Washington DC

The Washington Monument is a large white-colored obelisk at the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It is a United States Presidential Memorial constructed for George Washington, the first president of the United States and the leader of the revolutionary Continental Army that won independence from the British after the American Revolutionary War.

The monument is made of marble, granite, and sandstone. It was designed by Robert Mills, a prominent American architect of the 1840s. The actual construction of the monument began in 1848, but was not completed until 1884, almost 30 years after the architect's death. This hiatus in construction was due to lack of funds and the intervention of the American Civil War. A difference in shading of the marble (visible approximately 45 m/150 feet up) clearly delineates the initial construction from its resumption in 1876.

Its cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848; the capstone was set on December 6, 1884; and the completed monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885. It officially opened to the public on October 9, 1888. Upon completion, it became the world's tallest structure at 169 m, a title it inherited from the Cologne Cathedral and held until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was finished in Paris, France.

The Washington Monument's reflection can be seen in the aptly named Reflecting Pool, a rectangular reflecting pool extending to the west, towards the Lincoln Memorial.

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