Washington Monument completed
- When
- 1884–1889
- Where
- National Mall; Washington Monument
- Episodes
- 2
The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. was completed on December 6, 1884, when its aluminum apex was installed. This event established the monument as the world's tallest structure, a status it held until 1889. The completion marked the end of a long construction period interrupted by funding issues and war.
Episodes
- World Tallest Status
The monument became the world's tallest structure in 1884, a status it held until the Eiffel Tower's completion in 1889.
- Aluminum Apex Installation
The 100-ounce aluminum apex was installed on December 6, 1884, completing the stone structure and marking the monument's completion.
Background and detail
Background. The Washington Monument is a 555-foot obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington. Construction was suspended from 1854 to 1877 due to funding challenges, control struggles, and the American Civil War. The stone structure was completed in 1884, though internal ironwork and memorial stones were finished later in 1888.
Completion. The final phase of construction involved installing the 100-ounce aluminum apex on December 6, 1884. This apex served as a single lightning rod. The monument's height was recorded as 555 feet 5+1/8 inches by the National Park Service in 1884, establishing its status as the tallest structure in the world at that time.
Tallest Structure. Following its completion in 1884, the Washington Monument became the world's tallest structure. It retained this title until the Eiffel Tower in Paris was completed in 1889. The monument remains the tallest structure in Washington, D.C., despite popular beliefs about height limits, as no law has ever restricted buildings to its height.
People involved
- George Washington · Commemorated Figure
- Thomas Lincoln Casey · Architect of Second Phase
Sources
- Washington Monument Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30
- Washington, D.C. Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-01
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.