You have to go back to 458 B.C. to find the legendary Roman leader who inspired the greatest act of America’s first president. Baltimore’s Washington Monument, located in the city’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, is less famous than its Washington D.C. counterpart. But it’s arguably more interesting. The Monument is a 180-foot tower with a 15-foot George Washington statue on top. But Washington isn’t depicted in his military uniform. Instead, he’s dressed in a Roman toga, and he’s laying down a scroll he holds in his hand. Why a toga instead of a tri-cornered hat? The artist knew the story of...
