The Secret History of the Washington Monument

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. Crystal Shards underneath Washington Monument, Spheres encapsulated in Pyramidion.