Table of Contents
When was the Washington tower built?
The Washington Monument is a hollow Egyptian style stone obelisk with a 500-foot (152.4 m) tall column surmounted by a 55-foot (16.8 m) tall pyramidion….
| Washington Monument | |
|---|---|
| Height | 555 ft (169 m) |
| Built | 1848–1854, 1879–1884 |
| Visitors | 671,031 (in 2008) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
What is the tall spire in Washington?
The Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is a large, tall, white obelisk near the west part of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was built to remember George Washington, who was the first President of the United States. It is the tallest stone structure in the world, and is 555 feet 5⅛ inches (169.294 m) tall.
What is the pencil in DC called?
obelisk
You may have heard that the Washington Monument is reopening Monday after being closed for repairs since August 2011, when it was damaged by an earthquake. The 555-foot-tall monument, which was built to honor the nation’s first president, is an obelisk, a shape that looks like a sharpened pencil.
What is the big pointy thing in Washington DC?
The Washington Monument, designed by Robert Mills and eventually completed by Thomas Casey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, honors and memorializes George Washington at the center of the nation’s capital.
What is inside Washington Monument?
Inside the ground floor lobby, there is a statue of George Washington. The interior walls are lined with commemorative stones from individuals, civic groups, cities, states, and countries that wanted to honor the memory of George Washington; some of these stones are visible on the elevator descent trip.
When did they start building the Washington Monument?
In 1848, construction began on Washington’s obelisk. After a few years, money ran out and the Civil War directed manpower and resources away from the project. Finally, forty years after ground was broken for the project, the Washington Monument opened to the public in 1888.
When was the elevator installed at the Washington Monument?
The original steam-driven elevator, with a trip time of 10-12 minutes to the top of the monument, was replaced with an electric elevator in 1901. The National Park Service was given jurisdiction over the Washington Monument in 1933, and the first restoration of the structure began as a Depression Era public works project in 1934.
When was the earthquake at the Washington Monument?
On August 23, 2011, the Washington Monument sustained damage during the 5.8 magnitude 2011 Virginia earthquake; over 150 cracks were found in the monument.
How tall is the Washington Monument from the ground?
The Washington Monument’s CTBUH (above pedestrian entrance) height, 554 feet 7 + 11 ⁄ 32 inches (169.046 m), is the same as its above ground height. The San Jacinto Monument has a surveyed height of 567.31 feet (172.916 m) from its footing to the top of its beacon.