Having lived on the edge of Washington DC for 2 years now, I have noticed one big thing – The Washington Monument. It cannot be missed. No matter where you go, the tall pointy stone object is in view.
So, I got to thinking, what is the monument all about anyhow? After doing some reading and research I learned some interesting facts about the monument and thought I would pass them along.
A private organization, the Washington National Monument Society, came up with the idea for the tribute to the first president, George Washington in 1833. The Society was started by James Madison along with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall.
The first monument design featured a rotunda and a Roman-like George Washington. The initial winning bid came from architect Robert Mills, who designed a flat topped obelisk with a statue of Washington in a chariot, along with statues of 30 Founding Fathers.
The Free Masons were involved in the cornerstone ceremony, which included using Masonic symbols. 20,000 people attended the 1848 ceremony.
Copies of the items listed below are believed to be buried in the cornerstone.
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The Society asked for people to donate ceremonial stones as part of the construction process and accepted stones from Native American tribes, companies, foreign countries, and professional organizations. Pope Pius IX donated a memorial stone of marble, which infuriated the anti-Catholic Know-Nothing Party who stole the stone and reportedly threw it into the Potomac in protest. Then, to make sure the monument stayed “American,” the Know-Nothings took over the Washington National Monument Society through fraudulent elections in 1853. Congress cut off monument funding for 5 years until the Know Nothings left the group. During which time they added 13 courses to the monument, all of which had to be removed when construction began again years later.
Nothing happened to the monument for the following 22 years. The monument became stalled to the point that it was used as a slaughter yard and cattle pen during the Civil War. It was described by Mark Twain as looking like “a hollow, over-sized chimney” It became known as the “Washington National Monument Cattle Yard.” After the war, it was known as “Murderer’s Row,” as it became the destination of escapees and deserters.
Congress took over the project in 1876, spurred by the 100th anniversary of America’s founding. President Ulysses Grant authorized federal funding to finish the monument, and work resumed in 1879.
Source USACE
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were called in to work with Lt. Col. Thomas Lincoln Casey to modify the original ornate plans. The monument’s lean look we see today was part of a cost-cutting effort. On December 6, 1884, an aluminum cap, used as a lighting-protection device was placed on top. In February 1885, the dedication ceremony took place.
The Monument was the world’s tallest building when it was dedicated at 555 feet 5 inches tall. The Eiffel Tower soon surpassed the Monument in 1889.
There is an on-going debate about the Monument as the world’s tallest free-standing masonry structure. The Monument’s marble blocks are held together by gravity and friction, and no mortar was used in the process.
The original elevator ride to the top took 20 minutes. Only men were allowed in the elevator as it was thought to be unsafe. Women and Children had to climb all 897 stairs.
On December 8, 1982, a 66-year-old Navy veteran, Norman Mayer, drove his van to the base of the monument and threatened to blow up the structure with 1,000 pounds of dynamite. A group of tourists was trapped inside the monument for several hours before Mayer, who was trying to draw attention to his stance against nuclear weapons, let them leave. After an approximately 10-hour standoff with law enforcement officials, Mayer attempted to drive away, but was shot and killed by police. When authorities later searched his van, no explosives were found.
In 1908, Washington Senators catcher Gabby Street attempted to catch a ball being dropped from the top of the Washington Monument. After letting 12 balls slam into the ground and bounce, Street, who caught for notorious flamethrower Walter Johnson, managed to catch and hold onto the 13th.
On October 15, 1923, a mother fell through the guardrail for the elevator shaft trying to prevent her 3-year-old child from falling. The child was found on the 400-foot level, bruised and crying, but alive. The mother died after falling all the way to the 270-foot level. It was the third death at the monument before safety screens were introduced. A man had killed himself by jumping out the window at the top, while a woman had done so by jumping down the elevator shaft.
Flying into Washington DC, The Washington monument is one of the first sights.
On August 23, 2011, the monument was rocked by a rare, 5.8-magnitude earthquake causing a number of cracks in the structure and shaking some of its mortar loose. Although people were inside the monument when the quake hit, no one was seriously hurt. The Washington Monument re-opened to the public for tours on Monday, May 9, 2014 at 1 p.m.
This Photograph of the Washington Monument and others are for sale by Augie’s Adventures. Thanks for supporting us getting out of the City and into the mountains
