Francis Scott Key
In the final months of his life Francis Scott Key enjoyed visits to Terra Rubra farm, his boyhood home not far from Frederick Town. He thought and wrote about the end of life and his hopes of immortality in a life to come.
Key died at his daughter's home in Baltimore, January 11, 1843, and was buried nearby in Old St Paul's Cemetery. In 1866, Key's family moved his remains to a plot in this cemetery where he could lie as he wished in the shadow of Catoctin Mountain.
In 1898 the Key Monument Association reinterred Key and his wife in the circle in front of you, and erected above their graves the granite monument bearing his bronze figure.
"And the loud hallelujahs of angels shall rise To welcome the soul to its home in the skies. Home, home, home of the soul!" FS Key.
Italian-born sculptor Pompeo Coppini completed work on the Key Monument in 1898 at the cost of $30,000. School children across the nation donated pennies, nickels, and more to help pay for the monument.
At the top, Key holds "The Star-Spangled Banner" manuscript and points to this nation's flag. Seated below is Columbia, representing patriotism, flanked by allegorical youths representing defense and music.
(Inscription near the photo in the lower center)
Pompeo Coppini (1870-1957) Coppini designed the Half-Dollar, and thirty-six public monuments throughout the United States.
(Inscription above the photo in the upper right)
In the late 1800s descendants of Key gather at his first gravesite in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Perhaps they are singing "The Star-Spangled Banner."
(Inscription above the photo in the lower right)
All four verses of "The Star-Spangled Banner" appear on a bronze plaque on the rear of the monument. Coppini formed every letter, although he did not yet know the English language.
| HM Number | HM1FMA |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Placed By | Key Monument Association |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Sunday, September 7th, 2014 at 4:46pm PDT -07:00 |
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 18S E 292285 N 4364631 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 39.40620000, -77.41250000 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 39° 24.372', W 77° 24.75' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 39° 24' 22.32" N, 77° 24' 45" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 301, 410, 240 |
| Which side of the road? | Marker is on the right when traveling East |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 6075-6099 Stadium Drive, Frederick MD 21701, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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