A Quick History Of The Washington Monument

Perhaps the most striking features of Washington, DC are its wide, sunny streets and relatively low buildings. The design is intentional — and it leaves the Washington Monument standing tall in the DC skyline. An archaic law allowed the Washington Monument to persist as the most identifiable point in DC, and it forever shaped the District.
At 555 feet, the Washington Monument was the world’s tallest building upon its completion in 1884. It was finished five years prior to the construction of the Eiffel Tower and decades before the first skyscraper was erected. While the Washington Monument may seem small in comparison to buildings found in New York, it’s still the tallest building in DC — by law. According to the Height of Buildings Act of 1910, no building in DC may reach 130 feet. While there have been a multitude of exceptions to the law, structures in the nation’s capital are still relatively low lying; the Washington Monument remains the tallest building in the DC skyline.

The monument was originally commissioned as a testament to the country’s admiration for its most revered Founding Father. In Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for DC, space was reserved on the National Mall for a colossal monument to honor George Washington. Designed by Robert Mill decades later, the Washington Monument is modeled after Egyptian obelisks to embody the timeliness of ancient civilizations and the awe inspired by Washington. The first stone was laid in 1848, but the monument was not completed until 40 years later. What took so long? Money and war, what else?The first phase of construction was privately funded, and bureaucratic issues and mishandling of finances led to disaster. Mills died in 1855; the nation then erupted in Civil War, and construction ceased.

How The Washington Monument Remained For Twenty Years

Finally, in 1876, Congress assumed control of the project and allocated public funds. The second phase reached peak efficiency, and the monument was finalized eight years later. The two phases left it with slightly different colors, because the stones were sourced from different quarries. The Washington Monument was officially dedicated on a chilly February morning in 1885.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.