On Dec. 6, 1884 — 36 years after construction had begun — the 3,300-pound aluminum capstone was placed atop the obelisk, making the Washington Monument, at 555 feet, the world’s tallest ...

At the western end of the National Mall, the Washington Monument towers over our country’s capital. The 555-foot obelisk—a four-sided stone pillar with a pyramid-shaped top—was built to ...

In 1833, the Washington National Monument Society formed to raise funds. Architect Robert Mills was chosen to design an ...

The Washington Monument L’Enfant’s initial framework ... That year, the proud country celebrated the awe-inspiring obelisk as the tallest structure in the world. The Lincoln Memorial At ...

were standing in front of the looming Washington Monument obelisk, but were only there to take in the sights, before heading indoors to watch the inauguration on television. Law enforcement ...

were standing outside the looming Washington Monument obelisk, but were only there to take in the sights before heading indoors to watch the inauguration on television. Despite their shift in ...