Mount Vernon Place050

Mount Vernon Place is home to the first large-scale monument to George Washington in the nation. Four park squares surround the Monument in the form of a Greek Cross; the squares running north and south from the Monument are named Washington Place, and those laid out to the east and west are named Mount Vernon Place. Over the years, "Mount Vernon Place" has come to refer to not only the entire square, but also the surrounding neighborhood.

Statues include important figures from Baltimore's history as well as the nation's, such as George Peabody, Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney, and General Lafayette. There are also bronze sculptures of a lion and depictions of Military Courage, War, Peace, Order, and Force. Numerous city institutions surround Mount Vernon Place, including The Walters Art Museum and the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and the grand location hosts some major events, including the annual Baltimore Book Festival and the annual lighting of the Washington Monument over the holiday season.