Entry No. 45 — the Washington, D.C. file — filed under: weird monument

Bladensburg Peace Cross

A 40-foot concrete Latin cross rises out of a highway traffic median, built 1919-25 by grieving Prince George's County families to honor 49 local WWI dead, its base engraved 'valor,' 'endurance,' 'courage,' 'devotion.' It became the center of a landmark 2019 Supreme Court church-state case (American Legion v. American Humanist Association) before a $1 million restoration returned it, rededicated on Veterans Day 2022.

The move: Pull off Route 1 to walk the small memorial park around its base, then cross into Bladensburg's old town for a quick bite — it's a five-minute stop that turns into a genuinely strange constitutional-law story once you start reading the plaques.

• 📍 Bladensburg, MD
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Intersection of Baltimore Ave (US-1) and Annapolis Rd, Bladensburg, MD 20710

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-19