| |
 Named
after: President George Washington
Truly
monumental: Monument is the tallest piece of free-standing masonry
in the world, standing 555 feet, 5 1/8 inches
Total
weight: 81,120 tons
Original
cost: $1,187,710 (in 1876 dollars)
Exterior
surface: 93,600 square feet
 Foundation:
The original bluestone foundation proved too weak to support the monument;
it was excavated and reinforced with concrete midway through construction
Time
capsule: Buried in the cornerstone in 1848, it contains newspapers,
coins and currency, a Bible, and information on the Washington family
 Obelisk
shape: Believed by some to have secret masonic symbolism (George
Washington was a mason)
Upside
down: Because it was built over nearly 40 years under tight budgets,
the monument's best materials are at the top and the worst at the
bottom
Past
renovations: The last renovation of the monument was in 1934,
when engineers repaired extensive lightning damage and replaced 48,046
linear feet of mortar |
|
Taller:
The Eiffel Tower (left), at 984 feet |
