The Original Washington Monument!
Located atop South Mountain, Washington Monument State Park is named for the first completed monument dedicated to the memory of George Washington. The Washington Monument is a rugged stone tower that was initially erected by the citizens of Boonsboro in 1827.
According to a period newspaper account, on July 4, 1827 at 7 a.m., most of Boonsboro’s 500 inhabitants assembled at the public square. Behind the Stars and Stripes and stepping spiritedly to the music of a fife and drum corps, they marched two miles up the mountain to the monument site.
The citizens worked until noon and then held a dedication ceremony and lunch. They resumed work and by 4 p.m. the monument stood fifteen feet high on a 54-foot circular base. The day ended with the reading of the Declaration of Independence and a three round salute fired by three Revolutionary War veterans. The workers returned that September to finish. Upon its completion, the monument stood 30 feet high.
The monument often fell into disrepair and was rebuilt at least twice during its history - most recently by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936. The monument is currently maintained by the Maryland Park Service.
*Source: Maryland DNR
Claiming A Smiley!
- Count the number of steps from the doorway to the top as you enter the monument. Send that number via Email or Message Center to the CO when you post your log. DO NOT POST THE NUMBER IN YOUR LOG
- If the monument doorway is closed or you're just physically unable to attempt the steps, a photo of you with your GPSr in front of the monument will be acceptable. Due to privacy concerns, your face is NOT required to be in the photo
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
