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The Washington Monument
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The Washington Monument was built in honor of George Washington our first President of the United States. George Washington became very famous during July, 1775 when he took command of the newly formed Continental Army.
The Washington Monument was built between 1848 and 1845. The total cost was about $1,187,710 to to be completed. It stands 555 feet tall and 51.8 inches high. The walls at the base of the shaft are about 15 inches thick. The thickness of the walls at the top of the shaft are 18 inches thick. The weight of the Washington Monument is about 90,854 tons. It's one of the tallest monuments in the world.
Construction on the Monument began in 1848 and proceeded for five years. In 1853, however, when the structure had reached a height of 150 feet, work stopped due to the lack of funds. On December 6, 1884, a special aluminum cap was placed on top of the Washington monument.
To get to the top you either need to take the stairs, or the elevator. It takes 70 seconds today to get to the top by taking an elevator. When it was dedicated in 1885, it took 20 minutes to get to the top. There are 897 steps leading to the top of the monument. People are only allowed to ride the elevator to the top, but you can walk down and see the 193 carved stones sent by many states as the monument was being built.
One of the most pleasant Washington walks is along the 2,000 foot long Reflecting Pool. It is 160 feet wide and gives a narrow image of the Washington Monument. Many ducks swim in the Reflecting Pool water.
The Reflecting Pool leads to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.