Sketch of the Washington National Monument by Robert Mills

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Sketch of the Washington National Monument by Robert Mills

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Summary

Proposal Plans for a Washington Monument

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

Founding fathers wanted the United States to be a complete break from the past and English influences. Jefferson saw architecture as an artistic declaration that the United States was unique and not European. The inspirations for his architectural views were the classic civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. The “Age of Reason” architects were drawn to the symmetry, clean lines and mathematical preciseness of Greek and Roman buildings. Jefferson probably had the largest architectural library in the United States.

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Date

1836 - 1885
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Source

The U.S. National Archives
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