Washington Monument on South Mountain Monument Knob

There are occasions when hiking the Appalachian Trail where you wish you could hang out and explore more. Washington Monument State Park was one of those places for me. There are numerous other things to see in the area but time was not available. I did try to enjoy the monument and view, sitting for over an hour watching the thunderstorms and talking with visitors. It was late in the day and about an hour after leaving the tower, a downpour totally drenched me for 30 minutes.

Located atop South Mountain, Washington Monument State Park was named for the first completed monument dedicated to the memory of George Washington.

Volunteer villagers of nearby Boonesboro celebrated their independence day July 4, 1827, by building and dedicating this first monument to the memory of George Washington.

Repaired and altered many times over a hundred years by patriotic citizens, it was finally restored to its original design in 1934-1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

This monument, used by the union army during the civil war as a signal station, and its surrounding land, was bought by the Washington County Historical Society in 1922 and presented to the state of Maryland for park development in 1934.

This massive structure was certified a Maryland Historical Monument in March 1972, and a National Historical Monument in November, 1972.

The South Mountain State Battlefield is located in Washington Monument State Park. This was the first major Civil War battle fought in Maryland.