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The Washington Monument stands tall and proud over Washington D.C, commemorating Mr. George Washington. Its construction began in 1848, was halted from 1854 to 1877, and finally completed in 1884. The monument is made primarily from marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss and is the worldโs tallest obelisk standing in at 555 feet and 5 1/3 inches.
It should be noted that taller monumental columns do exist, but neither are all stone or true obelisks. The monument was damaged by the Virginia earthquake and Hurricane Irene in the same year, which probably cut down on it’s height and made it so it had to be closed down to be repaired. The National Park Service estimates that the monument will be closed until 2014.
