The Washington Monument appearing over McClellan Circle in Arlington National Cemetery. From the moment Washington D.C. was named the nation’s capital, people started envisioning ways to honor America’s first president. Pierre L’Enfant, the man tasked with designing what was first called ”Federal City”, created a geometric layout of streets, buildings and green spaces. One space, however, he left empty. If you draw straight lines south from the White House and west from the Capitol, that’s the spot. L’Enfant left it open so a great monument to George Washington could one day be built there. Long story short: one was. Construction began in 1848 but came to a halt from 1854 to 1877 owing to lack of funds, the Civil War, and other difficulties. By then, Mills’s design had been radically simplified for aesthetic as well as financial reasons. When construction resumed under the supervision of Col. Thomas Lincoln Casey (1831–1896) of the Army Corps of Engineers, all decorative elements and inscriptions were eliminated and the height of the monument was scaled back to just over 555 feet, 5 inches. Nevertheless, upon completion in 1884, the Washington Monument was the tallest built structure in the world and it remains the tallest building in Washington, DC. Today, it can be seen from many parts of the cemetery. A testament to our great nation and the veterans that gave their lives for it. PC: @arlingtonmedia

The Washington Monument appearing over McClellan Circle in Arlington National Cemetery. From the moment Washington D.C. was named the nation's capital, people started envisioning ways to honor America's first president. Pierre L'Enfant, the man tasked with designing what was first called ''Federal City'', created a geometric layout of streets, buildings and green spaces. One space, however, he left empty. If you draw straight lines south from the White House and west from the Capitol, that's the spot. L'Enfant left it open so a great monument to George Washington could one day be built there. Long story short: one was. Construction began in 1848 but came to a halt from 1854 to 1877 owing to lack of funds, the Civil War, and other difficulties. By then, Mills’s design had been radically simplified for aesthetic as well as financial reasons. When construction resumed under the supervision of Col. Thomas Lincoln Casey (1831–1896) of the Army Corps of Engineers, all decorative elements and inscriptions were eliminated and the height of the monument was scaled back to just over 555 feet, 5 inches. Nevertheless, upon completion in 1884, the Washington Monument was the tallest built structure in the world and it remains the tallest building in Washington, DC. Today, it can be seen from many parts of the cemetery. A testament to our great nation and the veterans that gave their lives for it. PC: @arlingtonmedia