| James Rumsey Monument | |
|---|---|
 James Rumsey Monument | |
  | |
| Location | Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, West Virginia, U.S.[1] |
| Coordinates | 39°25′58″N 77°47′57″W / 39.43278°N 77.79917°W[1][2] |
| Area | 4.09 acres (1.66 ha)[3] |
| Elevation | 394 ft (120 m)[1][2] |
| Designation | Municipal Park Former West Virginia State Park |
| Established | 1916 (erected) 1956 (state park) 1978 (municipal park) |
| Named for | James Rumsey |
| Owner | Rumseian Society (1907–2007)[3][4] Corporation of Shepherdstown (2007–present)[4][a] |
The James Rumsey Monument, also known as Rumsey Monument Park, is a municipal park and former West Virginia state park in Shepherdstown, Jefferson County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The park overlooks the Potomac River. It commemorates local inventor James Rumsey and his successful public demonstration of his steamboat invention on the Potomac in 1787. The monument consists of a 75 ft (23 m) column of Woodstock granite, which is capped with a globe and stands atop a tall, concrete plinth consisting of a 40 sq ft (3.7 m2) plaza.
Interest in building a monument to Rumsey at Shepherdstown, and to the first successful public demonstration of his steamboat, began in the 19th century. In 1888, Congressman Alexander Boteler sought to raise money for a monument to Rumsey. In 1903, state senator William Campbell introduced bills to fund a monument and in 1905, the West Virginia Legislature provisioned an initial $1,750 for the monument (equivalent to $59,344 in 2023). The Rumseian Society[b] was incorporated in 1906 to facilitate the monument's construction. The Society acquired land from Norfolk and Western Railway in 1907, and commenced construction in 1915 following a contract with Forbes Granite Company of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
The monument was completed in 1916 and became a state park in 1956, when the legislature transferred its operation to the state Conservation Commission's Division of State Parks. The commission was succeeded by the Department of Natural Resources, and in 1971, the legislature authorized the department to acquire the monument from the Rumseian Society. However, negotiations between the department and the society were unsuccessful. The department ceased operating the state park in 1978, and transferred its adjacent property to the corporation of Shepherdstown for use as a public park. The society retained ownership of the monument. In 1987, the monument and the four-acre park were added as a contributing property to the Shepherdstown Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
- ^ a b c Shepherdstown Quadrangle, West Virginia–Maryland (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic). Reston, Virginia: United States Geological Survey. 2019. OCLC 45952690. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ a b Geographic Names Information System; United States Geological Survey. "Geographic Names Information System: Feature Detail Report for Rumsey Monument (Feature ID: 1546151)". Reston, Virginia. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c West Virginia State Park History Committee 1988, pp. 165–166.
- ^ a b "The Rumsey Monument". Rumseian Society website. Shepherdstown, West Virginia: Rumseian Society. 2021. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
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