Francis Scott Key Monument

The Francis Scott Key Monument is a sculptural group in the Bolton Hill district that portrays an important moment from the War of 1812. A gilded figure of Columbia holding a flag sits atop marble columns, while below her the figure of Francis Scott Key stands in a stone boat.

The sculptural group was created in 1911 as a gift from benefactor Charles Marburg to preserve the creative inspiration from a wartime event. French artist Antonin Mercié took responsibility for the design and assembled the composition following artistic principles of his era.

The site honors a moment that shaped American identity: the inspiration for the national anthem during a nighttime attack on a local fort. The monument stands as a sign of how a poem emerged from a wartime experience in Baltimore harbor.

The monument sits at the intersection of Eutaw Place and Lanvale Street in the city center and is easy to reach on foot. The sculpture remains visible year-round and receives regular maintenance, so visitors can examine the details of the structure clearly.

On both sides of the monument are gilded relief panels showing specific scenes from a naval battle near Baltimore during the war with Britain. These side panels expand the monument's story beyond the single figure and tell of the military events that inspired the poem.