The Washington Monument, a soaring tribute in the heart of the nation’s capital to George Washington, whose Abrahamic faith in American independence earned him the eternal distinction of Father of His Country, was completed on this day in history, Dec. 6, 1884.
The majestic 555½-foot tall obelisk stands in a commanding focal point on the National Mall in the center of Washington, D.C., east of the Lincoln Memorial, north of the Jefferson Memorial, south of the White House and west of the U.S. Capitol.
“On a breezy December 6, [U.S. Army] Lt. Col. [Thomas Lincoln] Casey supervised as the 3,300-pound capstone was brought out through one of the windows, hoisted to the scaffolding at the dizzying tip of the monument, and set in place. Casey then placed the 8.9-inch aluminum tip atop the capstone to the cheers of the crowd below,” writes the National Park Service.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, DECEMBER 5, 1848, PRESIDENT POLK IGNITES CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH WITH ADDRESS TO CONGRESS
“Evoking the timelessness of ancient civilizations, the Washington Monument embodies the awe, respect and gratitude the nation felt for its most essential Founding Father.”
The east side of the cap, facing the…
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