Main Content

The unfinished Washington Monument

The unfinished Washington Monument

The unfinished Washington Monument, seen to the right in a Civil War period photograph, was not the capital landmark that it is today. Simplified from the original 1836 design by Robert Mills, the Washington Monument was not to be totally completed inside and out for twentyfive more years, in 1888. In Lincolns presidency it remained the stub seen here, construction halted. Even had it been finished, it likely would have been eclipsed by the colossal new dome on the Capitol, completed during the war, that won Americans hearts as the symbol of Union.

Medium
Photo
Credit
Library of Congress

Share

Related

Related
Next History Happy Hour: Three First Ladies and Four…

You Might Also Like

  • Event

    History Happy Hour: Three First Ladies and Four Great Speeches

    At the turn of the 21st century, experts in public address were asked to identify the top 100 political speeches of the 20th century. Over 100 scholars submitted their choices and among the final 100 were four by first ladies--two by Eleanor Roosevelt, one by Barbara Bush, and one by Hillary Clinton. This upcoming History Happy Hour program explores the entrance of first

  • Video

    Passover Celebrations at the White House

    More than 70% of Jewish Americans take part in the Passover Seder, making Passover the most celebrated of Jewish holidays. Since 2009, the White House has joined in celebrating Passover in various ways. Rubenstein Center Research Fellow Dr. Phillip Lieberman will discuss this tradition, as well as the ebb and flow of presidential participation in the Jewish Feast of Freedom.

  • Article

    Where Hospitality Makes History: State Visits

    Since World War II, an ever-lengthening procession of foreign leaders has come to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to confer on global problems. These dignitaries are often formally entertained at the White House, and an invitation to attend such a function is highly coveted. Certainly a State Dinner to honor a visiting head of government or a reigning monarch is one of the

  • Event

    History Happy Hour: Eliza Scidmore - From Early White House Reporting to Washington’s Cherry Trees

    Eliza Scidmore earned her journalistic stripes as a “society writer” in Gilded Age Washington, reporting from the White House and around the nation’s capital. Fired by a spirit of adventure, she took up travel writing, educating Americans about little-known places like Alaska and Japan. In her best-known legacy, Scidmore carried home from Japan the idea of planting cherry-blossom trees along

  • Video

    Protest at the White House

    There is a rich history of protests and demonstrations at the White House and Lafayette Park, from the suffragists' silent pickets to a peace vigil that has spanned across decades. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For our education resource about protest at the White House, click here. For more information about this

  • Video

    First Ladies

    The role of the First Lady of the United States has changed over the years. These women have shaped the White House as well as the nation. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. To learn more about the evolving roles of the first lady, click here. For information and short biographies about all

  • Video

    Presidential Transportation

    U.S. Presidential transportation has evolved over time, from George Washington's horse-drawn carriage to the modern "Air Force One" and "The Beast." For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For our educational resource about transportation and the White House, click here. This video was produced in partnership with UNTOLD. Untold is a project of

  • Video

    Building the White House

    The White House stands as a symbol of freedom, but the story behind its construction reveals some important contradictions. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For more information about the design, building, and rebuilding of the White House, click here. For more information about Slavery in the President's Neighborhood research initiative, click here.

  • Press Release

    NEW Virtual White House Springtime Scavenger Hunt and 360 Tour of the White House

    The White House Historical Association is offering a new Virtual White House Springtime scavenger hunt as a compliment to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. These virtual activities can be completed online at whitehousehistory.org for a chance to win an Official 2024 White House Easter Egg Set. The Virtual White House Springtime scavenger hunt uses a 360-degree virtual tour

  • Event

    Easter Book Signing and Meet the Authors

    Please join the White House Historical Association as they host authors Jonathan Pliska and Rocco Smirne throughout the day on Easter Monday at the White House Visitor Center. Presigned copies of Gigi at the White House! by Giovanna McBride will also be available!

  • Video

    White House History with Margaret Brennan: Women in Diplomacy

    The White House Historical Association's 2024 quarterly series White House History with Margaret Brennan will feature four conversations dealing with various topics about the rich history of the Executive Mansion. The White House Historical Association will launch the series on March 21, 2024. This year’s theme is Diplomacy and the White House, and this event will explore the topic of Women in Di

  • Event

    History Happy Hour: The Undiplomat

    Deesha Dyer, once a hip-hop journalist and community leader, didn’t expect her path to eventually lead to the White House. Dyer applied for a White House Internship in 2009 as a thirty-one-year-old part-time community college student. This opportunity led to a full-time position and two promotions, later culminating in a more prominent and exclusive role: social secretary at the White Ho