The Washington Monument, rising 555 feet 5 1/8 inches and weight 81,120 tons, is one of the tallest (if not the tallest) masonry structures in the world. No other monument in Washington has the symbolic presence of the Washington Monument. There is even a federal law in place which restricts the construction of any building taller than the monument. It now dominates the Mall and much of downtown D.C. with its presence that belies its relative youth and difficult birth.
The idea for a monument or memorial honoring George Washington as the first president came early. In Washington's earliest days, L'Enfant had planned for an equestrian statue of Washington. The site L'Enfant chose, though, turned out to be too swampy to hold such a statue. The site was moved to a higher and dryer location.
Congress failed on several occasions, though, to fund the monument. However the centennial of Washington's birth in 1832 awakened new interest and the Washington National Monument Society was formed to raise private subscriptions for the monument. By 1848, the society had collected $230,000 and work could finally begin on the monument.
Now, a mere equestrian statue was too simple of a memorial. A competition was held to find a more fitting memorial. The winning submission, by Robert Mills, was chosen in 1845. It called for a Greco-Roman rotunda topped with an obelisk. The memorial was also to include a statuary group featuring the first president at the helm of a chariot. However, there were funding problems for such a memorial and eventually, only the simple obelisk was left.
The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848. A time capsule was placed in the cornerstone containing statistics on Washington D.C., the United States, Washington's family, and other various information. Blocks of stone were donated by various nations, states, cities, and organizations, inscribed with mottoes and slogans.
Work began slowly. In 1854, at the height of 153 feet, the work stopped. Funding was scarce and a controversy over a stone donated by Pope Pius IX ensued. Work resumed in 1876 with the Army Corps of Engineers, when Congress came up with enough money to finish the job. The Washington Monument was dedicated in 1885 at a memorable ceremony on the Mall.
An elevator now can take visitors up to the top of the monument. The Park Service gives tours that tell more about the history of the 188 stones donated by various states and other organizations during the building of the monument.
More information regarding the Washington Monument can be found on the National Park Service's Washington Monument Homepage and Virtual Visitors' Center.
