Washington Monument: America’s Centerpiece Completed 126 Years Ago Today
December 6, 2010, Arlington, VA— On December 6, 1884 the construction of the Washington Monument in the District of Columbia was completed. It’s claim to fame runs much deeper than just being the tallest structure in the nation’s capitol.

This prominent monument located on the National Mall is one of the oldest and most favorite attractions in DC. It honors America’s first President George Washington who led the country to independence in the American Revolution.
 
The 1790 Residence Act afforded President Washington the task of appointing a designer for the new national capitol. Pierre Charles L’Enfant’s 1791 design made the monument the city’s centerpiece. However, it was not until 1836 that Robert Mill’s architectural design was chosen by the Washington National Monument Society.

While the Society laid the cornerstone in 1848, it was not until 1884 that the structure was completed. This delay in construction was in part because of various events like the Civil War.

The monument stands 555 feet and 5 1/8 inches tall, having a 30-mile view from on top.  The monument is the tallest structure in DC and has thousands of visitors each year that ride to the top and gaze over their federal city.

For more information about the Washington Monument, please click here.

The Leadership Institute is an educational foundation whose mission is to increase the number and effectiveness of conservative activists and leaders in the public policy process. To accomplish this, LI identifies, recruits, trains, and places conservatives in government, politics, and the media.  Since the Institute’s 1979 founding, more than 90,000 people have been trained (with half of those being in the last six years) in one or more of the 40 current programs offered in all 50 states and across the globe. For more information, please visit: http://www.leadershipinstitute.org


 

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