Construction of the Washington Monument begins

Background. The Washington Monument was built to commemorate George Washington, the first U.S. president. After the Revolutionary War, various proposals for a memorial emerged, including an 1783 authorization for an equestrian statue. Progress began in 1833 when citizens formed the Washington National Monument Society. The original design was by Robert Mills of South Carolina, who had previously designed a Washington monument in Baltimore and had just been chosen Architect of Public Buildings for Washington; his proposed colonnade was later omitted for lack of funds.

Design and Funding. Robert Mills's original design included a colonnade, but construction omitted it for lack of funds and proceeded with a bare obelisk. Separately, on April 11, 1848, the Washington National Monument Society decided, due to a lack of funds, to build only a simple plain obelisk. The planned obelisk was 500 feet tall. Criticism arose in 1847 when architect Henry Robinson Searle presented an alternative concept. Contributions to the society eventually ceased due to economic and political conditions, leading to an appeal to Congress for money.

Construction Start. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848, at the northeast corner of the lowest course of the old foundation, below the 1848 ground level. The ceremony was performed by the Freemasons, the organization to which Washington belonged. Physical construction of the massive walls began in 1849. The bottom section of 152 feet was built between 1848 and 1854 under the direction of William Dougherty. The completed monument's construction used granite, with bluestone gneiss in its foundation.