The Washington Monument is a marble and granite structure located across from the Lincoln Memorial. It was built in 1848-1855 to honor President George Washington. The monument stands 328 feet (100 m) high and has been called "the world's greatest work of public art." Its diameter at the base is 72 feet (22 m), and it weighs 21,500 pounds (9,900 kg).
Inside the monument are two rooms with 16th-century Spanish paintings on loan from a museum in Madrid. Also on display are statues of Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln by Joseph Henry Green. On the floor between these two figures is a carved oak tree with 48 symbols of the states' names engraved into its bark.
Including land, construction costs were over $1 million ($6.5 million in today's dollars). The total cost of the estate of George Washington was set off against his will. This amount was never paid because no executor was found for him so he didn't benefit from the sale of federal property.
The monument was designed by American architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe. He also designed the Capitol building and the Bishop's Palace at Bishop's Church in Baltimore.
The Washington Monument is not technically an obelisk because it is not composed of a single piece of stone. That doesn't make it any less stunning. In fact, after Washington died, Congress considered enshrining his ashes in a marble pyramid inside the Capitol Rotunda, according to Handy. They decided against it because they didn't want Washington to be enclosed by gold paint. Instead, they had his remains transported to Europe where they were buried beside other American heroes at the new Parisian monument to the dead of the French Revolution.
In 1848, an organization called the "Washington National Monument Society" was formed with the goal of creating a permanent memorial to honor George Washington. Among others things, they wanted to find out what kind of monument would be most appropriate for his burial site. After considering various ideas, such as having his body cast in bronze and placing it on a pedestal, they finally decided on an obelisk because it was unique and elegant. The society raised money to purchase the land for the monument and hired French architect Hylton Smith to design it.
The Washington Monument is made of white Vermont granite and has been described as one of the seven wonders of the world.
Washington Memorial was designed by Henry Bacon and built in 1824. The memorial consists of a large Doric column with Egyptian-style capitals, which supports a lofty stone pedestal on which rests a statue of Washington by Giuseppe Garibaldi. The entire structure stands on a rectangular base inscribed with an image of the relief panel from which it springs.
Outside the west portico of the White House is another memorial to Washington called the Lincoln Memorial. It was constructed over the course of many years beginning in 1872 by Louis Kahn and not completed until 1935. The memorial is a tall, white marble shaft with the upper portion carved into the shape of a half-dome. At the top is an open space surrounded by four rows of black granite stones engraved with the names of our presidents who died in office. Below the dome are two flights of steps leading down to a large basin filled with water that reflects the sky above.
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is etched in stone near the north end of the reflecting pool. The words "A nation shall be born" are carved in the wall of the little building next to the pool.
Marble from Georgia Georgia marble was used to sculpt the Lincoln statue. These stones, collected from throughout the country, represent Lincoln's devotion to the Union. The holes where the nails held the carving while it was being done can still be seen on the base.
The sculpture itself is clad in bronze, but inside the memorial there are two rooms filled with marble from Georgia. This is to emphasize that Lincoln served the nation from beyond his own death, through its mourning.
He lived in a time when slavery was widely accepted as morally acceptable. Many people at the time believed that slaves were property and not people, so they cannot be said to have served out their "time". However, Lincoln did not want to offend anyone by removing the chains from the statue so they remain locked to this day.
Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, wanted to donate the body of her husband to science after he was killed but no museum would accept it. So the family had him buried in a private cemetery, but many people visited the site over the years. In 1874, Mrs. Lincoln gave permission for his body to be moved to Illinois where a university was going to build an academic center in his memory.
Daniel Chester French (1850–1921) sculpted Lincoln's statue, which was made from plaster casts of Lincoln's hands and face. The edifice was constructed from Colorado marble, while Lincoln's monument was crafted with Georgia marble pieces. American Indians are also believed to have played a role in the creation of the statue by clearing away trees and building walls.
Lincoln was honored with several other statues across America, but he is now only represented by one other statue: this one in Lincoln Park.
The original intention was to cast the entire statue in bronze, but due to cost constraints it was decided to instead cast parts of it in white marble and others in red granite. However, despite being made of different materials, all the parts are very well integrated with each other and give the impression of one single piece.
The statue was completed on April 11, 1910, and it was dedicated that same year. It stands about 9 feet tall and lies flat on its chest with one hand raised as if in a gesture of appeal.
The location of the statue within the city limits of Chicago is not clear from available sources. However, based on local legends and stories told by residents, some believe it to be located in Lincoln Park, while others think it might be in Jackson Park. Neither of these locations is confirmed though.
The façade is entirely made of Yule marble. Yule marble was used to create the Tomb of the Unknowns in 1990. Yule Marble is a metamorphosed limestone found only in the Yule Creek Valley in Colorado's West Elk Mountains, 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers) southeast of the town of Marble. The last piece was installed in 2004.
Marble is a common name for various types of rock that are easily worked with tools and have a soft texture. Most marbles are formed from sedimentary rocks such as shale or limestone. Marbles can also be formed from igneous (volcanic) rocks such as pumice or lava. Some non-rock materials can also be called "marble": for example, glass marble consists of glass particles embedded in a resin matrix; wood marble has an irregular surface like wood but made of marble!
You will find marble in many buildings, including museums, galleries, and churches. This is because marble is one of the most useful materials in architecture. It is hardwearing and easy to work with tools while still looking beautiful. Marbles also have spiritual values for some people; for example, they represent purity.
You will often see references to the "marble frieze" on the facade. This is because there is actually no real marble involved. Instead, it's just another name for the ornamental band that runs around the top of the wall between the second and third floors.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 BindleyHardware & Co Inc.
