Building of the Washington Monument

The cornerstone was ceremoniously laid into place in 1848, construction sputtered for more than thirty years. This is the story of arguably the most famous obelisk in the world, the Washington Monument, built mostly by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

In 1833 a group of like-minded individuals formed a private organization known as the Washington National Monument Society. Its purpose was to fulfill a US Congressional resolution to fund and erect a statue to honor the first commander in chief. The society raised funds and persuaded the US Congress to designate a suitable site. Construction commenced by installing a twelve ton marble cornerstone quarried in Maryland.

Work progressed according to fundraising, slowly. After eleven years, the society requested assistance from the War Department. The US Army Corps of Engineers assumed the project management, but construction soon halted as a civil war loomed on the horizon. The monolithic structure reached a height of 152 feet before construction stopped in 1856. The project remained unfinished for almost twenty years.

Construction on the monument resumed in 1876, but not before the US Congress agreed to appropriate funds for its completion. That year, the project was federalized. Marble was transported from Maryland, but not from the original quarry. This marble was combined with marble from Massachusetts. On completion in 1885, the stones appeared to be the same color. However, environmental elements from the effects of weathering aged the stones differently. Today the free-standing 555 foot obelisk displays three shades of white stone.

The Washington Monument opened to the public in 1888. The interior staircase has 896 steps from the ground to the observation level below the cap. It was the tallest building in the world, but that was short lived. The next year the Eiffel Tower broke the record for the tallest manmade structure at 984 feet not including the tip.

The capping pyramid at the tip of the Washington Monument was made of aluminum which was a new and rare process. The side facing east bears the inscription Laus Deo, in Latin “Praise Be to God.”