A Brief History of the Monument
Initially, the Continental Congress approved a statue of George Washington on horseback that Pierre Charles l’Efant designed. However, this monument was never completed. And so, in 1832, James Madison and John Marshall formed the Washington National Monument for the purpose of building a monument in commemoration of George Washington, who had died in 1799. They planned to construct a large monument with a magnificence reflecting the greatness of George Washington and the gratitude of the United States citizens for their first president.
Launching a campaign to raise funds for the monument, the society initially allowed donors to contribute only $1. But by 1836, the society had only raised $28,000. While the funds were insufficient to construct any monument, the society did have enough money to hold a design competition.
Held in 1836, the competition was won by architect Robert Mills. His design consisted of an obelisk, colonnade, and 30 statues of patriot heroes. And the monument would become a centerpiece of the National Mall.
With the costs of the winning design estimated, the society removed contribution limits per person and quickly raised $88,000. Construction began in 1848. But after 152 feet of the monument was built, the society had exhausted its funds and construction stopped for 20 years (with the American Civil War contributing to the delay).
In 1876, USA's first centennial, interest in the Washington Monument revived. During that year, President U.S. Grant signed a bill for government funding to finish the monument. The United States Army Corps of Engineers took over the project and completed construction of the monument in 1884. However, due to work on the interior, it was not until 1888 that the monument was officially open to the public. More History of the Washington Monument
