Baltimore dignitaries gather to lay the cornerstone of the first monument dedicated to General and President George Washington (1732-1799). Designed by Robert Mills (who also designs the DC Washington Monument) it is erected on land donated by Revolutionary War hero John Eager Howard (1752-1827). The monument is completed in 1825 and remains a national landmark in the city’s Mt. Vernon District.
A citywide lottery raises funds after the laying of the cornerstone. The decade long construction in Howard’s woods becomes a tourist destination. The 178 foot tall column, with an interior stairway, an impressive view of the city and a large statue of Washington resigning his military commission in 1783 at the top, is the center of an urban park and a fashionable Baltimore neighborhood.
Another much humbler Washington Monument, on South Mountain in Washington Counties, is begun by Revolutionary War veterans in 1826 and is now a state park. The DC monument is the 3rd to honor Washington.
