The Washington Monument now stands 10 inches shorter than when it was completed in 1884, or at least that’s what a new government measurement announced Monday suggests.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used new technology to calculate the monument’s height at 554 feet 7 and 11/32 inches. But in 1884, the towering obelisk was measured at 555 feet 5⅛ inches.
What’s behind the incredible shrinking monument? A difference in the way the measurement was conducted likely accounts for most of the difference, according to NOAA. Engineers today used international standards to measure from the “lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance” to the structure’s peak. It’s unclear what standard engineers used when the monument was first built.
“We have to be cautious in comparing this new height to the historic one, since we do not know precisely the actual starting point that U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lt. Col. Thomas Casey used in 1884,” said Dru Smith, a NOAA scientist. “Today’s elevation reflects the international standards for measurement of a building’s height as well as considerable technological improvements.”
The change in height not due to the difference in measurement standards is likely three-eighths of an inch, according to a report in the Washington Post. That change is likely due to wear and tear to the monument’s cap.
Photos: Every National Monument President Obama Has Declared
The Organ Mountain Desert Peaks National Monument (New Mexico): The 496,000 acre land near Las Cruces, N.M. holds rich scientific and historical value. The land was a training site for the Apollo Space Mission and World War II aerial targets, as well as a heritage site containing early pictographs from Native Americans Les McKee—APThe San Juan Islands National Monument (Washington): A chain of 450 islands located in Washington State's Puget Sound, the monument offers visitors the chance to experience the natural beauty of the undeveloped, rugged landscape.Craig Hill—MCT/Getty ImagesThe Río Grande del Norte National Monument (New Mexico): Located northwest of Taos, the Río Grande del Norte contains stretches of the Río Grande Gorge and is known for its spectacular landscapes, recreational opportunities, and for serving as an important habitat for many birds and wildlife.Robert Alexander—Getty ImagesThe Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument (Maryland): A new national park, located on Maryland's Eastern Shore, commemorates the life of the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad.
MPI/Getty ImagesThe First State National Monument (Delaware): This new monument will tell the story of the early Dutch, Swedish, Finnish and English settlement of the colony of Delaware, as well as Delaware's role as the first state to ratify the Constitution. Shown above: Mill buildings standing along Brandywine creek north of Wilmington, Del.Walker Evans—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImageThe Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument (Wilberforce, Ohio): The home of Col. Charles Young, a distinguished officer in the United States Army who was the third African American to graduate from West Point and the first to achieve the rank of colonel.MPI/Getty ImagesCesar E. Chavez National Monument (California): The home of the famous civil rights activist and labor leader, known as La Paz, spans 116 acres in Kern County, Calif. The property was also the former headquarters of the United Farm Workers. Arthur Schatz—Time & Life Pictures/Getty ImagesChimney Rock National Monument (Colorado): Located in the San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado, the monument encompasses 4,726 acres and an archaeological site. The site is the ancestral home of the Pueblo Indians.Hyoung Chang—Denver Post/Getty ImagesFort Ord National Monument (California): Fort Ord served as an army post from 1971 to 1994. It was one of the most desirable posting locations because of the scenic views and proximity to beaches. Fort Ord is now a beautiful recreational area with unique landscape features that everyone can enjoy. Vern Fisher—APFort Monroe National Monument (Virginia): Fort Monroe is a former U.S. military base, but its history goes back much further. The land was integral to the original Jamestown colony settlers and was set up as a key defense point under John Smith, Christopher Newport, and the Virginia Company in the early 1600s. Stephen M. Katz—APPrehistoric Trackways National Monument (New Mexico): Prehistoric Trackways is the 100th U.S. National Monument and the first designated by Barack Obama. Located in the Robledos Mountains of southern New Mexico, the monument site includes a vast array of fossilized footprints, plants, and petrified wood from the Paleozoic Era. AP
