Columbus Obelisk

The Columbus Obelisk is one of three monuments to Christopher Columbus in Baltimore, Maryland. Erected in 1792, the obelisk is the oldest monument to Christopher Columbus in the United States.[1]

Columbus Obelisk
Monument in 2016
Artist	Unknown
Year	1792
Medium	Brick and white stucco
Dimensions	(44 ft. 6 3/4 in. in)
Location	Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
	39.336349°N 76.574523°W
Owner	City of Baltimore

History

The Columbus Obelisk was donated by the French Consul to the City of Baltimore, Charles François Adrian de Paulmier, Chevalier d'Anmour, in 1792 to commemorate the tricentennial anniversary of Columbus's discovery of America.[2] The monument was originally located on d'Anmour's estate on North Avenue and Harford Road. On October 12, 1964, it was rededicated and moved to its present location in Herring Run Park at Harford Road, Walther Avenue, and Parkside Drive.

Vandalism

In August 2017 the monument was vandalized by a group of individuals inspired by efforts to remove Confederate monuments; they posted a video of themselves performing the act on YouTube. In the video, one person sledgehammers the base of the structure, while another holds a sign reading "Racism. Tear it Down".[3] In October 2017, Mayor Catherine Pugh authorized the city's Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation to restore and relocate the monument, and expressed interest in the possibility of rededicating the monument to someone else other than Columbus, due to the controversy surrounding the structure.[4]

In June 2020, the group known as the Baltimore BLOC threatened to destroy the monument by offering Mayor Jack Young a dilemma of either removing all Columbus memorials or face vandalism as a consequence.[5]

Proposed renaming

In 2020, Councilman Ryan Dorsey introduced legislation to rename and rededicate the monument as "The Police Violence Victims Monument."[6] On November 16, 2020, Baltimore Mayor Jack Young vetoed the legislation, citing concerns by Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Michael Harrison.[7] The City Council, with a vote of 9 to 6, failed to override the mayor's veto on December 8, 2020.[8]

See also

• List of public art in Baltimore
• List of monuments and memorials to Christopher Columbus
• Monument and memorial controversies in the United States

References

1. "Conservation of Baltimore City's Monuments, Memorials, & Sculpture". Historical and Architectural Preservation. City of Baltimore. November 15, 2015.
2. "Baltimore – Columbus Obelisk". www.vanderkrogt.net.
3. Wood, Pamela (August 21, 2017). "Christopher Columbus monument vandalized in Baltimore". The Baltimore Sun.
4. Amara, Kate (October 9, 2017). "Mayor seeks to rededicate Columbus monument to someone else". WBAL-TV.
5. Shen, Fern (June 22, 2020). "Activists warn Mayor Young they plan to take down Baltimore's Columbus monuments". Baltimore Brew.
6. Dieterle, Marcus (June 23, 2020). "Dorsey introduces bill to rename Columbus obelisk to honor victims of police brutality". Baltimore Fishbowl.
7. Opilo, Emily (November 16, 2020). "Baltimore mayor vetoes bill to rename Christopher Columbus obelisk in honor of victims of police violence". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
8. Opilo, Emily (December 7, 2020). "Baltimore City Council overrides mayor's vetoes on job protections for hospitality workers affected by coronavirus pandemic". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 8, 2020.