The idea of a memorial
honoring Washington developed in the 1780s. In the absence of action by the
federal government, a group of private citizens formed the Washington National
Monument Society in 1833. American architect Robert Mills designed an obelisk surrounded by a series of
columns at the base that featured statues of prominent Americans. His design was
later altered and the columns were not built. The cornerstone was laid on July
4, 1848, with the same trowel Washington used in 1793 to lay the cornerstone of
the U.S. Capitol building. Construction continued slowly until the mid-1850s,
when political disputes, lack of funds, and the American Civil War (1861-1865)
halted work. President Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877) authorized federal funding
for the memorial in 1876, and in 1878 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers resumed
work on the project. The monument was completed in 1884, dedicated on Feb. 21,
1885, and opened to the public in 1888. Administered by the National Park Service. Area, 43 hectares (106 acres).
Personal
Reflections:
When
my family and I were in D.C., the Washington Monument was closed to the
public. I do understand that the monument is now open to the public again,
though. A word of advise, go by and get your tickets early or order
them online..... This memorial was probably my least favorite of all the
memorials in Washington. Don't get me wrong, the monument is impressive,
so no hate mail, please....
Personally, I enjoyed going through Mount Vernon a whole lot more. That to me is a
more fitting memorial to Our first president. This, to me, shows the life
and times of General Washington in a more appropriate
setting....
