SOPHIA OF WISDOM III - QUEEN OF THE NILE
LIBRARY OF SOPHIA OF WISDOM III
SOPHIA OF ALL SOPHIA OF WISDOMS
AKA
CAROLINA E. KENNEDY________________________
APRIL 20, 2007
RE: QUEEN OF THE NILE
*****NOTES FROM SOPHIA OF WISDOM III - THE FREEMASONS DESIGNED
MOST OF THE BUILDINGS IN WASHINGTON DC....THE POND IN FRONT OF THE OBELISK IS A SYMBOL OF THE NILE.....AND THE OBELISK INDICATES
A QUEEN SHOULD OF BEEN THE FIRST PRESIDENT...
The Washington Monument is a large, white-colored obelisk at the west
end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It is a United States Presidential Memorial constructed for George Washington.
The monument is among the world's tallest masonry structures, standing 555 feet (169.29 m) in height and made of marble,
granite, and sandstone. It was designed by Robert Mills, a prominent American architect of the 1840s. The actual construction
of the monument began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884, almost 30 years after the architect's death. This hiatus in
construction was because of a lack of funds and the intervention of the American Civil War. A difference in shading of the
marble, visible approximately 150 feet (45 m) up, clearly delineates the initial construction from its resumption in 1876.
Its cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848; the capstone was set on December 6, 1884, and the completed monument was
dedicated on February 21, 1885. It officially opened October 9, 1888. Upon completion, it became the world's tallest structure,
a title it inherited from the Cologne Cathedral and held until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was finished in Paris, France.
The Washington Monument reflection can be seen in the aptly named Reflecting Pool, a rectangular pool extending
to the west, towards the Lincoln Memorial.
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Motivation
1.2 Design
1.3
Construction
1.4 Later history
2 Construction details
2.1 Inscriptions
2.2 Exterior structure
2.3 Capstone
2.4 Foundation
2.4.1 Interior
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
[edit] History
[edit] Motivation
Among the Founding Fathers of the United States, George Washington earned the title "Father
of the Country" in recognition of his leadership in the cause of American independence. Appointed commander of the Continental
Army in 1775, he molded a fighting force that won independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1787, as president of
the Constitutional Convention, he helped guide the deliberations to form a government that has lasted for more than 200 years.
Two years later he was unanimously elected the President of the United States. Washington defined the Presidency and helped
develop the relationships among the three branches of government. He established precedents which successfully launched the
new government on its course. He refused the trappings of power and veered from monarchical government and traditions and
twice—despite considerable pressure to do otherwise—gave up the most powerful position in the Americas. Washington
remained ever mindful of the ramifications of his decisions and actions. With this monument the citizens of the United States
show their enduring gratitude and respect.
When the Revolutionary War ended, no man in the United States commanded
more respect than George Washington. Americans celebrated his ability to win the war despite limited supplies and inexperienced
men, and they admired his decision to refuse a salary and accept only reimbursements for his expenses. Their regard increased
further when it became known that he had rejected a proposal by some of his officers to make him king of the new country.
It was not only what Washington did but the way he did it: Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, described him as "polite with
dignity, affable without familiarity, distant without haughtiness, grave without austerity, modest, wise, and good."[1]
The
George Washington Statue in the Washington Monument lobby, next to the elevators.Washington retired to his plantation at Mount
Vernon after the war, but he soon had to decide whether to return to public life. As it became clear the Articles of Confederation
had left the federal government too weak to levy taxes, regulate trade, or control its borders, men such as James Madison
began calling for a convention that would strengthen its authority. Washington was reluctant to attend because he had business
affairs to manage at Mount Vernon. If he did not go to Philadelphia, however, he worried about his reputation and about the
future of the country. He finally decided that, since "to see this nation happy… is so much the wish of my soul," he
would serve as one of Virginia's representatives. The other delegates during the summer of 1787 chose him to preside over
their deliberations, which ultimately produced the U.S. Constitution.[1]
A key part of the Constitution was the development
of the office of President of the United States. No one seemed more qualified to fill that position than Washington, and in
1789 he began the first of his two terms. He used the nation's respect for him to develop respect for this new office, but
he simultaneously tried to quiet fears that the President would become as powerful as the king the new country had fought
against. He tried to create the kind of solid government he thought the nation needed, supporting a national bank, collecting
taxes to pay for expenses, and strengthening the Army and Navy. Though many people wanted him to stay for a third term, in
1797 he again retired to Mount Vernon.[1]
Washington died suddenly two years later. His death produced great sadness,
and it restarted attempts to honor him. As early as 1783, the Continental Congress had resolved "That an equestrian statue
of George Washington be erected at the place where the residence of Congress shall be established." The proposal called for
engraving on the statue which explained it had been erected "in honor of George Washington, the illustrious Commander-in-Chief
of the Armies of the United States of America during the war which vindicated and secured their liberty, sovereignty, and
independence."
Ten days after Washington's death, a Congressional committee recommended a different type of monument.
John Marshall, a Representative from Virginia (who later became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court) proposed that a tomb be
erected within the Capitol. But a lack of funds, disagreement over what type of memorial would best honor the country's first
president, and the Washington family's reluctance to move his body prevented progress on any project. [1]
[edit]
Design
A sketch of the proposed Washington Monument done by architect Robert Mills circa 1836.Progress towards a memorial
finally began in 1833. That year, which marked the 100th anniversary of Washington's birth, a large group of concerned citizens
formed the Washington National Monument Society. They began collecting donations, much in the way Blodgett had suggested.
By the middle of the 1830s, they had raised over $28,000 and announced a competition for the design of the memorial.
On
September 23, 1835, the board of managers of the society described their expectations:
It is proposed that the contemplated
monument shall be like him in whose honor it is to be constructed, unparalleled in the world, and commensurate with the gratitude,
liberality, and patriotism of the people by whom it is to be erected… [It] should blend stupendousness with elegance,
and be of such magnitude and beauty as to be an object of pride to the American people, and of admiration to all who see it.
Its material is intended to be wholly American, and to be of marble and granite brought from each state, that each state may
participate in the glory of contributing material as well as in funds to its construction.
The society held a competition
for designs in 1836. The winner, architect Robert Mills, was well-qualified for the commission. The citizens of Baltimore
had chosen him to build a monument to Washington, and he had designed a tall Greek column surmounted by a statue of the President.
Mills also knew the capital well, having just been chosen Architect of Public Buildings for Washington.
His design
called for a 600-foot (183 m) tall obelisk—an upright, four-sided pillar that tapers as it rises—with a nearly
flat top. He surrounded the obelisk with a circular colonnade, the top of which would feature Washington standing in a chariot.
Inside the colonnade would be statues of 30 prominent Revolutionary War heroes.
Yet criticism of Mills' design and
its estimated price tag of more than $1 million (over $21 million in 2007USD[2]) caused the society to hesitate. In 1848,
its members decided to start building the obelisk and to leave the question of the colonnade for later. They believed that
if they used the $87,000 they had already collected to start work, the appearance of the monument would spur further donations
that would allow them to complete the project.
About this time Congress donated 37 acres (150,000 m²) of land for
the project. The spot Pierre Charles L'Enfant had chosen (now marked by Jefferson Pier) was swampy and unstable, making it
unsuitable for supporting the heavy structure. The new location was slightly south and east of the original but still offered
many advantages. It "presents a beautiful view of the Potomac," wrote a member of the Society, and "is so elevated that the
monument will be seen from all parts of the surrounding country." Because it is public land, he continued, "it is safe from
any future obstruction of the view… [and it] would be in full view of Mount Vernon, where rests the ashes of the chief."
[edit] Construction
The partially completed monument, photographed by Mathew Brady circa 1860
The
monument plans and timeline of construction.Excavation for the foundation of the Washington Monument began in the spring of
1848. The cornerstone was laid as part of an elaborate Fourth of July ceremony hosted by the Freemasons, a worldwide fraternal
organization to which Washington belonged. Speeches that day showed the country continued to revere Washington. One celebrant
noted, "No more Washingtons shall come in our time ... But his virtues are stamped on the heart of mankind. He who is great
in the battlefield looks upward to the generalship of Washington. He who grows wise in counsel feels that he is imitating
Washington. He who can resign power against the wishes of a people, has in his eye the bright example of Washington."
Construction
continued until 1854, when donations ran out. The next year, Congress voted to appropriate $200,000 to continue the work but
rescinded before the money could be spent. This reversal came because of a new policy the society had adopted in 1849. It
had agreed, after a request from some Alabamians, to encourage all states and territories to donate memorial stones that could
be fitted into the interior walls. Members of the society believed this practice would make citizens feel they had a part
in building the monument, and it would cut costs by limiting the amount of stone that had to be bought. Blocks of Maryland
marble, granite and sandstone steadily appeared at the site. American Indian tribes, professional organizations, societies,
businesses and foreign nations donated stones that were 4 feet by 2 feet by 12-18 inches (1.2 by 0.6 by 0.3 to 0.5 m). Many,
however, carried inscriptions irrelevant to a memorial for George Washington. For example, one from the Templars of Honor
and Temperance stated "We will not buy, sell, or use as a beverage, any spiritous or malt liquors, Wine, Cider, or any other
Alcoholic Liquor." It was just one memorial stone that started the events that stopped the Congressional appropriation and
ultimately construction altogether. In the early 1850s, Pope Pius IX contributed a block of marble. In March 1854, members
of the anti-Catholic, nativist American Party - better known as the "Know-Nothings" - stole the Pope's stone as a protest
and supposedly threw it into the Potomac. Then, in order to make sure the monument fit the definition of "American" at that
time, the Know-Nothings conducted an election so they could take over the entire society [citation needed]. Congress immediately
rescinded its $200,000 contribution.
The Know-Nothings retained control of the society until 1858, adding 13 courses
of masonry to the monument—all of which was of such poor quality it later was removed. Unable to collect enough money
to finish work, they increasingly lost public support. The Know-Nothings eventually gave up and returned all records to the
original society, but the stoppage in construction continued into, then after, the Civil War. The bottom third of the monument
is a slightly different color than the rest. When construction resumed after the Civil War, the builders were unable to find
the same quarry stone used earlier, resulting in a slight change in appearance.
Interest in the monument grew after
the Civil War ended. Engineers studied the foundation several times to see whether it remained strong enough. In 1876, the
Centennial of the Declaration of Independence, Congress agreed to appropriate another $200,000 to resume construction. The
monument, which had stood for nearly 20 years at less than one-third of its proposed height, now seemed ready for completion.
Before work could begin again, however, arguments about the most appropriate design resumed. Many people thought a
simple obelisk, one without the colonnade, would be too bare. Architect Mills was reputed to have said omitting the colonnade
would make the monument look like "a stalk of asparagus"; another critic said it offered "little… to be proud of."[1]
This attitude led people to submit alternative designs. Both the Washington National Monument Society and Congress
held discussions about how the monument should be finished. The society considered five new designs, concluding that the one
by William Wetmore Story seemed "vastly superior in artistic taste and beauty." Congress deliberated over those five as well
as Mills' original; while it was deciding, it ordered work on the obelisk to continue. Finally, the members of the society
agreed to abandon the colonnade and alter the obelisk so it conformed to classical Egyptian proportions.
Construction
resumed in 1879 under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Lincoln Casey of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Casey
redesigned the foundation, strengthening it so it could support a structure that ultimately weighed more than 40,000 tons.
He then followed the society's orders and figured out what to do with the memorial stones that had accumulated. Though many
people ridiculed them, Casey managed to install all 193 stones in the interior walls.
The building of the monument
proceeded quickly after Congress had provided sufficient funding. The stones used to proceed were taken from a different qua
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