U.S.

Washington Monument in DC vandalized with red paint, Indiana man charged

By CBS Baltimore Staff

September 21, 2022 / 10:00 AM EDT / CBS Baltimore

Washington monument vandalized with red paint, man in custody

BALTIMORE -- An Indiana man is accused of vandalizing the base of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. with red paint overnight, United States Park Police said.

Shaun Ray Deaton, a 44-year-old from Bloomington, Ind., is charged with trespassing, tampering and vandalism.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 21: A U.S. Park Service employees remove graffiti on the Washington Monument on September 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. Overnight, a vandal wrote graffiti and threw red paint onto the the base of the Monument. A spokesman for the U.S. Park Police said one man was in custody in connection to the incident. Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images

Deaton is accused of splashing red paint and writing a profane message on the monument, police said.

Construction started in 1848, using Texas marble from Thomas Symington's Beaver Dam quarry in Baltimore County. After funding issues and other days, the project halted at 1856, with the monument standing at 176 feet.

Following the outbreak of the Civil War and the ensuing Reconstruction period, funding was appropriated to complete the monument in 1876, the country's centennial.

Construction resumed and marble was then sourced from Hugh Sisson, who owned a nearby quarry in Baltimore County.

The obelisk was dedicated in 1885, and is named for George Washington, the country's first president.

Police said National Park Service Conservators have begun the work to remove the paint.

CBS Baltimore Staff

The CBS Baltimore Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSBaltimore.com.

Twitter Facebook