Today in History: Honoring Man and Country in the United States

October 9, 1888: Forty years after construction initially began, a monument to the United States’ first President, George Washington, officially opened to the public. The Washington Monument was not only a testament to the character of the nation’s noble leader, but also the character of the country whose own character was almost certainly in doubt after the conclusion of the American Civil War just 23 years earlier.

The Washington Monument was a national landmark more than 100 years in the making. Initially conceived as an equestrian statue in 1783, the Washington Monument would take on new life after the death of its namesake in 1799. Shortly after Washington’s death, debate began surrounding the statue and it was eventually re-envisioned as a monument. Disagreements between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists put the project on hiatus indefinitely.

The initial concept for the Washington Monument by Robert Mills.

Frustrated with inaction, the Washington National Monument Society was founded in 1833 with the goal of privately funding construction to honor the nation’s first leader. After raising funds, they announced a competition for the design of the monument. Robert Mills, an architect, was announced the winner of the competition in 1845 and construction began shortly afterwards.

The initial design called for a circular colonnaded building surrounding the obelisk, not dissimilar from the Jefferson Monument which was created nearly 60 years after the Washington Monument was completed. Ringed with 30 statues, the massive complex would have cost an astounding $1 million in 1848. After much debate, the society decided that funding would only cover the obelisk. Despite the reduction in scale, funding for the monument ran out in 1854 and construction came to a halt.

The Washington Monument shortly after construction was halted in 1854 due to lack of funding.

The intervening years saw the near collapse of the United States caused by a bloody five year civil war. During the Reconstruction Era, interest in the monument began rising and Congress officially opened an inquiry into the completion of the monument in 1876, the United States’ centennial anniversary. Construction resumed in 1879 and the monument was publicly dedicated on February 21, 1885.

Upon completion, the monument was the tallest structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889. The Washington Monument officially opened to the public on October 8, 1888.