9781422287606

12 Washington Monument: Memorial to a Founding Father

ment “whose dimensions and magnificence shall be commensurate with the greatness and gratitude of the nation which gave George Washington birth and whose splendor will be without parallel in the world.” Back in the 1790s, French engineer Pierre L’Enfant had worked closely with George Washington to plan the new federal city. The plan included a “National Mall,” a 146- acre park intended to contain shrines as well as the president’s residence and the U.S. Capitol. In fact, Congress had previously authorized a statue of Washington on horseback erected on the National Mall. But this project fell by the wayside and would not be finished until after the Civil War. Now, the National Monument Society aimed to use the Mall as the location for the monument. The society got down to the business of raising money and designing the monument. Society members limited donations to $1 a person a year. They believed that citizens of modest means would not have a chance to contribute to the project if the group accepted large donations from wealthy people. Meanwhile, the society staged a competition for a design. The official rules of the competition instructed the architects to design a monument that would “harmoniously blend durability, simplicity and grandeur.” There was no doubt that the society wanted some- thing tall—a monument that would rise high over the capital, adding a stunning element to the Washington