Jeremy Edmunds
Google
In the heart of Baltimore, past the harbor's tourist crush and beyond downtown's office towers, Mount Vernon Place unfolds like a European piazza that somehow landed in Maryland. Here, America's first monument to George Washington rises 178 feet above four elegantly designed park squares, where locals stretch out on stone fountain edges on sunny afternoons and readers find quiet moments among magenta roses.
On a recent spring morning, the squares hummed with the gentle rhythm of urban leisure. A woman with a colorful tote bag read beneath climbing roses while two older gentlemen had positioned folding chairs beneath century-old trees, engaged in conversation that seemed as unhurried as the clouds passing overhead. Unlike the carefully scheduled tourist sites of the Inner Harbor, Mount Vernon Place invites lingering.
"What makes this place special is how it's both a monument and a living room," said a local artist sketching the classical buildings that frame the squares. "People actually use it."
The district's stately buildings reveal Baltimore's 19th-century prosperity. When the Washington Monument's cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1815 (predating its more famous Washington D.C. counterpart by 33 years), it stood atop land donated from Revolutionary War hero John Eager Howard's estate. Baltimore's wealthiest families soon constructed elegant townhouses with marble steps and ornate cornices along the perimeter. These grand structures now house cultural institutions like the Walters Art Museum and the Peabody Institute.
For visitors willing to tackle 227 stairs, climbing the Washington Monument offers panoramic views for just $6. The reward is a bird's-eye perspective of architect Robert Mills' masterful urban planning – the Greek cross layout of the four squares radiating from the monument's base, a design that feels remarkably contemporary despite its 19th-century origins.
Mount Vernon Place doesn't shy from its complex history. Until 2017, a statue of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, who authored the infamous Dred Scott decision, stood in the north square. Its removal during an overnight operation following the Charlottesville violence represents how public spaces evolve alongside cultural values. Today, only the empty pedestal remains, a silent counterpoint to the district's otherwise intact historical landscape.
The neighborhood's seasonal rhythms offer different experiences throughout the year. Summer brings free outdoor concerts and yoga classes organized by the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy. December transforms the area with the annual Monument Lighting, a Baltimore tradition since 1971 that bathes the Washington Column in holiday illumination accompanied by fireworks and a festival atmosphere. Spring's Flower Mart has operated since 1911, famous for its curious "lemon stick" treat – a peppermint stick inserted into a halved lemon.
Local wisdom suggests visiting midweek to experience Mount Vernon Place at its most authentic. The Walters Art Museum (free admission) provides a climate-controlled respite on Baltimore's humid days, while the breathtaking George Peabody Library houses one of America's most photogenic book collections. For refreshments, try Dooby's for Korean-inspired fare or Mount Vernon Marketplace for diverse culinary options.
As dusk falls and the Washington Monument glows against the darkening sky, visitors and locals alike gather on the squares' benches. In this moment, Mount Vernon Place achieves something remarkable – a public space that simultaneously honors history while remaining vitally alive in the present.
