Inauguration of Ronald Reagan on the west front of the U.S. Capitol, with the Washington Monument in the distance, January 20, 1981

Photograph from Architect of the Capitol, AOC no. 54881-3.

The Washington Monument is an iconic obelisk located in Washington D.C., United States. It is located on the National Mall and is dedicated to George Washington, the first President of the United States. It was designed by architect Robert Mills, who won a design competition in 1836. Construction of the monument began in 1848, but was halted due to a lack of funds, and was not completed until 1884. The monument is made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss stands 555 feet (169m) tall, and is the tallest stone structure in the world. - Picryl description