Annapolis in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Joseph Nicholson Home Site and Bandstand

The Naval War of 1812 in Annapolis

— Don't Give Up The Ship —

Joseph Nicholson Home Site and Bandstand Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, February 8, 2013

1. Joseph Nicholson Home Site and Bandstand Marker

Inscription. In 1814 when Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the poem "The Defense of Fort McHenry," his wife's sister and brother-in-law lived in a house on this site. The poem quickly became famous when it was set to music and re-titled "The Star-Spangled Banner." The Nicholsons preserved an original copy of the poem in their house. After the house was removed to expand the Naval Academy, it was decided to place a bandstand nearby so that the Naval Academy Band could play "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the site. This perpetuated the history of the site and its association with the music that officially became the United States national anthem by act of Congress in 1931.

This is the third bandstand on the site and dates from 1922.

Erected by United States Naval Academy. (Marker Number 4.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • War of 1812. A significant historical year for this entry is 1814.

Location. 38° 58.923′ N, 76° 29.112′ W. Marker is in Annapolis, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. Marker can be reached from Blake Road. Marker is located on the grounds of the United States Naval Academy, across Blake Road from the Academy Chapel just south of the Zimmerman Bandstand. A picture

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ID is required to enter the Academy grounds. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Annapolis MD 21401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. On this spot (here, next to this marker); Zimmerman Bandstand (within shouting distance of this marker); One Hundredth Anniversary of the U.S. Naval Academy (within shouting distance of this marker); Commander William Lewis Herndon (within shouting distance of this marker); El Neptuno (within shouting distance of this marker); SS Central America Bell (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Fashioned Anchors (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Joseph (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Annapolis.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. The Naval War of 1812 in Annapolis Walking Tour.

Joseph Nicholson Home Site and Bandstand Marker & the 1922 Zimmerman Bandstand image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, February 8, 2013

2. Joseph Nicholson Home Site and Bandstand Marker & the 1922 Zimmerman Bandstand

"The Star-Spangled Banner" image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, February 8, 2013

3. "The Star-Spangled Banner"

(Percy Moran, 1862-1935)
Library of Congress, 1913

Joseph Nicholson by Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Menin, 1810 image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, October 13, 2012

4. Joseph Nicholson by Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Menin, 1810

Nicholson urged Key to have the song (The Star Spangled Banner) published. A Baltimore judge, Nicholson served as United States volunteer at Fort McHenry during the battle. Of the action he wrote, "We felt like pigeons tied by the legs and shot at."Photo of a display at the Fort McHenry Vistors Center

Key's Manuscript of the Star Spangled Banner image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Allen C. Browne, October 13, 2012

5. Key's Manuscript of the Star Spangled Banner

in the Fort McHenry Visitors Center

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on February 19, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 632 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 19, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 4, 5. submitted on July 10, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.