The Washington Monument is the centerpiece of intersecting Mount Vernon Place and Washington Place, an urban square in the Mount Vernon-Belvedere neighborhood north of downtown Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first major monument begun to honor George Washington (1732-1799).HistoryThe Monument, a colossal landmark column, was designed by American architect Robert Mills (1781-1855), who also designed the later Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.. Construction began in 1815 on land donated by Colonel John Eager Howard (1752-1827), from his extensive "Belvidere" estate just north of Baltimore Town, and the masonry work was completed by 1829. The 178 foot, 8 inch doric column holds a ground-floor gallery offering digital exhibits about the construction of the Monument, the history of Mount Vernon and Washington Places neighborhood and of the life and accomplishments of General and President George Washington. Climbing the 227 steps to the top provides an excellent view of the city from the historic neighborhood where it is located. Its neighbors and cultural institutions within a few blocks include the Peabody Institute, The Walters Art Museum, the Central Library of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, the Maryland Historical Society with its Enoch Pratt Mansion, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (old Baltimore Cathedral), and the Baltimore School for the Arts (public high school).
