Georgetown in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Francis Scott Key Park a place to reflect
Francis Scott Key Memorial
Rock Creek Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 10, 2023
1. Francis Scott Key Park
a place to reflect Marker
What is the best form of memorial? A historic home? A monument? A park?
Francis Scott Key's home, like his fame, declined after his death. It went through a series of owners who altered the structure and ran different businesses on site, including a flag shop.
In 1931, the same year The Star-Spangled Banner became the national anthem, the federal government acquired the block containing Key's former house as part of a park. Some patriotic organizations wanted the former Key House to become a museum to the man who wrote the anthem. Ironically, Key's great-grandson opposed this, and argued that the existing building had changed too much. Supporters of his view added that a flagpole or obelisk would be a more appropriate form of commemoration.
The argument continued until 1947, when the house was dismantled to make way for an access ramp for Francis Scott Key Bridge. Bricks were left near the site but disappeared over time. In 1993, the Francis Scott key Foundation created and built this memorial and donated it to the National Park Service. Regarded as a "small but formal park and memorial," it offers visitors a place to reflect on Key's and America's complex past.
[Caption:]
Major Alterations
The above image of the Key house shows the structure as Key
this page online
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Parks & Recreational Areas • Patriots & Patriotism. A significant historical year for this entry is 1931.
Location. 38° 54.288′ N, 77° 4.077′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Georgetown. It is at the intersection of M Street Northwest and 34th Street Northwest, on the right when traveling east on M Street Northwest. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3400 M Street Northwest, Washington DC 20007, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Window on Washington (here, next to this marker); Forrest Marbury House (within shouting distance of this marker); Francis Scott Key Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Halcyon House (within shouting distance of this marker); Houses With A Prospect (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Halcyon House (about 400 feet away); Quality Hill - The John Thomson Mason House (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named How High is the River? (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 10, 2023
2. Francis Scott Key Park
a place to reflect Marker
