wash. mon.
December 15, 2009 at 10:13 amDC, The National Mall, Washington Monument, fisheye, monuments
It’s been awhile since we posted anything from the Monumental/Federal/National Mall side of things in DC. That’s because we usually prefer to post the nitty-grittier photos that show the side of DC that we, as residents, know and have grown to love. But every now and again we’ll remember that we do live in a tourist destination and one of the most powerful places in the world, and it’s important not to forget that either. This past Saturday evening, we were returning home from Capitol Hill by cab after a late, *crazy* night watching movies and SNL with Brigid and Keith. And in riding by the Capitol Building, we both started to say something along the lines of forgetting about that “other” part of DC that we take for granted, like going by the Capitol as we were or living a mile from the White House. And maybe it’s because neither of us work on the Hill, know any lawyers, or even like to argue about politics, but maybe it’s that to us, DC is not just about memorials and monuments and which political party you belong to… though some would argue it is.
At any rate, it’s interesting to note, in conjunction with posting this photo, that the Washington Monument was completed on December 6, 1884. That means the capstone was put into place a week and 125 years ago around this time. I wonder if the builders thought, at that moment, that the new tallest structure in the world (until the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889), would one day become somewhat overlooked by those who live practically in it’s shadow?
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December 16th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
did you know that the reason it is 2 different colors is because construction was halted during the civil war and when they came back i guess they had to use different color stones or something. just a little something i picked up while one time hanging creepily behind a tour group that i did not pay for yet none the less still learned from….. i think the guide’s joke was that it was the highwater mark of a big flood that swept through the national mall one time. har har har….
December 19th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
hmmm i like this deep wall post. very inspirational indeed.