The Washington Monument is perhaps the most immediately recognizable monument in Washington, D.C. Construction on the monument, honoring the first president of the United States, started in 1848, but was halted from 1854 to 1877 due to a lack of funding. Its capstone was set on Dec. 6, 1884, and the monument officially opened on Oct. 9, 1888. It was the tallest structure in the world from 1884 to 1889.
Washington Monument
An aerial view of the Washington Monument and White House, Washington, D.C. (Carol M. Highsmith/Via the Library of Congress)