January 25, 1776
The Continental Congress authorized the first national war memorial in honor of Brigadier General Richard Montgomery, who had been killed during an assault on Quebec three weeks before. Although originally intended for Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Congress eventually decided to place the memorial in New York City. In 1788, it was installed beneath the portico of St. Paul’s Chapel, which served as George Washington’s church during his time in New York as the United States’ first president, and where it remains to this day.
