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THE
WASHINGTON MONUMENT
Brother Chuck Clampitt
Etana Lodge 333, Mt. Etna, Indiana
Most of us recognize the Washington Monument in
ǡ Ǥ Ǥǡ Ƥ Ǥ
Located on the National Mall between the Capital Building
and the Lincoln Memorial, its size and simple obelisk shape
catch one’s attention as it towers over the surrounding city.
While we might think that we are familiar with the memorial,
there is much that you might not know.
The stone from the State of Montana
When Washington completed his 2nd term as President,
there was talk of making him President for life or even king. today, metal steps were built in the interior, an observation
Instead, he returned home to his beloved Mount Vernon in deck and windows were included at the top, and an elevator
1797, where he died two years later. was added. What you might not know is that the tip of the
obelisk is capped by a nine inch cap of aluminum. At the
Many proposals were made to honor Washington, not the ǡ ƥ
least of which was to name the newly designed capital city world’s largest single casting to date. It also had a purpose.
after him. Additional plans included a grandiose statue to be Unlike iron, steel, or copper, aluminum doesn’t rust or stain
placed in the Capital Building as well as interring Washington’s and was also thought to serve as a conductor for protecting
Ǥ Ƥ the monument from lightning strikes.
structure with a large statue of Washington in a chariot
surrounded by 30 stone columns and adorned with statues of As with every good story, there are a few secrets and ghosts
30 of America’s Revolutionary War heroes. that surround the Washington Monument.
Ƥ A number of stone blocks that comprise the monument are
as we know it today. Construction began in 1848 with much inscribed with the names of companies, foreign countries,
fanfare at the cornerstone laying by notable Masons and and organizations that donated funds for the construction
many of America’s political and historical luminaries of the and can only be seen from inside the structure. Among these
time. Because of political wrangling by board members of are 22 stones from Masonic Lodges, organizations, and Grand
the Washington National Monument Society and a lack of Lodges.
donations, construction stopped in 1854. The incomplete
monument had stopped at the 155-foot level of a planned At least three people have fallen or jumped to their death.
height of 555 feet. One mother died trying to rescue a falling child, and the
Years later, Mark Twain others had intentionally jumped to their death. After these
remarked that it looked occurrences, screens were added to the stairwells for safety
like a “hollow over- purposes.
sized chimney.” His
observation was well In a world occupied with the removal of any reference to
stated as the monument God as it relates to government, the Washington Monument
to honor Washington has yet another little known fact. On the aluminum cap are
was more of an eyesore inscriptions of names and dates relating to the construction
and embarrassment. of the monument. On the other side is engraved in Latin ‘Laus
Deo’ – “Praise Be to God.” Each day, this tribute looks down
It wasn’t until 1879 that on our nation’s capital from the highest point in the city, yet
construction resumed few are aware of its presence.
when Congress stepped
in to fund construction, Although the Washington Monument has a commanding
and the Army Corp presence, it is not impervious to the test of time. In August
of Engineers was 2011, an earthquake in Virginia caused damage to the
tasked with overseeing monument, and it had to be closed for repair until May 2014.
the work. In 1884, In September 2016, it again had to be closed because of
the monument was mechanical failure in the elevator. The monument reopened
completed, rising to in 2019.
a height of 555 feet 5
1/8 inches, and would Often time words become prophetic. At the dedication of the
hold the distinction monument, a speech by former Speaker of the House Robert
of being the world’s Winthrop was read that stated: “The storms of winter must
tallest structure until blow and beat upon it … the lightning of heaven may scar
ơ and blacken it. An earthquake might shake its foundation …
completed three years but the character which it commemorates and illustrates is
later in Paris. Just as it is secure.”
Montana Freemason Page 8 April/May 2024 Volume 100 No.2
