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Washington Monument: National Mall
built 440 days ago
The Washington Monument, in addition to all its magnificence and symbolism, is the tallest masonry structure in the world. Piercing the sky from the western end of the National Mall, the monument is constructed much like a sword, a symbol of General Washington’s military prowess, and the struggle of America’s independence from England. Visitors can catch a great bird’s-eye view of the city by taking the one-minute elevator ride to the top.
At 555 feet five and one-eighth inches, the Washington Monument is the tallest building in the District of Columbia -- and it's going to stay that way. By law. Facts: Built: 1848-1885, Designed by: Robert Mills, Cost: US$1,187,710.00, Renovated : 1996-2002, Observation deck: At 500 feet, Location: On the National Mall at 15th Street Northwest.
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The Washington Monument drew 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 safety issues and vandalism of the interior memorial plaques.
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The cornerstone of the Washington Monument consisted of a block of Maryland marble weighing "twenty-four thousand five hundred pounds" and was presented to the Washington National Monument Society in 1848 by Thomas Symington from his quarry about eleven miles from Baltimore. The stone was shipped to Washington from Baltimore on the B&O railroad. Upon its arrival into the city of Washington, the stone was drawn to the site of the Monument by a large body of workmen from the Washington Navy Yard, assisted by other citizens.
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The Washington Monument is located at the National Mall. It is surrounded by flagpoles, with each flag representing one state. From the observatory, you have a fantastic view over all of Washington. Admission is free, but you have to reserve a ticket.
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By 1854, the Washington National Monument Society had exhausted its funds and all work stopped at the 150 foot level. Turmoil within the Society, bad economic times, and the fury of the coming Civil War and its aftermath would halt monument construction for 22 years. There is still a discernible line between courses of differing stonework indicating the resumption of Monument construction funded now by Congress on August 2, 1876, and spurred on by the centennial celebration of the Declaration of Independence. The Army Corps of Engineers carried on construction of the monument until its completion in 1885.
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