles was built up the mountainside to the site. A decade later the rugged tower was marred by the development of a crack in the wall. Because it was not repaired, the monument again fell in ruins.
In 1920, the one-acre site was purchased by the Washington County Historical Society, and in 1934 it was deeded to the State of Maryland for use as a State Park. The tower was rebuilt in its present form by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps, who set in place the original cornerstone and a facsimile of the dedication tablet.
The third dedication ceremony was held on July 4, 1936, exactly 109 years after that first day of patriotic activity by the citizens of Boonsboro, which produced the beginnings of the country's first completed monument to George Washington.
The Appalachian Trail goes through the state park, and passes the base of the monument. The monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 1972. |
A
BUG on the camera lens. And look, there were more Bugs all over that
sign. Karen Duquette refused to take any more photos. She also refused
to go behind the monument to take a picture of the view down the cliff.
But Lee Duquette was already there and said there were lots more bugs.
He took a quick picture of the view.
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