Built: 1848-1885 Cost: $1,187,710.00 Designed by: Robert Mills Renovated: 2003-2006 (landscaping) Renovated: 2004-2005 Renovated: 1996-2002 Renovated: 1934 Type: Monument Maximum Height: 555 feet / 169 meters Location: On the National Mall at 15th Street Northwest, Washington, United States
A t 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. Not that a law is necessary because of manicured lawns and gardens of the National Mall serve as a buffer to the outside world and enhance this obelisk's monumental presence to visitors. Getting to the top is easy -- wait on line and take the elevator. Getting down you have a choice. You can wait for the elevator again, or if you like a challenge, you can walk down the 897 steps to the bottom. If you've scaled The Monument in London, or Stephansdom in Vienna, this will be a cakewalk; except in the summer which is notoriously uncomfortable. The public has not always been welcome at the Washington Monument. It wasn't until October of 1888 that visitors were allowed inside. That's because the interior wasn't quite done. The stairwell wasn't finished at the same time as the outside of the monument, and the construction elevator had to be converted into a passenger elevator. In a sense, people were lucky to go inside at all. Construction on began in 1848, but stopped in 1854 when it was just 152 feet tall. The Civil War had broken out, and all efforts were shifted to restoring the Union. The grounds of the Washington Monument were used for drill practice by troops, grazing cattle, and a slaughterhouse. This Union seemed solid enough when the cornerstone was laid. Every U.S. state, U.S. territory, Indian nation, foreign country, civic group, and private organization was invited to contribute a memorial stone to become part of the walls. After the war in 1876, the Army Corps of Engineers was given the task of completing the now abandoned monument. They determined that the foundation was inadequate to support the original 600 foot design, and scaled the obelisk back to 555 feet. You can clearly see where the pre-Civil War construction ended and the postwar construction began. The monument up to 152 feet is marble from a quarry near Baltimore, Maryland. This is topped by three feet of marble from Massachusetts, then the monument is completed with marble from another Baltimore quarry. The stone was all of the same type, but because it didn't come from the same seam, it weathered differently. At the top is a nine-inch tall aluminum pyramid. At the time, aluminum was a precious metal and this was the largest piece ever made. It is probably more precious to David G. Morris. He is the only person to ever jump over the Washington Monument after it was built. During a 1934 renovation he was on a scaffolding at the top of the obelisk. Three feet of the monument was poking out through the floor, so he took the opportunity to leap over it. But he isn't the only person to ever leap over the top of the structure. When the capstone was completed, it was placed on display at Tiffany in New York, and customers were given a similar chance to leap over the top of the monument.
Much has been written about the phrase "Laus Deo" appearing at the capstone of the Washington Monument. In fact, so much has been written that it's taking on the appearance of an urban legend. While, technically, it is true that the Latin phrase meaning "Praise to God" is engraved at the top of the monument, it is disingenuous to state that fact without putting it into context: The phrase is just a very small part of a much larger series of engravings.
The north side of the monument has this inscription:
Joint commission at setting of capstone.
Chester A. Arthur.
W.W. Corcoran, Chairman.
M.E. Bell.
Edward Clark.
John Newton.
Act of August 2, 1876.
The east side of the monument has this inscription:
Laus Deo
The west side of the monument has this inscription:
Corner stone laid on bed of foundation July 4, 1848.
First stone at height of 152 feet laid August 7, 1880.
Capstone set December 6, 1884.
The south side of the monument has this inscription:
Chief engineer and architect, Thos. Lincoln Casey, Colonel, Corps of Engineers.
Assistants: George W. Davis, Captain, 14th Infantry. Bernard R. Green, Civil Engineer.
Master Mechanic: P.H. McLaughlin.
When the monument opened, it was the responsibility of the War Department.
Abraham Lincoln, then a little-known congressman, attended the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone.
A block of marble from the Temple of Concord in Rome was once embedded in the base of the monument. It was a gift from Pope Pius IX, and was stolen on March 6, 1854. Some say it was broken up and destroyed. Others believe it was thrown into the Potomac River. No one was ever convicted of the crime, widely believed to have been carried out by a now-defunct anti-Catholic political party.
On the inside, the first 452 feet of the monument is reinforced with granite from Maine.
There are lightning rods on top of the monument to protect it from electrical storms.
The lightning suppression system runs down the stairwell.
Total weight: 90,854 tons.
Capstone weight: 3,300 pounds.
September, 1880: A cat leapt from the 160-foot level of the monument. It survived the fall, but there is a legend that it was killed a short time later by a nearby dog.
1908: Charles Street, a catcher for the Washington Senators was the first person to catch a baseball thrown from the top of the monument.
February 21, 2002: After a $10,500,000 renovation, the monument reopens to the public. The first people to get tours of the refurbished landmark were children from Anthony Bowen Elementary School.
September 2, 2004: The monument temporarily closes for security upgrades.
April 1, 2005: The Washington Monument reopens to the public.
2003-2006: The area surrounding the monument is redesigned and improved with an eye toward security.
Mateus
Saturday, December 12th, 2009 @ 9:18pm
Rating: Five stars. It's fantastic, is majestic ... among other things symbolizes the rise of man to heaven, his desire to become God ...He says the inscription on the eastern side of the ridge: Laus Deo (Praise God), splendid!
E. Rogers
Friday, May 9th, 2008 @ 2:09am
Rating: Five stars. Amazing. A tribute to the man George Washington - more amazing still. May God continue to bless America!
Wayne Cross
Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 @ 9:17am
Rating: Five stars. Visited Dec 02, Was awe inspired found it really informative, It has a presence about it that makes you feel proud a must see
Mal Walker
Sunday, March 13th, 2005 @ 2:52am
Rating: Five stars. Wonderful monument. Not fully appreciated until you get really close, it's majestic.
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Mateus
Five stars.
E. Rogers
Wayne Cross