Skip to Main Content

First Washington Monument.

First Washington Monument

Field review by the editors.

Middletown, Maryland

On July 4, 1827, the citizens of Boonsboro, seized with a patriotic frenzy, climbed nearby South Mountain and spent four hours building a vaguely bottle-shaped 15-foot-high tower of rocks. It was "erected in memory of [George] Washington," according to its small marble dedication slab, and has survived to become the USA's oldest monument to a President.

Erected without mortar, the tower -- which had grown through subsequent patriotic outbursts to 30 feet high -- gradually fell into disrepair. Several efforts to restore the monument began in 1882, and the final makeover was completed in 1936. The tower has remained pretty much unchanged since then.

Compared with the famous Washington Monument, the one on South Mountain is much less stressful to visit, and the view from its base (at 1,200 feet) is more than twice as high as the one in DC.

Roadside Presidents
Roadside Presidents App for iPhone. Find this attraction and more: museums, birthplaces, graves of the Chief Execs, first ladies, pets, assassins and wannabes. Prez bios and oddball trivia. Available on the App Store.

First Washington Monument

Washington Monument State Park

Address:
6620 Zittlestown Rd, Middletown, MD
Directions:
Washington Monument State Park. From Boonsboro drive east on US-40 ALT/Old National Pike for two miles. Turn left (no stoplight) onto Zittlestown Rd. Drive one mile. Turn left at the stop sign into the park.
Hours:
Daily April-Oct. 8-sunset, Nov.-March 10-sunset (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
301-791-4767
Admission:
$2 MD carload, $4 out-of-state carload
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Doug Bast's House of HistoryDoug Bast's House of History, Boonsboro, MD - 2 mi.
Spook HillSpook Hill, Burkittsville, MD - 7 mi.
Official William McKinley Coffee Break MonumentOfficial William McKinley Coffee Break Monument, Sharpsburg, MD - 7 mi.
In the region:
Big Hand Releasing Birds, Silver Spring, MD - 47 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in Maryland

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Maryland.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Create and Save Your Own Crazy Road Trip! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Maryland Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Easter Island Moai in America (Mar 25-31, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings

Favorite Quirky City Sights