Existing comment:
The Washington Monument
The Corps of Engineers took over the construction of the monument and raised it to 555 feet in five years.
Built as a tribute to George Washington, the Washington Monument took nearly 36 years to complete. The Washington National Monument Society began construction in 1848, but a lack of funds stopped work in 1856, and the Civil War further interrupted progress. Congress finally provided funds to complete the obelisk in 1876, at the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. In 1879 and at 150-feet, work resumed under the US Army Corps of Engineers' direction and was completed in 1884. |