The Washington Monument at 555 feet, 51/8 inches, towers over everything in the National Capital and reminds us of the immensity of George Washington's contribution to the republic.  The monument is a classic obelisk and has little in common with the colonnaded temples designed by Robert Mills to house statues of American's heroes.  The cornerstone was laid July 4, 1848, in a ceremony attended by President James K. Polk along with Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson. 

The monument rose to 152 feet financed by popular subscriptions by the Washington Monument Society until funds ran out in 1854.  It stood unfinished for 25 years until President Grant approved an act authorizing the Federal Government to complete the project.  Lt. Col. Thomas Casey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineering, took control, simplified Mills' design, and began construction.  In 1884 a 3,300 pound marble capstone was place on the obelisk and topped with a 9-inch pyramid of cast aluminum, a rare metal in 1884.