On the summit of South Mountain, a spur of the Blue Ridge chain, stands the rugged stone tower known as the Washington Monument -- the first monument dedicated to the memory of George Washington. Rising majestically to a height of 34 feet, the tower was built by the citizens of the village of Boonsboro, Maryland. It has been said that, “As monuments go, none was ever built with purer or more reverent patriotism.”

On July 4, 1827, at 7 am, most of the 500 inhabitants of the town assembled in the public square. Behind the Stars and Stripes, stepping spiritedly to the music of a fife and drum corps, they marched two miles up the mountain to the site they had chosen for the monument. This site was selected because of the abundance of “blue rocks,” as the outcroppings of granite were called. Construction of the tower was begun in a spirit of fervent cooperation. Since water for mortar was not available at the site, huge stones were carefully selected and accurately cut and then laid in the dry circular wall.

A dedication service was held at noon. The volunteers gathered for a cold lunch and then work was resumed and continued until 4 o’clock, when the monument stood 15 feet high on a base 54 feet in circumference. The day’s program ended with the reading of the Declaration of Independence, followed by a three-round salute fired from atop the tower by three Revolutionary War veterans. Plans were made to complete the tower to a height of 30 feet “after the busy season,” and in the autumn of that year this was done.

Inside, steps led to an observation platform surrounded by a coping. On the side nearest Boonsboro, a marble tablet was inscribed: “Erected in Memory of Washington July 4, 1827 by the citizens of Boonsboro.”

In the ensuing years, the Washington Monument became 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. Development of a 40-acre park was started. The size of the park has since increased to 108 acres.

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 monument to George Washington.

There is a visitor center at the foot of the trail leading up to the monument. This facility houses exhibits on the natural and human history of the area.

Washington Monument State Park sponsors Civil War living history events throughout the year. Call the park office at (301) 791-4767 for a current schedule of historic events.

Washington Monument State Park is located in Washington County, 4 miles east of Boonsboro, off Alternate Route 40.

The Appalachian Trail winds through this park and passes the base of the monument. There are youth group campsites available by reservation. The park lands offer picnic shelters, playing fields and superb bird-watching since the Cumberland Valley is a migratory bird flyway. An annual count of migrating hawks and eagles is made at the monument by bird enthusiasts.

The park also offers cross country skiing, hiking, historic interest, picnic, playground, shelters, and a museum.

For more information:
Washington Monument State Park
c/o
Greenbrier State Park
21843 National Pike
Boonsboro, MD 21713