Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-22
WASHINGTON MONUMENT MADE
POSSIBLE BY WORK OF SOCIETY
100000 Was Raised as
a Free Will Gift of
American People.
Total Cost, More Than
Million, Included Aid
From Government.

1t was almost century ago-in
September. l833-that bit of a para.
graph appeared in the National In
tetigencer, then leading newspa per
OF Washington. calling the citizens of
the National Capital TO mass meet
Ing to consider the unredeemed
pledges of Congress to create suit
able memorial in marble dedicated to
the memory OF George Washington
AS news is mea sured today. that
brief squib would scarcely compare
as personal" b,N out of the meet
Ing that resulted there developed the
Washington National Monument So
ciety. and through that society there
has risen south OF the E;llipse,
the slender white shaft pointing ma
jestically heavenward as an everlas st
Ing memorial to the first President Of
the United States OF America.
Responsible for Success.
Pilgrims by the thousa nds pas
around that great monument every
year: other thousa nds travel to it's
summit and marvel at the panora ma
Of their beautiful National Capital
that is spread out before their enrap-
tured gaze. But few, perCha nee. know
much Of how a number of enterprising
men brought about that wonder in
marble. and for the benefit of those
who would like To know, William r.
Harr, secretary Of the Washington
National Monument Society. has pre-
pared the history. which follows. in
part:
The idea OF a monument to com
memorate the memory OF Washington
originated in the resolution offered by
John Marshall in the House Of Repre-.
sentatives on December %, 1893 that
q marble monument he erected by the
United States In the Capital. at the
City OF Washington. and that the
family NJ Gen. Washington he request
ed 10 permit his body To he deposited
under 1t: and that the monument he
so designed as TO commemorate the
great events of his military and po-
lticai life
'Theret ofore. in 1888 the Cont.
mental Congress had adopted a resolu-
ton that an equestrian statue Of Gen.
Wa shington he erected at the place
where the residence Of Congress shall
| be established.
I'm considering these two resolu.
tions Congress amended the same so
as 10 provide that mausoleum of
American granite and marble. In
pyra midal form. 100 feet square at
the base and of proportionate height
should he erected in the City Of Wash
inEton.'
The idea OF an equestrian statue,
expressed in the resolution of the Con
tinental Congress in 1883. eliminated
in the statue Of Washington by Green
ough, which was placed in the rotunda
of the Capitol in 1871 but subsequent
~ was removed TO the east front of
the Capitol, where it still stands.
No Definite Action.
NO definite action was taken either
in or ont OF Congress toward the cree
ton Of monument until September.
1888, when paragra ph appeared in
the National Intellisencer. then a
leading paper Of the city of Washing
ton. calling for public meeting of
the citizens Of Washington TO take up
the matter and redeem the pledges Of
Congress. This meeting resulted In
the orSa MIA ton OF the Washingt on
National Monument Society. with the
| idea of erecting a monument by popu-
lar subscription.
Efforts to collect the necessary
funds were Immediately Inaugural ed,
and in 1885 advertisements were pub
lished by order of the society invit-
ing designs from American artists, no
limitation being placed upon the form
! Of the design. the only requirement
being that any plans submitted should
tremendously blend dura bility, sim
plicity. and grandeur The cost for
the proposed monument was to be not
less than 81 900 900.
"A great many designs were sub
mitted, but the one selected was tina t
of Robert Mills, an eminent architect
OF the times. which is here reproduced.
Mr.. Mills design embraced the
idea of grand circular colonnaded
building. $50 feet in diameter and 100
feet high. from which springs an
| obelisk shaft 20 feet at the base and
500 feet high. making a total elevation
of 500 feet.
Funds accumulated slowly because
the contributions had been limited TO
81 a person so as to make the sub
scrin1 inn nnnIIlar hut by 1S47 some