I was told you can see the graceful lines of the Washington Monument from just about anywhere in D.C. and riding up the lift/elevator to the 500-foot observation level would prove to show a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Unfortunately for me on this trip due to the events of September 11^th this monument was closed to visitors. What was interesting, was the reflecting pool, on a sunny day you can see the monument reflected in the pool and this makes a very interesting picture.

Here is a little history about this monument and George Washington

History

George Washington earned the title "Father of his Country" in recognition of his leadership in the cause of American independence. Appointed commander of the Continental Army in 1775, he moulded a fighting force that won independence from Great Britain. In 1787 as President of the Constitutional Convention, he helped guide the deliberations to form a government that has lasted for more than 200 years. Two years later he was unanimously elected the first President of the United States. Washington defined the Presidency and helped develop the relationships among the three branches of government. With this monument the citizens of the United States show their enduring gratitude and respect.

Facts:

The Washington Monument is made of Maryland marble; it rises 555' 5 1/8" and is the tallest freestanding stone structure in the world. In 1833, the Washington National Monument Society undertook fund raising to select a design and build the monument. Work began in 1848, but construction was delayed due to financial setbacks. The monument was finished in 1885 and opened to the public in 1888. The original lift/elevator was a steam hoist and was used until 1901 when an electric elevator replaced it. In 1997, a restoration project began to upgrade facilities, repair exterior stones and restore the 193 commemorative stones that line the inside of the structure.

Monument facts:
Corner stone laid: July 4, 1848
Official public opening: October 9, 1888
Visitors each year: +500,000
Total height: 555 feet, 5 ½ inches
Total weight: 90,854 tons
Number of blocks: 36,491
Thickness of walls: 15 feet at base, 18 inches at observation level
Number of steps: 897

Sitting on a square throne, this statue of Abraham Lincoln projects the single-mindedness that characterized the man and helped bring a divided nation into one union.

Across the Tidal Basin, Jefferson's memorial has all the marks of a Roman building. Lincoln's memorial, though, is based on a Greek Temple with Doric columns. The Gettysburg Address is inscribed on the south wall and above it is a mural depicting the angel of truth freeing a slave.

The Lincoln Memorial is a tribute to President Abraham Lincoln and the nation he fought to preserve during the Civil War (1861-1865).

The Lincoln Memorial was built to resemble a Greek temple. It has 36 Doric columns, one for each state at the time of Lincoln’s death. A sculpture by Daniel Chester French of a seated Lincoln is in the centre of the memorial chamber.

Inscribed on the south wall of the monument is the Gettysburg Address. Above it is a mural painted by Jules Guerin depicting the angel of truth freeing a slave. Guerin also painted the unity of North and South mural on the north wall. Etched into the north wall below the mural is Lincoln’s second inaugural speech.
Year dedicated: 1922
Sculpture of Lincoln: Daniel Chester French
Length: 188 feet
Width: 118 feet
Exterior Walls: Colorado Yule marble and Tripods Pink Tennessee marble
Interior Walls: Indiana Limestone
Statue: White Georgia Marble

"I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

From the outside, it's a Roman Pantheon following Jefferson's taste in architecture. From the inside, it's a testament to the mind of a free thinker with many inscriptions--like the one above.

Thomas Jefferson-political philosopher, architect, musician, book collector, scientist, horticulturist, diplomat, inventor, and third President of the United States-looms large in any discussion of what Americans are as a people. Jefferson left to the future not only ideas but also a great body of practical achievements. President John F. Kennedy recognized Jefferson's accomplishments when he told a gathering of American Nobel Prize winners that they were the greatest assemblage of talent in the White House since Jefferson had dinner there alone. Thomas Jefferson struck a chord for human liberty 200 years ago that resounds through the decades. But in the end, Jefferson's own appraisal of his life, and the one that he wrote for use on his own tombstone, suffices: "Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.
Corner stone laid: November 15, 1939
Architect: John Russell Pope
Sculpture of Jefferson: Rudolph Evans
Structure weight: 32,000 tons
Statue weight: 10,000 pounds
Thickness of dome: 4 feet
Ceiling: Indiana Limestone
Exterior Walls and Columns: Danby Imperial Marble (Vermont)
Interior Floor: Tennessee Pink Marble
Interior Wall Panels: Georgian White Marble
Ring around Base of Pedestal: Missouri Gray Marble

"I pledge you, I pledge myself to a new deal for the American people."

This is one of 21 quotes to be found around this memorial.

The memorial is a treat for the eyes and the ears with its numerous waterfalls and etchings. Four "galleries" define FDR's presidency (1933-1945) through sculptures based on well-known photographs from the era. To put the sculptures in context, architect Lawrence Halprin etched relevant quotes from Roosevelt into the walls.

There was a lot of controversy over this monument when I was viewing it. I saw it as an amazing monument showing Franklin Roosevelt as a great man, some were seeing it as an over kill, as their were greater Presidents than him but his was the largest and most interesting monuments in my eyes.  We had a Ranger who  could have won an Oscar when he was talking about this monument. He put heart and soul into the story and had a very captive audience to which he played to. 

This is the one monument I would say you have to view during the day time as there is so much to see and if you wish to take photographs of the numerous waterfalls  and the etchings on the textured granite walls you will need lots of light.

FDR himself was not very keen on memorials, asking only for a plaque in front of the National Archives. Yet judging from the number of visitors that were there whilst I was viewing it I would say it is proving to be very popular.

I visited this memorial twice, once at night and again the following day. To view this memorial at night is quite spooky, their faces are slightly lit up and their in an air of eeriness around it. To see it in daylight is very different, I am pleased I had the opportunity to view this a second time.

In one area, sculptures depict 19 infantrymen as they tread cautiously across the Korean terrain. Along the nearby granite wall, evocative images tell stories of fear, hopelessness and courage.

Remember that 22 nations came together on the small Korean peninsula to engage in a war that lasted for 3 years and produced almost as many casualties as Vietnam. The memorial, was built in honour of the 2,400 American men and women who served. Finally, a "pool of remembrance" surrounded by linden trees provides a nice  place for reflection.

The Statue of the Three Servicemen" stands as a tribute to the nearly 60,000 names that grace the famous memorial's black granite wall.

Designed in 1982 by Maya Lin, the Vietnam Memorial draws thousands of visitors each year, many of whom leave mementos behind or rub a loved-one's name on paper.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial recognizes and honours the men and women who served in one of America's most divisive wars. In fact, the memorial was conceived and designed to make no political statement whatsoever about the war. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a place where everyone, regardless of opinion, can come together and remember and honour those who served. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial comprises of three  components: the Wall of names, the Three Servicemen Statue and Flagpole, and the Vietnam Women's Memorial.

Some initial reaction to the Wall included opinions that it did not appropriately honour the veterans of Vietnam. As result of this debate a compromise was reached and in late 1984, the Three Servicemen Statue, by Fredrick Hart, was placed near the wall. The Vietnam Women's Memorial rounds out the memorial. Designed by Glenna Goodacre, the statue honours all women who served in Vietnam. The Women's Memorial was dedicated Veterans Day, 1993.