Attractions!

2. Give several examples of monuments in Maryland / DC / PA that might be familiar to folks who live here but which would not be understood by outsiders without an explanation. Please include your own or public domain photos.

One example of a monument that is unknown by everyone other than those that  located in Baltimore, Maryland that is familiar to the population of the area is Fort McHenry.  Fort McHenry is a star-shaped fort that was used in the War of 1812.  Fort McHenry was used to defend the Baltimore Harbor from the British Navy.  The attack on this fort instigated Francis Scott Key to write "The Star Spangled Banner."   

Another example of a monument would be the Washington Monument that stands tall in Mt. Vernon, Maryland.  Most people have heard about the Washington Monument located in Washington, DC; therefore, the monument located in Mt. Vernon is unnoticed.  The Washington Monument in Mt. Vernon was constructed to honor the United States' first president, George Washington.  

The third and final example of a monument that is unknown to those that are not local, is the Phoenix Shot Tower located in Baltimore, Maryland.  The Shot Tower was the place where lead shot was made for rifles.  In order to make lead bullets, molten lead was dropped from the top into a vat of water at the bottom, where the lead balls would then form perfectly round spheres.  The Phoenix Shot Tower was named a National Historic Landmark in 1972.  These three monuments may not be familiar with anybody who doesn’t live in the area because they have to do with the history of Maryland, and nowhere else.

"Baltimore's Phoenix Shot Tower." Baltimore. Web. 4 Feb 2010. <http://www.baltimore.to/ShotTower/index.html>.

"Fort McHenry." Wikipedia. 30 Jan 2010. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Web. 4 Feb 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McHenry>.

Lehnert, Julia K. "History of the Washington Monument and Mount Vernon and Washington Places." Mount Vernon Place "The Heart of Baltimore". 12 Jun 1998. Web. 4 Feb 2010. <http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~jlehnert/welcome.html>.