Fort McHenry
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Fort McHenry is a historic site in Maryland, at a modelled elevation of 9 m. Ivy Hill stands 200 m to the north-northwest, 14 miles off. The nearest named place is Armistead Monument, a historic site 0.1 miles away. National Historic Seaport runs past it. 27 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
Fort McHenry is a historical American coastal pentagonal bastion fort on Locust Point, now a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. It is best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British Royal Navy from the Chesapeake Bay on September 13–14, 1814. The fort was built in 1798 and was used continuously by U.S. armed forces through World War I and by the United States Coast Guard in World War II. It was designated a national park in 1925, and, in 1939, was redesignated a U.S. National Monument. During the War of 1812, an American storm flag, 17 by 25 feet (5.2 m × 7.6 m), was flown over Fort McHenry during the British bombardment of the fort. The flag was replaced early on the morning of September 14, 1814, with a larger American garrison flag, 30 by 42 feet (9.1 m × 12.8 m). The flag's continued flying signaled that the fort continued to remain in American hands, leading British forces to withdraw and ending the Battle of Baltimore in an American victory. The sight of the ensign inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry" that was later set to music in the song "To Anacreon in Heaven", which was later known and designated as "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the United States.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1776.
Wikidata Q1438634, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Built
- 1776
What to expect
- Access
- Customers only
How to reach it
- On the National Historic Seaport
- 1.8 mi off the Baltimore's Historic Charles Street, National
- 2.4 mi off the Historic National Road - Maryland, National
- 3.8 mi off the Falls Road
Overlooks nearby
- Elephant Overlook · 5 mi
- Rappe's Overlook · 8 mi
- Quarry Overlook · 10 mi
- Abandoned Quarry · 10 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Armistead Monument: 0.1 mi
- Korean War Memorial: 1.0 mi
- Historic Canton: 1.1 mi
- Dypski Park: 1.1 mi
- Fells Point: 1.5 mi
- Orpheus with the Awkward Foot: 0.1 mi
- Working Point: 1.4 mi
- Frederick Douglass: 1.4 mi
- "Aaron LaCrate: Just a Kid from Highlandtown" Exhibition Mural: 1.7 mi
- BUS: 1.7 mi
- Fort McHenry Visitor Center: 0.1 mi
- Baltimore Immigration Museum: 1.0 mi
- Baltimore Museum of Industry: 1.4 mi
- Frederick-Douglass Maritime Museum: 1.4 mi
- The Preservation Society: 1.4 mi
- SS John W. Brown: 0.6 mi
- Professor Trash Wheel: 1.1 mi
- NS Savannah: 1.3 mi
- Captain Trash Wheel: 1.5 mi
- Butchers Hill Historic District: 2.0 mi
- Baltimore Immigration Memorial: 1.0 mi
- Hull Street Park: 1.0 mi
- Canton Waterfront Park: 1.0 mi
- Under Armour Promenade: 1.1 mi
- South Baltimore Little League: 1.1 mi
- Masonville Cove Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership: 1.6 mi
- Fort Carroll Sanctuary: 4.7 mi
- Rosemont Park: 5.2 mi
- African Journey: 5.5 mi
- Somogyi Property Park Site: 8.0 mi
- Audubon Pollinator Garden for Native Plants: 1.7 mi
- Audubon Wetland Garden for Native Plants: 1.8 mi
- Light Street City Farm: 1.8 mi
- Heath Street City Farm: 1.9 mi
- Upper Fell’s Point Community Garden: 1.9 mi
- Federal Hill: 1.9 mi
- Tank Hill: 2.5 mi
- German Hill: 3.6 mi
- Prospect Hill: 5.8 mi
- Bend Hill: 6.4 mi
- Miami Beach: 11.6 mi
- Dog Beach: 12.9 mi
- Herald Harbor Beach 1: 14.9 mi
- Gibson Island Beach: 15.0 mi
- Lake Claire Beach: 16.2 mi
- Etting Park: Hope Garden: 4.0 mi
- Avalon Area: 8.1 mi
- Glen Artney Area: 8.2 mi
- Hilton Shelters: 8.9 mi
- Orange Grove Area: 9.3 mi
- Balancing Reservoir Spillway: 11.0 mi
- Old Quarry: 11.0 mi
- Quarry (former): 11.1 mi
- Quarry (former): 11.1 mi
- Quarry (former): 11.2 mi
- Round Falls: 4.8 mi
- failed mill dam: 5.2 mi
- Cascade Falls: 9.3 mi
- McKeldin Falls: 17.5 mi
- Crises Spring: 5.4 mi
- Mountain Pass Spring: 5.5 mi
- Marble Springs: 11.1 mi
- Indian Springs: 24.8 mi
- Hawkins Point Light: 4.6 mi
- Daniels: 13.2 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Fort McHenry. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivy Hill | NNW 340° | 200 m | 14.4 mi |
| Oregon Ridge | NNW 340° | 191 m | 16.5 mi |
| Chestnut Hill | W 281° | 169 m | 11.8 mi |
| The Bunker | NW 309° | 157 m | 21.2 mi |
| Abell Ridge | NNW 345° | 155 m | 10.6 mi |
| Satyr Hill | N 11° | 151 m | 10.0 mi |
| Cherry Hill | NNE 26° | 149 m | 16.5 mi |
| Cub Hill | NNE 17° | 147 m | 10.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:11 | 18:43 | 19:18 |
| June solstice | 05:41 | 19:57 | 20:37 |
| September equinox | 06:55 | 18:30 | 19:05 |
| December solstice | 07:23 | 16:05 | 16:47 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Jun, Aug–Nov.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 37 | 39 | 47 | 58 | 67 | 77 | 82 | 79 | 73 | 61 | 50 | 41 |
| Precip in | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.7 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Maryland SCI CTR, 2 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element way/1220301007
Day trips start here
- Baltimore/Fells Point · 2 mi
- Baltimore/Inner Harbor · 2 mi
- Baltimore/South Baltimore · 2 mi
- Baltimore/Southeast Baltimore · 2 mi
- Central Maryland · 2 mi
- Baltimore · 3 mi
Take the scenic way to Fort McHenry.
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