Alone among the Founders of the United States, George
Washington earned the title "Father of his Country" in
recognition of his leadership in the cause of American
independence. The Washington DC monument in his honor
is also singular and of great stature, like the man. Appointed
commander of the Continental Army in 1775, George Washington
molded a fighting force that won independence from Great
Britain. Twelve years later, when he was President of
the new Constitutional Convention, Washington facilitated
the debate and consensus-building process by which a system
of democratic rule was established, which has persevered
over two centuries. Two years later, he was unanimously
elected the first President of the United States. Washington
defined the Presidency and helped develop the relationships
among the three branches of government. When you visit
the Washington monument, an elevator whisks you to the
top of the Washington monument steps, affording you a
view of the nation's capitol
as primary and singular as the man who brought it to life.
Efforts to commemorate his legacy through the George
Washington Monument began during his lifetime and continue
to this day. Early in the monument's planning phase, Pierre-Charles
L'Enfant proposed creating an enormous statue of Washington
on horseback, but Washington, being a modest man, found
this too grandiose. He did not want the government to
spend any money on him. So the plan was shelved until
1848, when new plans were approved. Now the monument was
to be a building, and its cornerstone was laid on the
Fourth of July. But the George Washington monument work
went slowly, and stopped altogether between 1854 and 1876
because of lack of money, political disputes, and the
Civil War. Construction was halted during the war, and
when builders returned to the same quarry to complete
the project afterwards, enough time had passed to cause
a significant change in the color. This color change is
still visible, about one-third the way up the Washington
DC monument.
Today, the George Washington Monument stands 555' 5-1/8"
tall. The walls of the monument are composed of white
marble from Maryland and Massachusetts,
underlain by granite, the whole supported by interior
ironwork. When it was built in the late nineteenth century,
the George Washington monument was the highest building
in the world, even though the Eiffel
Tower in Paris
bested it within five years. It remains the world's tallest
masonry structure. A flight of 897 Washington monument
steps rises to the observation area in the pyramidion.
Inserted into the interior walls are 192 carved stones
presented by individuals, societies, cities, states, and
nations of the world.
A high-tech elevator takes visitors to the top, where they can gaze over the city from the Washington DC monument's windows. Prior permission is required to walk the 897 steps down. In addition to getting aerobic exercise, tourists who choose to do this get a tour of the interior, including the various stones given as gifts by other countries and individuals; contact the National Park Service at least a month in advance to arrange this option.
Same-day tickets are available at no cost from the stand on the Washington Monument grounds at Jefferson and 15th Streets. Hours for the ticket kiosk are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, but tickets run out early. Hours for the Washington Monument are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily.
