George Armistead Monument at Fort McHenry (Baltimore, MD)
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Location
Next to Visitor’s Center of Ft. McHenry (Street View – approximate)
GPS: 39° 15′ 52.55″ N 76° 34′ 47.34″ W
History
Col. George Armistead (1780-1818) was a Virginia-born artillery officer who served as commander of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812’s Battle of Baltimore. Armistead is most well-known for ordering a massive American flag to be installed at the fortress, measuring forty-two feet by thirty feet, “a flag so large that the British would have no difficulty in seeing it from a distance.” The flag contained fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, was crafted by Mary Pickersgill and later became the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s Star Spangled Banner, the National Anthem of the United States of America. Armistead is buried in Old St. Paul’s Cemetery in Baltimore, alongside his nephew Confederate General Lewis Addison Armistead. This monument was dedicated on September 12, 1914 – one hundred years after the Battle of Baltimore. Artist: Edward Berge.
Notes
This monument stands outside the entrance to the visitor’s center at Fort McHenry, which itself is considered a National Monument and Historic Shrine. It is one of two monuments to this military hero in the city, the other located on the crest of Federal Hill, overlooking the Inner Harbor. During WWII, Fort McHenry served also as a Coast Guard base.
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