Little did John Quincy Adams know.
Way back in 1827, it was our sixth president who came up with the nickname “The Monumental City” for Baltimore, most likely after having visited the Battle Monument (begun in 1815, to honor those who fought in the 1814 Battle of Baltimore) and having observed progress on the Washington Monument, the nation’s first civic monument to its first president.
“Baltimore, the Monumental City,” Adams said in a toast, “may the days of her safety be as prosperous and happy as the days of her danger have been trying and triumphant!”
Nearly 200 years later, Baltimore still lives up to Adams’ designation — witness the $5.5 million just spent on renovating the Washington Monument, and the hundreds who showed up for its rededication ceremony July 4.
But how much do you really know about Baltimore’s monuments? That statue at the edge of Mount Vernon Place, that column off Guilford Avenue at Biddle Street? Here’s guessing you’ve driven by both dozens of times, maybe even stared at them for a moment or two. But what do they memorialize?
Here’s a quick test of your monumental knowledge. Some of the questions might seem tough, but this is information all proud Baltimoreans should have in their heads. After all, we’ve got a reputation to uphold.
