Washington Monument

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Lore & Background

The monument was built to honor George Washington, the first president of the United States. At Washington's death in 1799, he was the unchallenged public icon of U.S. military and civic patriotism. He was also identified with the Federalist Party, which lost control of the national government in 1800 to the Jeffersonian Republicans, who were reluctant to celebrate the hero of the opposition party. After the American Revolutionary War, there were many proposals to build a monument to Washington, beginning with an authorization in 1783 by the old Confederation Congress to erect an equestrian statue of the general in a future U.S. national capital city. On December 24, 1799, ten days after Washington's death, a U.S. congressional committee recommended a different type of monument. U.S. representative John Marshall proposed that a tomb be erected within the Capitol, but a lack of funds, disagreement over what type of memorial to build, and the Washington family's reluctance to move his body from Mount Vernon prevented progress on any project. The Democratic-Republican Party took control of Congress in 1801 and rescinded prior approvals for the memorial. Progress finally began in 1833 when a group of citizens formed the Washington National Monument Society. In 1836, after they had raised $28,000 in donations (equivalent to $1,000,000 in 2024), they announced a competition for the design. Robert Mills was formally selected in 1845. His design called for a circular colonnaded building 250 feet in diameter and 100 feet high, supporting a four-sided obelisk 500 feet high, for a total height of 600 feet. Criticism of Mills's design came up already in 1847, when architect Henry Robinson Searle presented an alternative concept. The estimated price tag of more than $1 million caused the society to hesitate. On April 11, 1848, the society decided, due to a lack of funds, to build only a simple plain obelisk.

Reader's Guide

The Washington Monument was originally intended to be located at the intersection of a north–south axis through the center of the White House, and a west–east axis through the U.S. Capitol on Capitol Hill. The ground at the intended location proved to be too unstable to support such a heavy structure, so the monument's location was moved 390 feet east-southeast. The cornerstone was laid with great ceremony on July 4, 1848. The ceremony began with a parade of dignitaries in carriages, marching troops, fire companies, and benevolent societies. A long oration was delivered by Robert C. Winthrop, the speaker of the House of Representatives. Construction of its massive walls began in 1849. The construction was suspended from 1854 to 1877 due to funding challenges, a struggle for control over the Washington National Monument Society, and the American Civil War. The stone structure was completed in 1884, and the internal ironwork, the knoll, and installation of memorial stones was completed in 1888. The completed monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885, and opened to the public on October 9, 1888. In 2001, a temporary security screening facility was added to the entrance. Following the 2011 Virginia earthquake, the monument was closed for repairs until 2014, and it was closed again from 2016 to 2019. The Washington Monument is a hollow Egyptian-style stone obelisk with a 500-foot-tall column surmounted by a 55-foot-tall pyramidion. The walls taper as they rise and are supported by six arches; the top of the pyramidion is a large, marble capstone with a small aluminum pyramid at its apex, with inscriptions on all four sides. The interior is occupied by iron stairs that spiral up the walls, with an elevator in the center. The pyramidion has eight observation windows and eight red aircraft warning lights, two per side. At the northeast corner of the foundation is a marble cornerstone, including a zinc case filled with memorabilia. Fifty U.S. flags fly on a large circle of poles centered on the monument, representing each U.S. state.

Did You Know?

• The monument stands 554 feet 7+11⁄32 inches (169.046 m) tall, according to U.S. National Geodetic Survey measurements in 2013 and 2014.
• It was the world's tallest structure between 1884 and 1889, after which it was overtaken by the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
• Construction was suspended from 1854 to 1877 due to funding challenges, a struggle for control over the Washington National Monument Society, and the American Civil War.
• The original design by Robert Mills called for a circular colonnaded building 250 feet in diameter and 100 feet high, supporting a four-sided obelisk 500 feet high, but lack of funds led to a bare obelisk.
• The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848, with a long oration delivered by Robert C. Winthrop, the speaker of the House of Representatives.