Washington Monument

In 1876, at the centennial of the Declaration of Independence, Congress approved a contribution of $200,000 to continue the construction of the Washington Monument. At this time, the design of the monument was simplified. It was decided that the colonnade would not be built, and the obelisk would keep the proportions of an Egyptian obelisk.

In 1880, construction was resumed on the shaft. The new Maryland marble (with which the lower part of the Washington Monument was built) was secured from the same vein as the original stone. However, it came from a different stratum which explains the "ring" noticeable on the shaft. In fact, the marble stones above 152 feet have a darker tone of color than the original ones.