Existing comment:
Creation and History:
"A Monument for Baltimore's 1814 Defenders"
On September 12, 1815, the cornerstone of America's first true war memorial was laid with a solemn ceremony in Baltimore's Courthouse Square. The historic Battle Monument, completed by 1825 with $40,000 in private donations, was dedicated to the 39 citizen soldiers killed in the 1814 battles at North Point and Fort McHenry. Architect Maximilian Godefroy (1765-1840) designed the neo-classical 39 foot tall structure, covered with symbols, and Italian sculptor Antonio Capellano (1780-1840) created the griffins and the figure later known as Lady Baltimore. In 1827, the image of the Battle Monument became the official symbol of the city and remains in use today. |