| Washington Monument | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′22.08377″N77°2′6.86378″W / 38.8894677139°N77.0352399389°W |
| Area | 106.01 acres (42.90 ha) |
| Visitation | 671,031 (in 2008) |
| Governingbody | National Park Service |
 
Location of Washington Monument inUnited States Washington, D.C. central
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The Washington Monument Is Completed (1884)
In 1783, Congress passed a resolution approving an equestrian statue of George Washington. Plans were made to erect it at the site of the present Washington Monument, but Washington objected to the idea. After his death in 1799, plans for a memorial were discussed but none was adopted until 1832, when blocks of stone began to be collected from each state, some foreign countries, and private individuals. The 555-ft (169-m) monument was finally completed in 1884. Its tip is made of what?
The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall inWashington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first American president.
The monument, made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss,[1] is boththe world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing555 feet 5 1&fras1;8 inches (169.294 m).[n 1] Taller monumental columns exist,but they are neither all stone nor true obelisks.[n 2]
Construction of the monument began in 1848, but was halted from 1854 to1877, and finally completed in 1884. The hiatus in construction happenedbecause of co-option by the Know Nothing party, a lack of funds, and theintervention of the American Civil War. A difference in shading of the marble,visible approximately 150 feet (46 m) or 27% up, shows where constructionwas halted. Its original design was by Robert Mills, an architect of the 1840s,but his design was modified significantly when construction resumed. Thecornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848; the capstone was set on December 6,1884, and the completed monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885.[7] Itofficially opened October 9, 1888. Upon completion, it became the world'stallest structure, a title previously held by the Cologne Cathedral. Themonument held this designation until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower wascompleted in Paris, France.
The monument stands due east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial. The monument was damaged during the Virginia earthquake ofAugust 23, 2011 and Hurricane Irene in the same year; it remains closed to thepublic while the structure is assessed and repaired.[8] The National ParkService estimates the monument will be closed until 2014. Difficulties in repairinclude complexities such as the time needed to erect scaffolding.[9]
History of the monument
Rationale
Hailed as the father of his country, and the leader who was "first in war, first inpeace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen", George Washington (1732–1799) was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States ofAmerica from 1775 to 1798. Even his erstwhile enemy King George III calledhim "the greatest character of the age".[10]
At his death in 1799 he left a critical legacy: he exemplified the core ideals ofthe American Revolution and the new nation: republican virtue and devotion to civic duty. Washington was the unchallenged public icon of Americanmilitary and civic patriotism. He was also identified with the Federalist Partythat lost control of the national government in 1800 to the JeffersonianRepublicans, who were reluctant to celebrate the hero of the opposition party.[11]
Proposals for a memorial
Starting with victory in the Revolution, there were many proposals to build a monument to Washington. After his death,Congress authorized a suitable memorial in the national capital, but the decision was reversed when the Democratic-Republican Party (Jeffersonian Republicans) took control of Congress in 1801.[12] The Republicans were dismayed thatWashington had become the symbol of the Federalist Party; furthermore the values of Republicanism seemed hostile to theidea of building monuments to powerful men. They also blocked his image on coins or the celebration of his birthday. Furtherpolitical squabbling, along with the North-South division on the Civil War, blocked the completion of the WashingtonMonument until the late 19th century. By that time, Washington had the image of a national hero who could be celebrated byboth North and South, and memorials to him were no longer controversial.[13]
As early as 1783, the Continental Congress had resolved "That an equestrian statue of George Washington be erected atthe place where the residence of Congress shall be established." The proposal called for engraving on the statue whichexplained it had been erected "in honor of George Washington, the illustrious Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the UnitedStates of America during the war which vindicated and secured their liberty, sovereignty, and independence."[14] Currently,there are two equestrian statues of President Washington in Washington, DC. One is located in Washington Circle at theintersection of the Foggy Bottom and West End neighborhoods at the north end of the George Washington University, andthe other is in the gardens of the National Cathedral.
Ten days after Washington's death, a Congressional committee recommended a different type of monument. John Marshall,a Representative from Virginia (who later became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court) proposed that a tomb be erectedwithin the Capitol. But a lack of funds, disagreement over what type of memorial would best honor the country's firstpresident, and the Washington family's reluctance to move his body prevented progress on any project.[15]
