Everything about The Washington Monument totally explained
The
Washington Monument is a large, tall, white-colored
obelisk near the west end of the
National Mall in
Washington, D.C. It is a
United States Presidential Memorial constructed to commemorate
George Washington.
The monument is the world's tallest stone structure, and is the world's tallest obelisk, standing 555
feet 5⅛ inches (169.294 m) in height and made of
marble,
granite, and
sandstone. It was designed by
Robert Mills, an
architect of the 1840s. The actual construction of the monument began in 1848 but wasn't completed until 1884, almost 30 years after the architect's death. This hiatus in construction was because of a lack of funds and the intervention of the
American Civil War. A difference in shading of the marble, visible approximately 150 feet (45 m) up, clearly delineates the initial construction from its resumption in 1876.
Its
cornerstone was laid on
July 4,
1848; the
capstone was set on
December 6,
1884, and the completed monument was dedicated on
February 21,
1885. It officially opened
October 9,
1888. Upon completion, it became the world's
tallest structure, a title it inherited from the
Cologne Cathedral and held until 1889, when the
Eiffel Tower was finished in
Paris,
France.
The Washington Monument reflection can be seen in the aptly named
Reflecting Pool, a rectangular
pool extending to the west towards the
Lincoln Memorial.
History
Motivation
Above the
Founding Fathers of the United States, George Washington earned the title "
Father of the Country" in recognition of his leadership in the cause of American independence. Appointed as commander of the
Continental Army in 1775, he molded a fighting force that won independence from the
Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1787, as president of the
Constitutional Convention, he helped guide the deliberations to form a government that has lasted for more than 200 years. Two years later he was
unanimously elected the
President of the United States. Washington defined the Presidency and helped develop the relationships among the three
branches of government. He established
precedents which successfully launched the new government on its course. He refused the trappings of power and veered from monarchical government and traditions and twice—despite considerable pressure to do otherwise—gave up the most powerful position in the Americas. Washington remained ever mindful of the ramifications of his decisions and actions. With this monument the citizens of the
United States show their enduring gratitude and respect.
When the
Revolutionary War ended, no man in the United States commanded more respect than George Washington. Americans celebrated his ability to win the war despite limited supplies and inexperienced men, and they admired his decision to refuse a salary and accept only reimbursements for his expenses. Their regard increased further when it became known that he'd rejected a proposal by some of his officers to make him king of the new country. It wasn't only what Washington did but the way he did it:
Abigail Adams, wife of
John Adams, described him as "polite with dignity, affable without familiarity, distant without haughtiness, grave without austerity, modest, wise, and good.") caused the society to hesitate. In 1848, its members decided to start building the obelisk and to leave the question of the colonnade for later. They believed that if they used the $87,000 they'd already collected to start work, the appearance of the monument would spur further donations that would allow them to complete the project.
Construction
Excavation for the foundation of the Washington Monument began in the spring of 1848. The cornerstone was laid as part of an elaborate
Fourth of July ceremony hosted by the
Freemasons, a worldwide fraternal organization to which Washington belonged. Speeches that day showed the country continued to revere Washington. One celebrant noted, "No more Washingtons shall come in our time ... But his virtues are stamped on the heart of mankind. He who is great in the battlefield looks upward to the generalship of Washington. He who grows wise in counsel feels that he's imitating Washington. He who can resign power against the wishes of a people, has in his eye the bright example of Washington."
Construction continued until 1854, when donations ran out. The next year, Congress voted to appropriate $200,000 to continue the work but rescinded before the money could be spent. This reversal came because of a new policy the society had adopted in 1849. It had agreed, after a request from some
Alabamians, to encourage all states and territories to donate memorial stones that could be fitted into the interior walls. Members of the society believed this practice would make citizens feel they'd a part in building the monument, and it would cut costs by limiting the amount of stone that had to be bought. Blocks of
Maryland marble,
granite and
sandstone steadily appeared at the site.
American Indian tribes, professional organizations, societies, businesses and foreign nations donated stones that were 4 feet by 2 feet by 12–18 inches (1.2 m by 0.6 m by 0.3 – 0.5 m). Many, however, carried inscriptions irrelevant to a memorial for George Washington. For example, one from the
Templars of Honor and Temperance stated "We won't buy, sell, or use as a beverage, any spiritous or malt liquors, Wine, Cider, or any other Alcoholic Liquor." It was just one memorial stone that started the events that stopped the Congressional appropriation and ultimately construction altogether. In the early 1850s,
Pope Pius IX contributed a block of marble. In March 1854, members of the
anti-Catholic,
nativist American Party—better known as the "
Know-Nothings"—stole the Pope's stone as a protest and supposedly threw it into the Potomac. Then, in order to make sure the monument fit the definition of "American" at that time, the Know-Nothings conducted an election so they could take over the entire society . Congress immediately rescinded its $200,000 contribution.
The Know-Nothings retained control of the society until 1858, adding 13 courses of masonry to the monument—all of which was of such poor quality it was later removed. Unable to collect enough money to finish work, they increasingly lost public support. The Know-Nothings eventually gave up and returned all records to the original society, but the stoppage in construction continued into, then after, the Civil War.
Interest in the monument grew after the Civil War ended. Engineers studied the foundation several times to see whether it remained strong enough. In 1876, the
Centennial of the
Declaration of Independence, Congress agreed to appropriate another $200,000 to resume construction. The monument, which had stood for nearly 20 years at less than one-third of its proposed height, now seemed ready for completion.
Before work could begin again, however, arguments about the most appropriate design resumed. Many people thought a simple obelisk, one without the colonnade, would be too bare. Architect Mills was reputed to have said omitting the colonnade would make the monument look like "a stalk of
asparagus"; another critic said it offered "little… to be proud of." The monument opened to the public on
October 9,
1888.
Later history
At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the world; it remains the tallest stone structure in the world. It is still the tallest building in
Washington, D.C. A 1910 law restricts new building heights to no more than 20 feet (6 m) greater than the width of the adjacent street. (There is a popular misconception that the law specifically states that no building may be taller than the Washington Monument, but in fact the law makes no mention of it). Ordinary antique obelisks were seldom taller than around 100 feet (30 m), making this monument vastly taller than the obelisks around the capitals of
Europe and in
Egypt.
The Washington Monument brought enormous crowds even before it officially opened. During the six months that followed its dedication, 10,041 people climbed the 893 steps to the top. After the
elevator that had been used to raise building materials was altered so that it could carry passengers, the number of visitors grew rapidly. As early as 1888, an average of 55,000 people per month went to the top, and today the Washington Monument has more than 800,000 visitors each year. As with all historic areas administered by the
National Park Service, the national memorial was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places on
October 15,
1966. The stairs are no longer accessible to the general public due to safety issues and vandalism of the interior memorial plaques.
For ten hours in December 1982, the Washington Monument was "held hostage" by a
nuclear arms protester,
Norman Mayer, claiming to have explosives in a van he drove up to the monument's base. Eight tourists trapped in the monument at the time the standoff began were set free, and the incident ended with
U.S. Park Police opening fire on Mayer and killing him. The monument was undamaged in the incident, and it was discovered later that Mayer didn't have explosives.
Construction details
The completed monument stands 555 ft 5⅛ in (169.294 m) tall, with the following construction materials and details:
- Phase One (1848 to 1858): To the 152 foot (46 m) level, under the direction of Superintendent William Daugherty. » : Exterior: White marble from Texas, Maryland (adjacent to and east of north I-83 near the Warren Road exit in Cockeysville)
: Exterior: White marble, four courses or rows, from Sheffield, Massachusetts
- Phase Two (1878 to 1888): Work completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, commanded by Lt. Col. Thomas L. Casey. » : Exterior: White marble from a different Cockeysville quarry.
- Interior: Granite from Maine and New Hampshire
- Cap is made from aluminum, at the time a rare metal, valued about the same as silver. The cap was forged by William Frishmuth and a detailed history was printed in JOM
, a publication of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. Before the installation it was put on public display and stepped over by visitors who could later say they'd "stepped over the top of the Washington Monument".
Inscriptions
The four faces of the pyramidal point all bear inscriptions
| North Face |
West Face |
South Face |
East Face |
JOINT COMMISSIONAT
SETTING OF CAPSTONE.
CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
W. W. CORCORAN, Chairman.
M. E. BELL.
EDWARD CLARK.
JOHN NEWTON.
Act of August 2, 1876.
|
CORNER STONE LAID ON BED OF FOUNDATIONJULY 4, 1848.
FIRST STONE AT HEIGHT OF 152 FEET LAID
AUGUST 7, 1880.
CAPSTONE SET DECEMBER 6, 1884.
|
CHIEF ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT, THOS. LINCOLN CASEY, COLONEL, CORPS OF ENGINEERS.foundhere Assistants: GEORGE W. DAVIS, CAPTAIN, 14TH INFANTRY, BERNARD R. GREEN, CIVIL ENGINEER. Master Mechanic. P. H. MCLAUGHLIN. |
LAUS DEO.Praise be to God (Latin)'
|
Halfway up the steps of the monument is an inscription in (My language, my land, my nation of Wales — Wales for ever). The reason for this inscription or its author is unknown.
The cost of the monument was $1,187,710.
Exterior structure
Total height of monument:
555 ft 5⅛ in (169.294 m)
Height from lobby to observation level:
500 ft (152 m)
Width at base of monument:
55 ft 1½ in (16.80 m)
Width at top of shaft:
34 ft 5 in (10.5 m)
Thickness of monument walls at base:
15 ft (4.6 m)
Thickness of monument walls at observation level:
18 in (460 mm)
Total weight of monument:
90,854 short tons (82,421 t)
Total number of blocks in monument:
36,491
Capstone
Capstone weight:
3,300 lb (1.65)
Capstone cuneiform keystone measures 5.16 ft (1.57 m) from base to the top
Each side of the capstone base: 3 ft (914 mm)
Width of aluminum tip: 5.6 in (142 mm) on each of its four sides
Height of aluminum tip at base:
8.9 in (226 mm)
Weight of aluminum tip on capstone:
100 oz (2.8 kg)
Foundation
Depth:
36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Weight:
36,912 short tons (33,486 metric tons)
Area:
16,001 ft² (1487 m²)
Interior
Number of memorial stones in stairwell: 199
Present elevator installed: 1998
Present elevator cab installed: 2001
Elevator travel time: 70 seconds
Number of steps in stairwell: 897
Fastest known ascent time via stairs : 6.7 minutes (in 2005)Further Information
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