Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine


  • Address: Fort Ave
  • Vicinity: Locust Point, at E end of Fort Ave
  • Travel Genus: Sight
  • Sight Category: Historic District

O! say can you see,...

by the dawn's early light, a large red, white and blue banner? Whose broad stripes and bright stars...were so gallantly streaming! over the star-shaped Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, September 13-14, 1814. The valiant defense of the fort inspired Francis Scott Key to write The Star-Spangled Banner. - NPS


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Timeline

Y/M/D Person Association Description Composition Food Event
Y/M/D Person Association Description Composition Food Event
1800/00/00 Designed by Jean Foncin in 1798, Fort McHenry is built from 1798 to 1800.
1814/09/10 Francis Scott Key Negotiator Under British guard, Dr Beanes, John Skinner and Francis Key return to the Minden, tied to a British ship floating on Chesapeake Bay, 8 miles off shore from Fort McHenry. Arrest of Dr William Beanes
1814/09/13 Command by Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane, 19 British ships launch Congreve rockets and mortar shells on Fort McHenry. Then moving just beyond the range of Fort McHenry's guns, they continue to bombard the American redoubts for the next 25 hours. Battle of Baltimore
1814/09/14 Francis Scott Key Lyricist Seeing that the American flag was still flying over Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key writes the lines of an untitled poem on the back of a envelope he pulled from his pocket. The poem eventually became "The Star-Spangled Banner". Arrest of Dr William Beanes

Data »

Particulars for Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine:
Criteria Architecture-Engineering
Historic Use Arms storage
Area of Significance Art
Structure Design Bastion Fort, Star Fort
Historic Use Battle site
Area of Significance Conservation
Owner Federal
Structure Type Fortification
Area of Significance Historic and non-aboriginal
Sight Category Historic District
Criteria Historic Event
Criteria Information Potential
Area of Significance Literature
Area of Significance Military
Historic Use Military facility
Level of Significance National
Criteria Person



US National Registry of Historic Places Data »

Accurate at time of registration:

PLACE DETAILS
Registry Name:
Registry Address:
Registry Number: 66000907
Resource Type:
Owner: Federal
Architect: unknown
Architectural Style: Other
Attribute: Star Fort
Other Certification: Additional documentation
CULTURAL DETAILS
Level of Significance: National
Area of Significance: Military, Literature, Art, Conservation, Historic and non-aboriginal
Applicable Criteria: Event, Person, Architecture-Engineering, Information Potential
Period of Significance: 1750-1799
Significant Year: 1814, 1914, 1922
Associated People: Key, Francis Scott
Historic Function: Defense
Historic Sub-Function: Fortification, Military facility, Arms storage, Battle site
Current Function: Recreation and Culture, Landscape
Current Sub-Function: Monument, Marker Museum Park

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