How Big is the Washington Monument?

The Washington Monument was constructed in honor of the 1st US President, George Washington. It is a towering obelisk situated close to the western end of the National Mall, a national park in Washington D.C.

Designed by the architect Robert Mills, construction of the monument started in the year 1848 and was completed some time in the year 1884.

How Big is the Washington Monument?

The Washington Monument is not only the highest structure in Washington D.C. but it is also the highest stone structure and obelisk all over the world.

This being said, the answer to the question “How big is the Washington Monument?” is that it stands at a towering five hundred and fifty-five feet and five and one-eighth inches.

If you want to know “How big is the Washington Monument?” in meters, it is roughly around 169.294 meters high.

At the time of its construction, the aluminum tip of the monument was considered as the biggest single-piece aluminum, weighing one hundred ounces or about 2.85 kilograms.

This is another factor that could give you an idea of just how big is the Washington Monument.

Construction of the Washington Monument

Development of the project officially started in the year 1832, on the 100th birth anniversary of George Washington. Private citizens grouped themselves together and founded the Washington National Monument Society.

Four years later, the group was finally able to pool together some twenty-eight thousand dollars which is now equivalent to about more than half a million dollars; and plans for the monument finally began to look more promising.

A competition was held for the design of the monument and it was the obelisk design of Robert Mills that was chosen by the board members.

While construction officially commenced in the year 1848, it took nearly thirty years to complete the project. Lack of funds and the American Civil War are among the key factors that hampered the construction of the monument.

On the 4th of July, in the year 1848, the cornerstone for the monument was laid; and on the 6th of December, in the year 1884, the capstone for the memorial was set.

Official dedication of the monument took place on the 22nd of February in the year 1885 on the date of Washington’s birthday.

More than eight hundred individuals attended the dedication to listen to the speeches of John Sherman, an Ohio Senator and Washington National Monument Society’s William Wilson Corcoran, among many others. It was officially opened to the public several years later, on the 9th of October in the year 1888.