Washington Monument
Obelisk on the National Mall honoring George Washington.
via Wikipedia: Washington Monument · see source
Standing on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the Washington Monument is a 555-foot (169 m) obelisk honoring George Washington, the nation’s first president and a Founding Father. It sits east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial. Its foundation uses bluestone gneiss, while the main structure is granite; the exterior is clad in three different types of white marble, a result of repeated construction interruptions. According to U.S. National Geodetic Survey measurements from 2013 and 2014, the monument is exactly 554 feet 7+11⁄32 inches (169.046 m) tall. It ranks as the third tallest monumental column globally, behind North Korea’s Juche Tower and Texas’s San Jacinto Monument. From 1884 to 1889, it held the title of the world’s tallest structure, until Paris’s Eiffel Tower surpassed it.
Construction began in 1848 but was halted from 1854 to 1877 due to funding shortfalls, infighting within the Washington National Monument Society, and the American Civil War. The stonework was finished in 1884, with interior ironwork, the knoll, and memorial stones completed by 1888. The original design came from South Carolina’s Robert Mills, but a lack of funds forced the removal of his planned colonnade, leaving a bare obelisk. The monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885, and opened to the public on October 9, 1888. A temporary security screening facility was added at the entrance in 2001. After the 2011 Virginia earthquake, it closed for repairs until 2014, then shut again from 2016 to 2019.
The monument is a hollow Egyptian-style stone obelisk: a 500-foot-tall (152.4 m) column topped by a 55-foot-tall (16.8 m) pyramidion. Its walls taper upward and are supported by six arches. At the pyramidion’s peak sits a large marble capstone with a small aluminum pyramid at its apex, inscribed on all four sides. Inside, iron stairs spiral up the walls, with an elevator at the center. The pyramidion features eight observation windows and eight red aircraft warning lights—two per side. At the northeast corner of the foundation lies a marble cornerstone containing a zinc case of memorabilia. Fifty U.S. flags fly on a large circle of poles around the monument, one for each state.
The monument was built to honor George Washington, who at his death in 1799 was the unchallenged public icon of U.S. military and civic patriotism. He was also tied to the Federalist Party, which lost national power in 1800 to the Jeffersonian Republicans, who were reluctant to celebrate a hero of the opposing party. After the American Revolution, proposals for a Washington monument began in 1783, when the Confederation Congress authorized an equestrian statue in the future capital. Ten days after Washington’s death in 1799, a congressional committee recommended a different monument. Representative John Marshall proposed a tomb in the Capitol, but lack of funds, disagreements over the memorial’s form, and the Washington family’s refusal to move his body from Mount Vernon stalled progress. The Democratic-Republican Party took control of Congress in 1801 and rescinded earlier approvals. Political squabbling and the Civil War further delayed completion for much of the 19th century.
Progress resumed in 1833, when citizens formed the Washington National Monument Society. On September 23, 1835, the society’s board described their vision: the monument should be “unparalleled in the world,” blending “stupendousness with elegance,” and made entirely of American marble and granite from each state. In 1836, after raising $28,000 (equivalent to $1,000,000 in 2024), they held a design competition. Robert Mills, who had designed a Washington monument in Baltimore in 1815 and was then Architect of Public Buildings, was formally chosen in 1845. His plan featured a circular colonnaded building 250 feet (76 m) in diameter and 100 feet (30 m) high, supporting a four-sided obelisk 500 feet (150 m) tall, for a total height of 600 feet (180 m). A massive cylindrical pillar 70 feet (21 m) in diameter would support the obelisk at the building’s center. The obelisk was to be 70 feet (21 m) square at the base and 40 feet (12 m) square at the top, with a slightly peaked roof. Both the obelisk and pillar were hollow, with a spiral railway inside. The obelisk had no doorway; entry came through the pillar’s interior, which had an arched base. Atop the portico, Washington would stand in a chariot holding six horses’ reins, while inside the colonnade would be statues of 30 prominent figures.
- height
- 554 feet 7+11⁄32 inches (169.046 m)
- construction_started
- 1848
- construction_completed
- 1884
- opened_to_public
- October 9, 1888
- material
- bluestone gneiss, granite, white marble
- location
- National Mall, Washington, D.C.
- dedicated_to
- George Washington
Verified Timeline
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is the Washington Monument?
The obelisk measures 554 feet and 7 11/32 inches (roughly 169 meters) from base to tip. That height makes it the third tallest monumental column on Earth, trailing only the Juche Tower and the San Jacinto Monument.
Why does the Washington Monument's marble look like different shades in sections?
Building was suspended for about 25 years between 1854 and 1879 because of funding disputes and the Civil War. When construction finally resumed, the new marble came from a different quarry, leaving a visible color band across the exterior.
When was the Washington Monument built and first opened to the public?
Groundwork started in 1848 and the structure was completed in 1884 after decades of stops and restarts. It was officially opened to visitors on October 9, 1888.
What materials is the Washington Monument made of?
The deep foundation is laid in bluestone gneiss, the main body is built from granite, and the visible exterior is clad in white marble. Because marble was sourced from three separate quarries over the long build, the stone shows subtle tonal differences.
Where is the Washington Monument located and who does it honor?
It stands on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., just east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial. The monument was erected to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States.
More in Architectural Landmarks 1-24
Related in Architectural Landmarks
Links follow this subject's own source article.
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record