A 36-Year Construction Delay Left Washington DC’s Legendary Obelisk with Two Different Colors

The Story of the Washington Monument

DC’s simplest monument has the most interesting backstory. The Washington Monument took three decades to finish, survived funding cuts and a Civil War, and changed color halfway up.

Now it anchors the National Mall like a 555-foot exclamation point, built from blocks heavier than cars. Here are more interesting facts about one of the most iconic sights in America.

Why the Monument Has Different Colors

When you look at the Washington Monument, you’ll notice it’s not all the same color. This happened because builders had to stop work for over 36 years and couldn’t get more marble from the original quarry when they started again.

The bottom part uses marble from Texas quarry in Maryland, while the top two-thirds come from Sheffield quarry in Massachusetts. You can see where the colors change a third of the way up the tower, though time and weather have made this difference less obvious. The contrast shows up best when sunlight hits the east side of the monument.

How the Monument Handles Lightning

Lightning strikes the Washington Monument between once every five years and twice per year, mostly during summer storms. A special protection system keeps the building safe using an aluminum cap at the top that connects to four lightning rods running into the ground.

It has a modern lightning protection system, including two aluminum lightning rods connected to the elevator support columns and ultimately to groundwater, which channels the lightning’s energy safely to the ground. While storms create an impressive show when lightning hits the top, the Park Service makes sure to close the observation deck when dangerous weather approaches.

There’s an Aluminum Replica Somewhere in There

Beneath a manhole near the actual Washington Monument lies a 12-foot-tall replica, officially known as ‘Bench Mark A.’ This underground oddity is a Geodetic Control Point used by surveyors as part of a nationwide network that helps synchronize government maps. This unique marker has been in use since the 1880s as part of a trans-continental leveling program.

How the Elevator System Changed Over Tie

The first elevator ran on steam power from a basement boiler and took 12 minutes to climb to the top. Today’s elevator, put in place in 2019 after three years of updates, carries 25 people to the top in just 70 seconds.

The original elevator did double duty, moving both people and building materials during construction. Its operator had to work in a tough spot, sitting on top of the moving cab in all kinds of weather. Now, two separate elevator systems work together to prevent visitors from getting stuck.

When an Earthquake Shook the Monument

A powerful earthquake struck Virginia on August 23, 2011, forcing the monument to close until May 2014. The 5.8 magnitude quake left cracks up to an inch wide, loosened stones, and damaged the mortar holding them together, especially near the pointed top.

Fixing the damage cost $15 million. Workers added special equipment to watch for movement in the stone. These tools can spot shifts as tiny as one-hundredth of an inch, helping protect the monument from future earthquakes.

What You Can See from the Top

Eight carefully designed windows sit at the 500-foot observation level. The builders chose these sizes to keep the monument strong while giving visitors the best possible views. On clear days, people can see a miles away in every direction.

Looking east shows the Capitol Building two miles away, while the White House stands just half a mile north. The Blue Ridge Mountains appear as a distant outline to the west.

How the Foundation Supports the Monument

The foundation goes 36 feet deep into the ground with a foundation area of 126 feet 6 inches square. It was constructed of large pieces of bluestone gneiss, with interstices filled with spawls and mortar.

Modern studies show each square foot of the foundation handles tons of pressure from the approximately 80,000-ton monument above it. This clever design has kept the monument standing perfectly straight for more than a hundred years.

Where Surveyors Find Their Starting Point

A small but important bronze disk marks the northeast corner of the monument. The National Geodetic Survey put it there to help measure and map Washington, D.C.

This marker sits exactly 30.35 feet above sea level, and surveyors still use it today as a reference point. It helps them make accurate maps and guides construction projects throughout the city.

What Time Capsules Hide Inside

Builders placed several time capsules in the monument as it grew. The main one went into the foundation stone on July 4, 1848, holding items like a portrait of George Washington, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, local newspapers, and coins from that time.

When workers added the aluminum cap in 1884, they included another time capsule. Unlike many time capsules meant to be opened later, these will stay permanently sealed within the monument’s walls.

How the Monument Moves in Wind

The monument’s walls start 15 feet thick at the bottom and narrow to 18 inches at the top. This is what helps the monument distribute its weight and prevent the monument from toppling over.

This all-stone construction means it relies on gravity and friction to hold itself together. The monument has stood firm through many big storms, including a severe windstorm in 2012 that brought 70-mile-per-hour winds to Washington, D.C.

What the Monument’s Measurements Mean

The monument was originally designed by architect Robert Mills in 1836 to be a 600-foot-tall obelisk. However, when the Army Corps of Engineers took over the project in 1877, they had concerns about the existing foundations supporting the proposed height. After a study of the foundation and the weight of the structure, the height was reduced to 555 feet, and the base was widened to 55 feet.

The monument’s height and design, modeled after ancient Egyptian obelisks, were intended to evoke a sense of timelessness and grandeur, reflecting the importance of George Washington and the nation he helped found.