Construction of the monument took 40 years and cost $1,187,710. The monument is considered to be an engineering marvel. Mortar was not being used in the process, it's held together entirely by gravity and friction.

Excellent question! The cost of building the Washington Monument is a fascinating story that spans decades and involves two distinct phases of construction.

Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Total Cost: ~$1.187 million

(Approximately $30-35 million in today’s dollars, adjusted for inflation.)

However, this total wasn’t spent all at once. The monument’s construction had a 36-year hiatus, and costs changed dramatically between phases.

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Breakdown by Construction Phase:

1. Initial Private Construction (1848-1854) Source of Funds: The Washington National Monument Society, funded by private donations from citizens, states, and other organizations. Amount Spent: $230,000 Progress: The obelisk was built to a height of 152 feet (about 1/3 of its final height). Why it stopped: Funding dried up, political disputes arose (notably over a memorial stone donated by the Pope), and the Civil War began.

2. Federal Completion (1876-1884) Source of Funds: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, funded by the U.S. Congress. Amount Spent: $957,000 What this covered: Resuming construction required extensive work to stabilize the existing foundation, which was found to be inadequate. The engineers also had to source marble from a different quarry, which is why the color of the stone changes noticeably at the 152-foot mark. This phase completed the monument to its final height of 555 feet.

Simple Math: $230,000 + $957,000 = $