Chesapeake and Ohio Canal commemorative obelisk

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal commemorative obelisk is an 8-foot (2.4 m) marble obelisk erected in 1850 in Washington, D.C., to mark the completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to Cumberland, Maryland.^[1] It stands on the northwest corner of the Wisconsin Avenue Bridge over the canal in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood.^[1]

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal commemorative obelisk

C&O Canal commemorative obelisk in 2022
Location	Washington, D.C.
Type	Obelisk
Material	Marble
Height	8 foot
Opening date	1850
Restored date	2005
Dedicated to	Completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to Cumberland, Maryland

Description

The monument is inscribed on all four sides:^[1]

• Northeast: “CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL./ Commenced at Georgetown./ July 4TH 1828./ Chief Engineer / BENJAMIN WRIGHT.”
• Northwest: “CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL./ COMPLETED TO CUMBERLAND./ OCTR. 10TH 1850./ CHIEF ENGINEER/ CHARLES B. FISK.”
• Southeast: CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL/ COMPANY 1850/ President/ JAMES M. COALE./ Directors / WILLIAM A. BRADLEY,/ HENRY DAINGERFIELD,/ WM. COST JOHNSON,/ JOHN PICKELL,/ GEORGE SCHLEY,/ SAMUEL P. SMITH,/ Clerk/ WALTER S. RINGOL, / Treasurer / LAWRENCE J. BRENGLE.”
• Southwest: “MARYLAND STATE AGENTS./ SAMUEL SPRIGG,/ ALLEN B. DAVIS, WM. T. GOLDSBOROUGH, TENCH TILGHMAN, JOHN VAN LEAR.”

History

The obelisk was restored in 2005.^[1]