What monument in Washington is called a pencil. Washington Memorial

However, due to criticism of the project and its cost - $1 million ($21 million in 2009 dollars) - the society did not decide to immediately accept the project. In 1848, it was decided to build an obelisk, and the issue of building a colonnade would be decided later. At this point, they had raised only $87,000, but decided that starting construction of the monument would increase the amount of donations and there would be enough money to complete the construction.

The modern monument is a hollow column with a tetrahedral pyramid in its upper part, inside of which there is an observation deck with eight windows on all four sides.

At the beginning of construction, the 255th Pope Pius IX, among many other patrons, also donated a slab for facing the monument. However, his stove was stolen and destroyed by the anti-Catholic and anti-Irish league, which went down in history under the name “Know-Nothings”. Later, the Dunnos gained control over the Monument Construction Society for some time, purchasing a controlling stake in the company. The control of the radical League of Know-Nothings over the Society for the Construction of the Monument led for some time to the refusal of the American state to participate in the project to build the Washington Monument.

The base of the monument contains a “Chinese stone” with a description of Washington in the treatise of Xu Ziyu (1795-1873), received for construction from Chinese Christians.

In 1938, disabled person Johnny Eck climbed the monument, becoming the first person in the world to conquer this structure without using his legs.

Led the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War against. He was honored as the "Father of the Nation" and unanimously elected as the first President of the United States of America.

The Washington Monument was created as a token of gratitude for the contributions he made to the new vision of a republican federal state where all people were equal.

In 1783, Congress approved Pierre Enfant's design for an equestrian statue of George Washington. However, this project was not destined to come true, and in 1833, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the birth of George Washington, James Madison and John Marshall founded the National Society for the Construction of a Monument to George Washington. They wanted to build the largest monument in the world, matching the size and magnificence of George Washington and reflecting the level of gratitude that US citizens felt for him.

The society began to raise funds for the construction of the monument. At first, each person was allowed to contribute only $1. By 1836, only $28,000 had been raised. This was not enough to build any monument, but it was quite enough to hold a competition for best project memorial, which was done.

The design competition, organized in 1836, was won by architect Robert Mills. In accordance with his plan, the monument was supposed to radiate the simplicity and magnificence that were inherent in George Washington himself. The project was a simple obelisk rising in the central part of the National Mall park. It was assumed that the height of the monument would reach 169.3 m, and the width at the base would be 16.8 m.

When the estimated cost of building the monument was calculated, the society decided not to set an upper limit on the per capita donation amount. Soon the society managed to raise $88,000, and construction began. After the monument was raised to a level of 46 meters, the society's money ran out and construction work had to be stopped. Construction was frozen for more than 20 years; in addition, the situation was aggravated by the outbreak of the American Civil War.

Interest in the Washington Monument was revived in 1876 - on the eve of the first centenary of the history of the United States. President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill confirming budgetary funding for the completion of construction of the memorial. This project was transferred to the Army Corps of Engineers, who completed construction in December 1884.

The monument was officially dedicated to George Washington the day before his birthday in 1885. But it was only in 1888 that the public was allowed to enter the monument, because until this period the interior finishing work had not been completed.

Here are some interesting facts about the Washington Monument:

On July 4, 1848, the corner stone of the Monument was laid. The same trowel that George Washington used to lay the corner stone of the Capitol in 1793 was used. To celebrate this solemn moment, several thousand people gathered around the construction site that day.

The thickness of the walls of the Monument is 4.57 meters at the base and 45 centimeters at the top.

The walls are covered with white marble, which was brought from Maryland.

Although the obelisk is hollow inside, its interior walls contain 189 memorial carvings that were donated by individuals, cities, states, societies and other countries around the world.

In 1858, construction was stopped due to the fact that the stones used at the level above 46 meters were of a darker tone compared to those below.

The Washington Monument is surrounded by flags representing the 50 states of the United States.

The total cost of construction of the Monument was $1,817,710.

Construction of the monument was completed 30 years after the death of its architect, Robert Mills.

The Washington Monument, a colossal obelisk on the National Mall, commemorates the first president of the United States.

George Washington is a legendary figure in American history: one of the country's founding fathers, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army that won the Revolutionary War, progenitor of the American political system. He was born into the family of a wealthy plantation slave owner, but came to the idea of ​​freeing the slaves. He made a career as an officer in the British forces, but took command of the army of the breakaway colonies. After the victory over the British, he could easily retain power, but he voluntarily resigned and returned to his plantation. This move so shocked Europe that King George III called his enemy the greatest symbol of the era.

Washington was elected president twice, both times by all electors unanimously - a unique case in the history of the country. He refused to run for the third time; since then, an unspoken rule has been in effect - the president is allowed no more than two terms. The exception was Roosevelt, who was elected four times, but the justification for this was the war.

The idea of ​​a monument to a national hero took hold immediately after Washington's death in 1797. At first, Congress decided to establish it equestrian statue. The implementation of the project was hampered by political squabbles. In 1832, the year of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the first president, a public committee announced a competition to design a monument. The winner, architect Robert Mills, proposed an obelisk topped with a statue of Washington and surrounded by a colonnade. In 1848, the first stone was laid according to the Masonic ritual - Washington was, as you know, a Freemason. By 1854, the money had dried up; work did not stop only thanks to patrons who donated stones for the obelisk. The marble block was also donated by Pope Pius IX, which caused outrage among anti-Catholics - they stole the stone and drowned it in the Potomac. Amid the scandal, Congress refused to fund the work, and soon began Civil war, construction was resumed only in 1879.

The work went much faster and was completed in just four years. It is clearly visible that the lower third of the obelisk, erected before the war, is lighter than the top - it was not possible to find marble of the same shade. The circular colonnade was abandoned. The stone column was crowned with a three-kilogram sparkling cap made of rare and very expensive aluminum metal at that time. Just three years later, aluminum was already worth a penny.

The monument was opened in 1885. At that time it was the tallest building in the world, but in 1889 the Eiffel Tower took the palm. Now the Washington Monument remains the tallest stone structure in the world (169 meters).

In 2011, it happened in Virginia strong earthquake, followed by Hurricane Irene. The monument was covered in cracks, but survived. For some time it stood in the forests, and in May 2014 it reopened to visitors. There is an elevator inside the obelisk that takes tourists to the top in 70 seconds. The observation deck here is the highest in the capital; the views from here are stunning.

The US capital is home to one of the most famous landmarks in the world - the Washington National Monument. This is a high granite stele, lined with marble. On one side is the Capitol building, on the other side is the legendary White House. The Washington Monument is a tribute to the first American president, George Washington. This is a legendary, controversial, rather interesting personality. At one time, this man made an invaluable contribution to the history of America. His main achievements were the liberation of the country from the colonialists and the fight against slavery. The Washington Monument can be seen in several American films - “Life After People”, “The Event”, “Mars Attacks”, and many others.

History of creation

In 1832, Washington celebrated its anniversary. The city turned 100 years old. In honor of this grandiose event, local residents decided to erect a memory monument here. For this purpose, a special commission was created to collect donations. Two years later, Washington's fund was already $28,000. In 1835, local authorities announced a competition for the best architectural design of the obelisk. After much painstaking deliberation, the victory was awarded to architect Robert Mills. He proposed erecting a high 180-meter granite stele, the top of which would be crowned with a statue of Washington. According to Mills's design, the monument was to be surrounded by a round marble colonnade, the decoration of which would be a sculptural composition in the form of George Washington in a fairy-tale chariot. Inside the colonnade, the architect planned to install several statues dedicated to the heroes of the revolution.

The project was good, but its implementation required a fabulous amount of money, so the commission for the construction of the monument did not immediately agree to accept it. In 1848, construction of a memorial stele began. We decided to hold off on the colonnade for now. Not everything was easy, construction stopped more than once, there was not enough money for materials. But, despite this, in 1985, the grand opening of a magnificent snow-white obelisk took place in the US capital. Today, the Washington Memorial is a beautiful tall monument with a full-fledged colonnade and a pyramidal top, inside of which a wonderful observation deck has been created.

Obelisk design

The Washington Monument is a tall 169-meter snow-white stele, built in the likeness of the Egyptian pyramids. This is one of the most grandiose stone structures in the world. Around the base of the stele you can see 50 American flags belonging to the 50 states of the United States. They complete this beautiful architectural composition. Inside the monument there is a modern elevator that will take visitors to the very top with lightning speed. There is a large viewing gallery here. Its numerous windows offer a breathtaking view of the city panorama - the famous White House and the legendary Capitol. Looking at the stele, you can see that it consists of stone slabs of two colors. And this is not an accident - due to insufficient funds during construction, work was stopped more than once. As a result, we ran out of material of one color, and it was not possible to find the same one. But this fact does not make the monument any less beautiful; on the contrary, it is its highlight. Right at the foot of the obelisk there is a wonderful pond, where it is reflected as if in a mirror. For several decades, the Washington Monument has been one of the most visited places in the city. Tourists from all over the world come here to admire this architectural masterpiece. The Washington Monument is located in the middle of a picturesque natural park. This makes it even more attractive to tourists and townspeople. At first, it was planned to build a “Greek” temple around the stele with numerous statues of honored US political figures. But the idea was never brought to life due to lack of funds.

The Washington Obelisk consists of 36.5 thousand stone slabs. Inside are 200 original carved slabs that the city received as a gift from sponsors, various foundations, cities and states of the country. One of the stones was brought from Japan, as a gift from the Ryukyu state. Another slab from Italy is a donation from the Pope. There are stones here from the Society for the Fight against Alcoholism, several charitable foundations, Greenpeace and many others. There is an artificial pond near the memorial obelisk. It reaches a length of 2 thousand feet and a width of 160 feet. The prototype was the beautiful reservoirs of Versailles. It is interesting that even with a strong wind, the water surface of the pond always remains undisturbed. In 1982, an ardent fighter against nuclear weapons, Norman Meyer, arrived at the stele in a huge truck and threatened to blow up the monument as a protest. He was shot dead by police after lengthy negotiations. No explosives were found on Mayer. Interestingly, the Washington Monument is still not on the UNESCO list.

Address: Washington
Start of construction: 1848
Completion of construction: 1884
Height: 169 m
Architect: Robert Mills
Coordinates: 38°53"22.0"N 77°02"06.8"W

Brief description

Every day thousands of tourists come to the capital of the United States of America to see with their own eyes the variety of attractions for which the city of Washington is famous.

Luxurious parks, unique museum exhibits, magnificent historical and architectural monuments, huge buildings, business centers - all this is so fascinating and interesting that once in this American city, almost every traveler strives to return here again. It is in Washington that the most significant government buildings for the entire state are located (for example, White House), offices of the largest banks and world-famous organizations. Washington is literally imbued with the “spirit of American patriotism.”

In the historical part of the US capital, in the magnificent National Mall National Park, in its very center rises a 169-meter granite obelisk called the Washington Monument. The huge stone stele, which weighs almost 100,000 tons, is installed in the heart of the city as a tribute to the memory of the country's first president, George Washington, and as a symbol of American recognition and respect for the outstanding leader. Every tourist will be interested to know that by the time construction work was completed, the Washington Monument was the tallest on our entire planet. By the way, even today this majestic monument is one of the tallest stone structures. It is also interesting that in the eastern part of the peak of the monument two words are carved in Latin: Laus Deo, which is literally translated into Russian as “praise to God.” Every morning the first rays of the sun illuminate this inscription, which symbolizes the faith of the American people in God.

Washington Monument: history of construction

The idea of ​​creating a majestic monument to the first American president, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of George Washington, arose in 1832. The city's indigenous residents created the so-called Washington Monument Society and began collecting voluntary donations. Having collected a little more than 28 thousand US dollars by 1836 (in our time this amount is approximately 709 thousand dollars), they announced a competition for the best memorial project. The winner of the competition was architect Robert Mills, who proposed an interesting plan. In the center of the monument there was to be a 169-meter obelisk, the top of which tapered and was to be covered with aluminum. It was supposed to be surrounded by a colonnade decorated with a statue of George Washington standing in a chariot. Inside the colonnade, according to Mills's design, it was planned to place more than 30 figures of American revolutionaries.

Due to numerous critical statements about the project, and most importantly, because of the fabulous (at that time) sum of $1 million that was required to bring the project to life, the Society for the Creation of a Monument to George Washington did not immediately decide to build such a large-scale construction. Construction of the monument began only in 1848.

The money raised was sorely lacking, so Robert Mills’ project was “cut down.” Initially, they began to build the obelisk, while they decided to wait with the colonnade and wait until the volume of donations was sufficient for the construction of the remaining part of the project.

Washington Memorial: Today

Today, the Washington Monument is a column in the ancient Egyptian (!) style, the top of which is decorated with a tetrahedral transparent pyramid. Around the majestic column there are 52 flags, symbolizing the number of states of America. There is even an elevator inside the marble obelisk, with which today everyone can climb to the observation deck located at the top of the monument. Eight windows, with stunning views to four cardinal directions, allow travelers to see panoramic views of the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the White House. However, in order to be at the highest point of the monument to the first American president, all travelers will have to stand in line for more than one hour for a ticket: those who want to see the capital of the United States of America from a bird's eye view gather long before the time when the ticket office opens.

The Washington Memorial is one of the most beautiful and tall monuments, but it is far from the only one in the US capital. Almost nearby is the equally famous Lincoln Memorial. Between them is the amazingly beautiful artificial Mirror Pond, which is about 600 meters long, 50 meters wide, and its capacity is more than 7 million gallons of water. A similar pond can only be seen near the Palace of Versailles and the Taj Mahal. The special design of the Mirror Pond allowed the builders to minimize the disturbance of the water on the surface, due to which, from the outside, the surface of the water becomes like a pure mirror, which reflects the magnificent Washington Memorial, considered one of the symbols of a free country.

As mentioned above, the construction of the Washington Monument was carried out through donations from ordinary citizens. However, businessmen, various societies, organizations from other cities and even representatives of other countries considered it an honor to contribute to the construction of such a large-scale structure, as evidenced by the 188 carved slabs installed inside the monument.

The Washington Monument is undoubtedly a striking and memorable landmark of the city and the country. This is evidenced not only by the numerous reviews of enthusiastic guests of the city, but also by the fact that the George Washington Monument has been captured more than once by directors in science fiction films and TV series: “Mars Attacks!”, “Life After People”, “2012”, “The Event” ", "Bones". In addition, it is described in the book American writer and journalist Dan Brown, who gained popularity thanks to the works “The Da Vinci Code,” “Angels and Demons” and “The Lost Symbol.”