Battle Monument after recent Conservation Photograph courtesy of the Governor's Press Office, State of Maryland

The symbol of the City of Baltimore, the Battle Monument stands on Calvert Street at Fayette Street. Designed by Maximilian Godefroy and completed in 1825, the Battle Monument honors the thirty-nine men who died in the Battle of Baltimore, when the British were defeated at North Point and Fort McHenry on September 12, 1814. The base and column of the monument are composed of Baltimore County marble; the sculptures of Lady Baltimore and the four griffins were carved from Italian marble by Antonio Capellano.

Battle Monument commemorating the War of 1812
detail from a postcard c. 1930
Click on the picture to see a larger version

Located in the downtown area, the Monument had become seriously decayed due to exposure to the elements and heavy pollution. Composed mainly of locally quarried Cockeysville marble, the monument had eroded to the point that all surfaces were reduced to a "sugary " texture and all of the marble was severely cracked.

In conjunction with Defenders Day 1995 and the Baltimore City Bicentennial Celebration the Monument was restored. A ceremony was held on September 12, 1997 for its rededication.

• The Restoration Project