Monument City

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Location

Madison Avenue & Cloverdale Road (Street View)

GPS: 39° 18′ 54.75″ N 76° 38′ 26.71″ W

History

Once placed high in the wall of the Old Post Office, this Baltimore artifact was purchased by William H Parker when the building was razed in 1930. The relief statue was one of twenty created by English artist John Monroe just after he finished working on the Albert Memorial in London. Monroe was paid $28,523 for his services by Charm City’s government. The stone panel depicts cherubs operating a distillery in unison with the creation of art. Parker donated the sculpture to The Board of Park Commissioners, in 1932, to be erected when the country repealed the 18th amendment. They, in turn , installed it near the main entrance to Druid Hill Park a year later, marking the return of beer to the city. The monument is said to be the only one in the country marking the end of Prohibition.

Notes

Hidden behind the bushes of an under-maintained garden between the Parks and Recreations building and the park’s main entryway, the Repeal Statue is hardly noticeable during spring and summer. Enough moss has formed on the stone that it tends to blend in with its surroundings. A plaque is placed at the foot of the statue.

Nearby

• Eli Siegel Stone
• William Wallace
• George Washington (Druid Hill)
• Columbus at Druid Hill
• John Cook Garden & Sundial
• Wagner Bust

Links

• Passage in Maryland: A Guide to the Old Line State
• On Flickr & Panoramio