Washington Monument honoring George Washington

The Washington Monument on the National Mall was built to honor George Washington; construction began in 1848, was paused for decades, resumed in the 1870s, and the obelisk was completed in 1884. It was formally dedicated on February 21, 1885, and at completion it was the tallest structure in the world. The monument remains a documented memorial to the first U.S. president and a prominent feature of Washington, D.C.'s landscape.