Washington Monument

Introduction

The Washington Monument is one of the most important monuments and characteristics of the capital of the United States.

This monument is located on the West side of the National Mall, the most important national park in Washington, where you will find the most famous monuments and buildings of the city. For example, the Lincoln, The White House and the Capitol monuments.

A little bit of history...

The construction of the Washington Monument began in 1848 and was finished in 1888. It is dedicated to the first president of the United States, George Washington, who played a very important role in the history of this country and carried the Americans to their victory in the War of independence, which took place between 1775 and 1783. The War of Independence faced the 13 original British colonies of North America against the King of Great Britain, and through the victory of the colonies, Great Britain recognised the independence of its colonies through the Treaty of Paris.

An interesting piece of information is that in 1884 it became the highest construction in the world, until 1889 when the Eiffel Tower claimed this position of honour. Even so, it is the highest construction in Washington DC and it is likely that it will continue that way as there is now a law in the capital of America that restricts the height of buildings. Many of the citizens believe that there is a law that prohibits the construction of a building that is higher than the Washington Monument. However, it is apparently only a belief. It makes me happy that this city is not your typical American city full of skyscrapers because the skies that you can gaze at here are beautiful, I have never seen anything like it in my life.

The monument

This commemorative monument is a big, white obelisk with a height of 170 metres and is made from marble, granite and stone. The architect who designed it was Robert Mills, however, he died 30 years before it was finished. Due to the lack of funds, the monument took 40 years to finish and a different type of marble had to be used. This difference can be seen in the obelisk from a height of 50 metres.

There is an engraving in English on every one of the faces of the pyramidion but they are not very interesting.

To begin with, the monument was going to have a different location but due to the marshy and unstable land, it was moved to a different location. The current location has several advantages, such as it being an elevated terrain which allows the monument to be seen from many parts of the city and as it is not private land, it is certainly safe from future visual obstructions. On the other hand, the monument can be seen from the Monte Vernon which is where George Washington lived for some time before he died and that is where his tomb lies.

The administration of this monument is run by the National Park services.

Opinions and experience

When I arrived at Washington DC from Arlington (Virginia), I went via the subway and it was the first thing I saw outside, so I have a lot of love for this monument. I was quite impressed by its height, and by the great esplanade, it is within. Having no other monuments or buildings around it, you can see in all its splendour, and although I had already seen it on the Internet and movies, it doesn't compare. You have to be there to realize its true beauty and size. Of course, at the base, there are several American flags around the monument and it seems that they are guarding it.

I have been lucky and I am grateful that I was able to see this monument with snow around the esplanade. I say I was lucky because it is very beautiful, the monument is white and the esplanade white. I was also unlucky because it was so cold that I couldn't enjoy it as much.

There has been various terrorist threats and other attempts but with no success to this day.

Apart from visiting the monument from the base, another place that I recommend is from the Lincoln Monument which you can find just in front of the Washington Monument, separated by a pond known as the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. From here, the most famous photos of the monument have been taken and it is beautiful since the monument is reflected in the pool and the view is precious. I was lucky to see a pink sunset behind the monument and its reflection in the water. And if you are in the city on 4 July, this is the day they celebrate the Independence of the United States of America and you can see the impressive fireworks in the reflection of the pool.

How to get there?

In order to get to the monument, you can follow the track to the top of the obelisk (I don't recommend this because the distances can be deceiving) or go in the subway. The nearest subway stop is Smithsonian or Federal triangle (blue, silvery or orange lines).

I hope that you like it as much as me. By the way, I have not mentioned it before but the view is free as is all of the National Mall and the majority of the museums in Washington DC. I recommend it without a doubt!