A Collaborative Effort to Remember

Washington Monument, Washington D.C., United States as viewed at twilight/dusk. Taken by myself with a Canon 5D and 24-105mm f/4L IS lens. Español: El Monumento a Washington al atardecer Magyar: A Washington emlékmű Polski: Pomnik Waszyngtona o zmierzchu (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While you might already be neck deep in BBQs, beer, or family get togethers this long holiday weekend, I thought it’d be fitting to take a moment and reflect on the history of the Washington Monument — the structure built to commemorate our first president. Many might not know (I certainly didn’t) that the monument was only made possible by millions of dollars in donations from American citizens. After Washington’s death in 1799, the shocked and grief-stricken country felt it necessary to erect a monument in his name. For the next two hundred years, it would take a lot of fundraising and collaborative effort to get the monument properly built and then refurbished to look new once more.

Construction began in 1848, but was halted for twenty years due to financial difficulties and the Civil War. When construction began again in 1876, marble from a different quarry had to be used, resulting in the slightly different hues between the top and bottom halves. Upon its completion, it was the world’s tallest building until the Eiffel Tower was completed in France. Today, standing at 555 ft 5 in, it is still one of the world’s tallest obelisks. It stands as a reminder of George Washington’s strength in the face of difficult decisions and the admirable legacy he left behind.

For more information, visit: www.nps.gov