Location

Within Fort McHenry’s Constellation Plaza (Street View)

GPS: 39° 15′ 50.91″ N 76° 34′ 54.75″ W

History

This larger-than-life monument depicts the Greek mythological hero of music and poetry, Orpheus with his lyre. Around the base are depictions of Francis Scott Key and the muses celebrating the victory of the American defenders of Fort McHenry against the British in the War of 1812. Key (1779-1843) penned the words to the Star-Spangled Banner (which were subsequently put to a British drinking song) after having watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry from a British vessel, where he was negotiating the release of Dr. William Beanes, a resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. This magnificent piece by sculptor Charles Henry Niehaus was dedicated on June 14, 1922 and was originally situated in the middle of the entrance road to the fort, being moved to its current location in 1962. This monument is one of many in Baltimore commemorating Francis Scott Key. Two others are located in Bolton Hill and Mount Vernon Place, respectively.

Notes

In person, this monument is immense and sits quite imposingly against the open landscape on the south edge of Fort McHenry. In the distance to the south lies the windswept water. Small trees have been planted in the vicinity in honor of George Washington and other heroes. Interestingly, though Key wrote the words to the song in 1814, it was only in 1931 that a law was finally passed making the Star-Spangled Banner the National Anthem of the United States of America. At the dedication of this monument in 1922, President Harding became the first American president to be broadcast on coast-to-coast radio. The pedestal contains a time capsule within which are historic documents.

Nearby

• Col. George Armistead Monument at Fort McHenry

Links

• Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine
• Detailed information at the Smithsonian
• Francis Scott Key on Wikipedia
• Orpheus Marker at HMdb
• On Panoramio & Flickr

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.

Nearby

• Francis Scott Key Memorial in Fort McHenry

Links

• On Wikipedia
• On the Maryland Online Encyclopedia
• Armistead’s gravesite
• Fort McHenry Library
• Smithsonian outdoor sculpture entry
• On Panoramio & Flickr