Washington Monument State Park is a public recreation area located approximately four miles (6.4Â km) east of Boonsboro, Maryland. The park preserves the Washington Monument, a 40-foot-tall (12Â m) tower honoring George Washington, the first President of the United States. The monument, which sits near the summit of South Mountain's Monument Knob, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The park is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
HistoryEdit
Washington Monument State Park - Located just outside of Boonsboro, Maryland, on South Mountain this provides a superb view of the surrounding area.
Built in 1827, the original tower was the first monument dedicated to George Washington to be completed. The Baltimore Washington Monument was completed two years later, although it had been started considerably earlier in 1815. The famous Washington Monument in the District of Columbia was not completed until 1885.
The dry-laid stone tower was built on July 4, 1827, by the citizens of Boonsboro who marched to the site en masse after assembling in the town square at 7 a.m. At the end of that day, the tower stood at 15 feet (4.6Â m) high on a base 54 feet (16Â m) in circumference. Later that year, "after the busy season", workmen returned to complete the tower to a height of 30 feet (9.1Â m).
Although it was a popular meeting place for the citizenry of Boonsboro, weather and vandalism reduced the monument to rubble. In that condition, it was used by the Union Army as a signal station during the Civil War.
First restorationEdit
In 1882, the Odd Fellows Lodge of Boonsboro sponsored the tower's restoration. A canopy was added and a vehicle road built up the mountainside. A decade later, however, the tower again fell into ruin when a crack in the wall was not repaired.
State parkEdit
The Washington County Historical Society purchased the one-acre (0.40Â ha) site in 1920 and deeded it to the state for use as a state park in 1934.
CCC restorationEdit
The tower was rebuilt in its present form by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Workers set in place the original cornerstone and a facsimile of the dedication tablet (pictured at right), and a third dedication ceremony was held on July 4, 1936.
Activities and amenitiesEdit
The section of the Appalachian Trail that runs through the park is used by visitors to reach the monument. The museum in the park's visitors center was refurbished in 2013 and has exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the area. Picnicking facilities are also available.
See alsoEdit
- List of monuments dedicated to George Washington
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Washington Monument State Park Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Washington Monument State Park Protected Planet
- Washington Monument, Washington County, including photo from 1978, at Maryland Historical Trust
