22 JANUARY 2011
Our family accompanied Boy Scouts from the Washington DC 3rd Ward on a visit to the Washington Monument.
Fiona and Susan
Susan and Fiona
Fiona
Fiona
Fiona
Fiona and Susan
Fiona
Looking up toward the tip of the monument. This is one of the red beacons that shine in pairs like sinister eyes from each of the monument’s four faces at night.
Susan and Fiona
Susan and Fiona
Factoid: The Washington Monument
- Height: 555 feet, 51/8 inches (169.294 meters)
- Construction began 4 July 1848 and was completed 6 December 1884.
- The marble changes color 152 feet (46 meters) up because construction halted between 1858 and 1878 due to co-option by the Know Nothings, lack of funds, and the Civil War. When construction resumed, stone from the original quarry had run out and builders had to use stone of a slightly darker shade.
- The capstone is pure aluminum, which was as expensive as silver at the time.
- When completed, it was the world’s tallest structure, surpassing Cologne Cathedral in Germany. It was surpassed by the Eiffel Tower in 1889. It remains the world’s tallest stone structure.
The view from the top
At the base
Susan and Fiona
Susan and Fiona with the United States Capitol in the background
Susan and Fiona with the White House in the background
Susan and Fiona with the Lincoln Memorial in the background
