Herndon Monument, Annapolis

Herndon Monument is a tall granite obelisk honoring Commander William Lewis Herndon, a U.S. naval officer who died in 1857. He commanded the steamship Central America, which was caught in a hurricane while sailing from Panama to New York. Herndon helped organize the evacuation and made sure many passengers were rescued, but he chose to remain on the ship as it sank. His actions were widely respected in the navy.

The monument was erected in 1860 and presented to the U.S. Naval Academy by the Class of 1860. It stands about 21 feet (around 6.4 meters) tall and is made of grey granite blocks. The design is simple, like many memorials from the nineteenth century. One side of the stone is carved with the name “Herndon,” while another records the date of the shipwreck, September 12, 1857. Over time, the monument also became connected with a well-known student tradition.

Each spring near the end of the school year, first-year midshipmen take part in the Herndon Monument Climb. Students form a human pyramid to reach the top and replace a white “dixie cup” hat with an upper-class hat. The climbing tradition dates to 1940, while the monument began being covered with grease in 1949 to make it harder. The hat replacement was added in 1962. The climb can last from a few minutes to several hours, and many people gather to watch.