Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is a tall obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Father of the United States and the nation's first president. Standing east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial, the monument is made of bluestone gneiss for the foundation and of granite for the construction. The outside facing consists of three different kinds of white marble, as the building process was repeatedly interrupted. The monument stands tall, according to U.S. National Geodetic Survey measurements in 2013 and 2014.  It is the third tallest monumental column in the world, trailing only the Juche Tower in Pyongyang, and the San Jacinto Monument in Houston, Texas. It was the world's tallest structure between 1884 and 1889, after which it was overtaken by the Eiffel Tower, in Paris.

Construction of the presidential memorial began in 1848. 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 original design was by Robert Mills from South Carolina, but construction omitted his proposed colonnade for lack of funds, and construction proceeded instead with a bare obelisk. 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 column surmounted by a 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. 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.

Proposals

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. The Democratic-Republican Party (Jeffersonian Republicans) took control of Congress in 1801 and rescinded prior approvals for the memorial.

Design

thumb|Donation receipt of the Washington National Monument Society|left

Progress toward a memorial finally began in 1833, when a group of citizens formed the Washington National Monument Society. On September 23, 1835, the board of managers of the society described their expectations:

In 1836, after they had raised $28,000 in donations (), they announced a competition for the design of the memorial. Robert Mills was formally selected in 1845.

left|thumb|Bronze statue of [[George Washington in the monument's western alcove]]

Moreover, 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. Mills's 1848 obelisk was to be tall, square at the base and square at the top. It had two massive doorways, each high and wide, on the east and west sides of its base.

Construction

thumb|The west side of [[Jefferson Pier with the Washington Monument (in background)|left]]

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. This site had been allocated as part of the 1791 L'Enfant Plan for Washington, D.C. The ground at the intended location proved to be too unstable to support such a heavy structure, so the monument's location was moved east-southeast. At that originally intended site there now stands a small monolith called the Jefferson Pier. Consequently, the McMillan Plan specified that the Lincoln Memorial should be "placed on the main axis of the Capitol and the Monument", about 1° south of due west of the Capitol or the monument, not due west of the Capitol or the monument.

Excavation and initial construction

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. Abraham Riesman, who quoted Gordon, states "there were plenty of people who worked as skilled laborers while enslaved in antebellum America. Indeed, there were enslaved people who worked as stonemasons. So the possibility remains that there were slaves who performed some of the necessary skilled labor for the monument."

During the second phase, it is unlikely that slave labor was used, as every stone laid required dressing and polishing by a skilled stonemason. This includes the iron staircase which was constructed 1885–86. That the stonecutters in the quarry were slaves is confirmed because all quarry workers were slaves during the construction of the United States Capitol during the 1790s. However, most of the first phase's construction only required unskilled manual labor. No information survives concerning the method used to lift stones that weighed several tons each during the first phase, whether by a manual winch or a steam engine.

Only a small number of stones used in the first phase required a skilled stonemason. These were the marble blocks on the outer surface of the monument (their inner surfaces were left very rough) and those gneiss stones that form the rough inner walls of the monument (all other surfaces of those inner stones within the walls were left jagged). The vast majority of all gneiss stones laid during the first phase, those between the outer and inner surfaces of the walls, from very large to very small jagged stones, form a pile of rubble held together by a large amount of mortar. The original foundation below the walls was made of layered gneiss rubble, but without the massive stones used within the walls. Most of the gneiss stones used during the first phase were obtained from quarries in the upper Potomac River Valley. Almost all the marble stones of the first and second phases was Cockeysville Marble, obtained from quarries north of downtown Baltimore in rural Baltimore County where stone for their first Washington Monument was obtained.

On Independence Day, July 4, 1848, the Freemasons, the same organization to which Washington belonged, laid the cornerstone (symbolically, not physically).

Two years later, on July 4, 1850, George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted son of George Washington, dedicated a stone from the people of the District of Columbia to the Monument at a ceremony.

Donations run out

thumb|upright=1|The partially completed monument, photographed by [[Mathew Brady, ]]

Construction continued until 1854, when donations ran out and the monument had reached a height of . At that time a memorial stone that was contributed by Pope Pius IX, called the Pope's Stone, was destroyed by members of the anti-Catholic, nativist American Party, better known as the "Know-Nothings", during the early morning hours of (a priest replaced it in 1982 using the Latin phrase "A Roma Americae" instead of the original stone's English phrase "Rome to America"). Economic and political conditions of the time caused public contributions to the Washington National Monument Society to cease, so they appealed to Congress for money.

thumb|Proposals for the completion of the monument published in 1879. Number 6, Henry R. Searle's obelisk was already made public in 1847.

Before work could begin again, arguments about the most appropriate design resumed. Many people thought a simple obelisk, one without the colonnade, would be too bare. Architect Mills was reputed to have said omitting the colonnade would make the monument look like "a stalk of asparagus"; another critic said it offered "little ... to be proud of". concluding that the one by William Wetmore Story, seemed "vastly superior in artistic taste and beauty". Congress deliberated over those five proposals (among others by Paul Schulze and John Fraser) as well as Mills's original. While it was deciding, it ordered work on the obelisk to continue. Finally, the members of the society agreed to abandon the colonnade and alter the obelisk so it conformed to classical Egyptian proportions.

The building of the monument proceeded quickly after Congress had provided sufficient funding. In four years, it was completed, with the 100-ounce (2.83 kg) aluminum apex/lightning-rod being put in place on December 6, 1884. Two years later, the Hall–Héroult process made aluminum easier to produce and the price of aluminum plummeted, though it should have provided a lustrous, non-rusting apex. The monument opened to the public on October 9, 1888.

Dedication

thumb|upright=1|Washington Monument nears completion around 1884

The monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885. Over 800 people were present on the monument grounds to hear speeches by Ohio senator John Sherman, the Rev. Henderson Suter, William Wilson Corcoran of the Washington National Monument Society (read by James C. Welling), Freemason Myron M. Parker, Col. Thomas Lincoln Casey of the Army Corps of Engineers, and President Chester A. Arthur. President Arthur proclaimed:<blockquote> I do now ... in behalf of the people, receive this monument ... and declare it dedicated from this time forth to the immortal name and memory of George Washington. The total cost of the monument from 1848 to 1888 was $1,409,500

Later history

thumb|upright=1|View of the [[White House and Northern Washington from the top of the Washington Monument in the early 1900s]]

The Washington Monument was the world's tallest structure until the Eiffel Tower in Paris was completed in 1889. This monument is taller than the obelisks around the capitals of Europe and in Egypt and Ethiopia, but ordinary antique obelisks were quarried as a monolithic block of stone, and were therefore seldom taller than approximately . The district's Heights of Buildings Act of 1910 restricts new building heights to no more than greater than the width of the adjacent street; as such, none of Washington, D.C.'s tallest buildings are higher than the Washington Monument.

20th century

In the early 1900s, material started oozing out between the outer stones of the first construction period below the mark, and was referred to by tourists as "geological tuberculosis". This was caused by the weathering of the cement and rubble filler between the outer and inner walls. As the lower section of the monument was exposed to cold and hot and damp and dry weather conditions, the material dissolved and worked its way through the cracks between the stones of the outer wall, solidifying as it dripped down their outer surface.

For ten hours in December 1982, the Washington Monument and eight tourists were held hostage by a nuclear arms protester, Norman Mayer, claiming to have explosives in a van he drove to the monument's base. United States Park Police shot and killed Mayer. The monument was undamaged in the incident, and it was discovered later that Mayer did not have explosives. After this incident, the surrounding grounds were modified in places to restrict the possible unauthorized approach of motor vehicles.

1990s and 2000s renovations

left|thumb|upright=1|The monument undergoing restoration in 1999The monument underwent an extensive restoration project between 1998 and 2001. During this time it was completely covered in scaffolding designed by Michael Graves (who was also responsible for the interior changes). The project included cleaning, repairing and repointing the monument's exterior and interior stonework; adding glass encasements around stone in publicly accessible interior spaces to prevent vandalism; and adding windows with narrower frames to increase the viewing space. New exhibits celebrating the life of George Washington, and the monument's place in history, were also added.

A temporary interactive visitor center, dubbed the "Discovery Channel Center", was also constructed during the project. The center provided a simulated ride to the top of the monument, and shared information with visitors during phases in which the monument was closed. The majority of the project's phases were completed by summer 2000, allowing the monument to reopen July 31, 2000.

On September 7, 2004, the monument closed for a $15 million renovation, which included numerous security upgrades and redesign of the monument grounds by landscape architect Laurie Olin (b. 1938). The renovations were due partly to security concerns following the September 11, 2001 attacks and the start of the war on terror. The monument reopened April 1, 2005, while the surrounding grounds remained closed until the landscape was finished later that summer.

2010s to present

The monument in March 2024|thumb

thumb|upright|[[Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851 paintings)|Washington Crossing the Delaware was projected on the Washington Monument in January 2026 during the United States Semiquincentennial celebrations.]]

On August 23, 2011, the Washington Monument sustained damage during the 5.8 magnitude 2011 Virginia earthquake. Over 150 cracks were found in the monument, Other pieces of the monument became dislodged. Two structural engineering firms—Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. and Tipping Mar Associates—were hired to assess the monument. An examination of the monument's exterior revealed debris had become dislodged around and inside the memorial. A group of climbers conducted further investigations that September because the NPS suspected that there were more cracks on the monument's upper section that were not visible from the inside. The external inspection found cracks and spalling near the top of the monument, and more loss of joint mortar further down the monument. The full report was issued in December 2011. More than $200,000 was spent between August 24 and September 26 inspecting the structure. hiring Hill International and Louis Berger Group to provide coordination between the designer, Wiss, Janney, and Elstner Associates, the general contractor Perini, and numerous stakeholders. NPS said a portion of the plaza at the base of the monument would be removed and scaffolding constructed around the exterior. Some stone pieces saved during the 2011 inspection would be refastened to the monument, while "Dutchman patches" would be used in other places. Several of the stone lips that help hold the pyramidion's exterior slabs in place were also damaged, so engineers installed stainless steel brackets to more securely fasten them to the monument. The National Park Service reopened the Washington Monument to visitors on May 12, 2014, eight days ahead of schedule. with taxpayers funding $7.5 million of the cost and David Rubenstein funding the other $7.5 million.

The monument continued to be plagued by problems after the earthquake, including in January 2017 when the lights illuminating it went out. The monument was closed again in September 2016 due to reliability issues with the elevator system. On December 2, 2016, the PS announced that the monument would be closed until 2019 in order to modernize the elevator. The $2–3 million project was to correct the elevator's ongoing mechanical, electrical and computer issues, which had shuttered the monument since August 17. The NPS also requested funding for a permanent screening facility for the Washington Monument. The final months of closure were for mitigation of possibly contaminated underground soil thought to have been introduced in the 1880s. The monument reopened September 19, 2019.

The Washington Monument was closed on March 14, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on October 1, 2020, and remained open through the remainder of that year, except for brief closures. On January 11, 2021, a few days after the January 6 United States Capitol attack, the National Park Service announced a two-week closure until after the presidential inauguration; despite a lack of violence, the closure was extended due to a revival of COVID-19 fears. The monument then reopened on July 14, 2021,

As part of the United States Semiquincentennial celebrations leading in to 2026, a projection show ran for six nights starting on December 31, 2025. Stories about how America was discovered, its independence, and future were projected on the sides of the Washington Monument.

Components

Foundation

thumb|upright=1|Cross section of foundation, both old and reinforced, showing dimensions

The first phase began with the excavation of about of topsoil down to a level of loam, consisting of equal parts of sand and clay, hard enough to require picks to break it up. On this "bed of the foundation" the cornerstone was laid at the northeast corner of the proposed foundation. The rest of the foundation was then constructed of bluestone gneiss rubble and spalls, with every crevice filled with lime mortar.

Memorial stones

thumb|upright=1|alt=Photo of the Washington Monument Memorial Stone from Utah (State of Deseret)|Memorial stone from [[Utah, representing the former provisional State of Deseret]]

States, cities, foreign countries, benevolent societies, other organizations, and individuals have contributed 194 memorial stones, all inserted into the east and west interior walls above stair landings or levels for easy viewing, except one on the south interior wall between stairs that is difficult to view. The sources disagree on the number of stones for two reasons: whether one or both "height stones" are included, and stones not yet on display at the time of a source's publication cannot be included. The "height stones" refer to two stones that indicate height: during the first phase of construction a stone with an inscription that includes the phrase "from the foundation to this height 100 feet" () was installed just below the stairway and high above the stairway;

The Historic Structure Report (HSR, 2004) named 194 "memorial stones" by level, including both height stones. The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS, 1994) showed the location of 193 "memorial stones" but did not describe or name any. HABS showed both height stones but did not show one stone not yet installed in 1994.  to about (Philadelphia and New York City). Two other stones were presented by the Sunday Schools of the Methodist Episcopal Church in New York and the Sabbath School children of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia—the former quotes from the Bible verse Proverbs 10:7, "The memory of the just is blessed". but never arrived in Washington (it was replaced in 1989).)

Walls

thumb|upright=1|Cross section of rubble in shaft at 150-feet and typical of rubble below 150 feet|alt=Showing about 85 irregular large stones in mortar between empty shaft well and outer marble veneer

thumb|left|The three types (quarries) of marble used for the monument walls.The bottom section of was built between 1848 and 1854 under the direction of William Dougherty. It uses white Cockeysville Marble from the Texas Quarry, a still-active quarry in Cockeysville, Maryland. During the second phase in 1879–1880, eight feet of white marble from Sheffield, Massachusetts, were laid above the "Texas" marble; this was halted due to quality control problems. The three different shades of marble can be distinguished on the monument.

The marble pyramidion has an extremely complex construction to save weight yet remain strong. Its surface slabs or panels are usually only thick (with small thick and thin portions) and generally do not support the weight of slabs above them, instead transferring their own weight via wide internal marble ribs to the shaft's walls. The slabs are generally wide and high with a vertical overlap (shiplap) to prevent water from entering the horizontal joints. Twelve such courses, the internal ribs, the marble capstone, and the aluminum apex comprise the pyramidion. Its height is .  Its weight is .

The observation floor (nominally the 500-foot level) is  above the entry lobby floor or lowest landing level. It is above the marble base of the pyramidion and the top of the shaft walls.

A replica displayed on the 490-foot level uses totally different line breaks from those on the external apex—it also omits the 1934 inscriptions. In October 2007, it was discovered that the display of this replica was positioned so that the Laus Deo (Latin for "praise be to God") inscription could not be seen and Laus Deo was omitted from the placard describing the apex. The National Park Service rectified the omission by creating a new display.

Lightning protection

thumb|upright=1|Lightning strikes near the Washington Monument

The pyramidion was originally designed with an tall inscribed aluminum apex which served as a single lightning rod, installed . Lightning damaged the marble blocks of the pyramidion on , so a net of gold-plated copper rods supporting 200 gold-plated, platinum-tipped copper points spaced every was installed over the entire pyramidion. In 2013 this original system was removed and discarded. It was replaced by only two thick solid aluminum lightning rods protruding above the tip of the apex by about attached to the east and west sides of the marble capstone just below the apex.

Stairs and elevator

thumb|right|upright=1|North interior wall with its stairs and their wire screening

The monument is filled with ironwork, consisting of its stairs, elevator columns and associated tie beams, none of which supports the weight of the stonework. It was redesigned in 1958 to reduce congestion and improve the flow of visitors. Originally, visitors entered and exited the west side of the elevator on the observation floor, causing congestion. So the large landing at the 490-foot level was expanded to a full floor and the original spiral stair in the northeast corner between the levels was replaced by two spiral stairs in the northeast and southeast corners. Now visitors exit the elevator on the observation floor, then walk down either spiral stair before reboarding the elevator for their trip back down. Since 1958 the stairs have had 897 risers if only one spiral stair is counted because both spiral stairs now have 15 risers each.

Visitation

The Washington Monument attracted enormous crowds before it officially opened. For six months after its dedication, 10,041 people climbed the stairs to the top. After the elevator that had been used to raise building materials was altered to carry passengers, the number of visitors grew rapidly, and an average of 55,000 people per month were going to the top by 1888, only three years after its completion and dedication. The annual visitor count peaked at an average of 1.1 million people between 1979 and 1997. From 2005 to 2010, when restrictions were placed on the number of visitors allowed per day, the Washington Monument had an annual average of 631,000 visitors. The national memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966, as with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service (an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior) at the time.

Security

thumb|upright=1|A low-profile [[ha-ha wall surrounds the monument.]]

In 2001, a temporary visitor security screening centera one-story cube of wood around a metal framewas added to the east entrance of the Washington Monument in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Visitors passed through metal detectors and bomb-sniffing sensors prior to entering the monument.

In 2019

A recessed trench wall known as a ha-ha has been built to minimize the visual impact of a security barrier surrounding the monument. After the September 11 attacks and another unrelated threat at the monument, authorities had put up a circle of temporary Jersey barriers to block the approach of vehicles. This barrier was replaced by a low granite stone wall that doubles as a bench and also incorporates lighting. Designed by the famed landscape architect Laurie Olin, the installation received the 2005 Park/Landscape Award of Merit from the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Replicas

In Ridgeland, Mississippi, off Interstate 55 at the corner of Colony Park Boulevard and Highland Colony Parkway, is a tall cellphone tower in the shape of the Washington Monument. Other replicas or close resemblances include those at the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site in Fairview, Kentucky, at ; Olalla, Washington, at ; and another in an office park in Alexandria, Virginia, at . A high model is under a manhole near the Washington Monument and serves as a geodetic marker in a national geodetic control network.

Notes

References

External links

Official NPS website: Washington Monument
Harper's Weekly cartoon, February 21, 1885, the day of formal dedication
Today in HistoryDecember 6
Prehistory on the Mall at the Washington Monument