This is the first Washington Monument dedicated to the memory of George Washington. It was erected by the citizens of Boonsboro, Maryland in 1827.

“On July 4, 1827 at 7 a.m., most of Boonsboro’s 500 inhabitants assembled at the public square. Behind the Stars and Stripes and stepping spiritedly to the music of a fife and drum corps, they marched two miles up the mountain to the monument site. The citizens worked until noon and then held a dedication ceremony and lunch. They resumed work and by 4 p.m. the monument stood fifteen feet high on a 54-foot circular base. The day ended with the reading of the Declaration of Independence and a three round salute fired by three Revolutionary War veterans. The workers returned that September to finish. Upon its completion, the monument stood 30 feet high.”

It has been rebuilt several times and is currently closed to the public after being struck by lightning this past summer.

Originally posted 2015-10-17 13:14:05.