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Washington MonumentThis great obelisk was built in honor of George Washington and stands in Washington, D.C., near the Potomac River about halfway between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. The monument is over 555 feet high and measures over 55 feet along each of its four sides at the bottom. The walls are 15 feet thick at the bottom and 18 inches thick at the top. They are covered with white marble from Maryland, and the stones covering the pyramid are seven inches thick. Inside, the monument is hollow. The inner walls are set with 189 carved memorial stones which were presented by individuals, societies, cities, states and other countries. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848, with the same trowel that Washington had used to lay the cornerstone of the Capitol in 1793. But engineers found the ground too soft to support the monument, so they moved the site to the north. Work began Aug. 17, 1880, and was completed Dec. 6, 1884, at a total cost of $1.2 million. The monument was dedicated in 1885 and opened to the public in 1888. Today it is maintained as a national memorial by the National Park Service.
Last Updated: 02/16/03 |
