Arthur praised the builders and accepted the obelisk on behalf of the nation. Well may he ever keep the foremost place in the hearts of his countrymen I do now, as President of the United States and in behalf of the people, receive this monument from the hands of its builder, and declare it dedicated from this time forth to the immortal name and memory of George Washington. Naval Academy band. Not surprisingly, Washingtonians were eager to visit the top of the monument once the pomp and circumstance died down.
Initially, the existing freight elevator was used to ferry visitors up and down, though this was only a temporary measure. Interesting aside: elevator operator Edward Wayson told The Evening Star that in general, men seemed more scared in the elevator than women.
The traffic took its toll. The limited staff who were tasked with keeping an eye on the entire foot-high structure and answering questions were unable to prevent the damage. Fortunately, efforts to improve the elevator and make it more visitor-friendly were already underway The grand debut of the new elevator took place on Oct. At p. The first group went back down, and the next 29 people took their turn in the elevator. The new elevator was an instant hit.
The day after it opened, people waited in line for hours to ride to the top of the monument. When Casey topped the capstone with an 8. The Society wanted every state in the Union represented and sought from each a commemorative stone to be inlaid in the monument wall. Engraved slabs arrived by rail, sea and ox team, though few came with the hoped-for cash donation. Stones came not only from states, but from cities and counties, fraternal organizations and community groups, foreign countries and a few individuals.
During the early years of construction, from to , 92 commemorative stones were set into niches cut in the interior wall. A stone from the Franklin Fire Company went up at the foot level and one from the German Benevolent Society at 40 feet.
The Association of Journeyman Stonecutters sent an elaborate stone designed by an apprentice working for Messrs. It featured all the tools of the trade framed by a garland of leaves. It had arrived in , but someone stole it from a shed, hacked it to pieces, and threw it into the Potomac.
When the Washington Monument opened to the public in , visitors climbed the iron staircase to the top, or, starting in , rode up in a steam-powered elevator. Today, with the staircase off-limits, visitors coast to the observation deck aboard a modern elevator, arriving in 70 seconds.
As the elevator descends, it slows as it passes some of the commemorative stones inlaid at various levels. Only 16 of the stones date to the twentieth century, many from Western states that entered the Union after the monument was completed. A year later, as a Depression Era public works project, the monument underwent its first restoration. George Washington's military and political leadership were indispensable to the founding of the United States. As commander of the Continental Army, he rallied Americans from thirteen divergent states and outlasted Britain's superior military force.
As the first president, Washington's superb leadership set the standard for each president that has succeeded him. The Washington Monument towers above the city that bears his name, serving as an awe-inspiring reminder of George Washington's greatness. The monument, like the man, stands in no one's shadow. Army Corps of Engineers, honors and memorializes George Washington at the center of the nation's capital.
The structure was completed in two phases of construction, one private and one public Built in the shape of an Egyptian obelisk, evoking the timelessness of ancient civilizations, the Washington Monument embodies the awe, respect, and gratitude the nation felt for its most essential Founding Father. The geometric layout of Washington, D. In , the Washington National Monument Society, a private organization, formed to fund and build a monument to the first president that would be "unparalleled in the world.
Mills' design called for a foot Egyptian-style obelisk ringed by thirty foot columns. The design was audacious, ambitious, and expensive, creating numerous complications during its construction.
Despite difficulties raising funds, construction began on the Washington Monument in The cornerstone was laid on July 4 with upwards of 20, people in attendance including President James K.
Polk, Mrs. James Madison, Mrs. Builders commenced work on the blue gneiss foundation, an foot square step pyramid. With the substructure completed, the builders then proceeded to the above-ground marble structure, 55 feet, 1. By , the monument had reached a height of feet above ground, but a turn of events stalled construction. In , a new group aligned with the controversial Know-Nothing Party gained control of the Washington National Monument Society in the Society's periodic board election.
Having always struggled to gather funding, the Society's change in administration alienated donors and drove the Society to bankruptcy by Without funds, work on the monument slowed to a halt. Architect Robert Mills died in
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