With its first cornerstone laid in 1815, Baltimore’s imposing Washington Monument was the first statue to be dedicated to the inaugural president. It was designed by Robert Mills, who later designed the Washington Monument on the National Mall, and located north of the city on its highest point. Then known as Howard’s Woods, as the land belonged to Colonel John Eager Howard (former Governor of Maryland), the area began attracting wealthy families. Later known as Mount Vernon, it became an affluent suburb in the mid-19th century as grand mansions and townhouses spread out around the monument.

By the mid-20th century, the historic neighbourhood had lost some of its gloss, with parts nearly demolished for a highway in the 1960s. Thankfully it wasn’t, and today the handsome district draws visitors to enjoy its numerous museums, theatres, cafes, boutique hotels and stores, as well as to gaze at the soaring statue. Still dominating the skyline over 200 years later, the statue and its surrounding parks underwent an 18-month restoration programme and reopened on 4 July 2015, the bicentennial of the laying of its cornerstone. A lookout at the top offers incredible views of the city.