Anthem centennial monument defaced

The Friends of Patterson Park Facebook page has posted a picture of the children's statue, near the Pagoda, vandalized. The group who posted the picture Monday afternoon said they have alerted city agencies of the incident and for proper cleaning.

Posted 8:44 p.m. Jan 15, 2018 — Updated 8:44 p.m. Jan 15, 2018

Web Staff

BALTIMORE, MD. — The Friends of Patterson Park Facebook page has posted a picture of the children's statue, near the Pagoda, vandalized. The group who posted the picture Monday afternoon said they have alerted city agencies of the incident and for proper cleaning.

The group linked to a history page about the statute stating it was dedicated in 1914 during a week-long centennial celebration of the War of 1812. The statue shows two school children holding a scroll reading, "To commemorate the centennial of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner, the pupils of the public schools of Baltimore have erected this memorial upon Hampstead Hill where in September, 1814, the citizen soldiers of Maryland stood ready to sacrifice their lives in defense of their homes and their country."

The Facebook post has since been deleted. This story will be updated as additional information is released.

The Baltimore City Recreation and Parks Department released the following statement to WMAR:

"Baltimore City Recreation and Parks is aware of the vandalism that took place in Patterson Park. As caretakers of the Park, our Parks Maintenance Division is working diligently with the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) to assess the damage. We understand the sensitivity of this matter and will work with City Hall and the Friends of Patterson Park to find a solution to this matter."

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