Washington Monument
When it was completed, the Washington Monument was briefly the tallest structure in the world. Uploaded by americasexpomall.com.
George Washington was a good man, a bold leader, and a brave soldier. He was a great Virginian, and he set the precedents that helped our earliest Presidents understand how to fulfill this still brand new office. He deserved a grand monument, and he received one.
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The Washington Monument is an obelisk whose dimensions are impressive in themselves. It’s 555 feet, 5 1⁄8 inches tall. It’s roughly 55 feet wide at the base, 34 feet at the top, before the aluminum apex. An elevator takes visitors to the top in about 70 seconds. (If you were to take the steps, you’d have to climb 897 of them.
The Monument was damaged in the Virginia earthquake of 2011, and is still closed as of this writing. Probably will be for quite a while, too, as it suffered significant damage. This isn’t the first time it’s been closed – there have been several shutdowns for cleaning, restoration, and modernizing. Still, it holds its stately place above the National Mall, a fitting tribute to President George Washington. Inscribed at the peak is the Latin phrase Laus Deo: “Praise be to God.”