Washington Monument

17 Stories

Vulgar Message Scrawled on Washington Monument

A man has been arrested over obscene graffiti; cleanup could take weeks

(Newser) - A man is in custody after the base of the Washington Monument was vandalized with bright red paint late Tuesday, according to US Park Police. Photos obtained by WTTG show a thick vertical line of paint next to scrawled words forming what ABC News describes as "an obscene message....

'Credible Threats' to Disrupt Inauguration

Washington Monument tours have been halted

(Newser) - The National Park Service says it is suspending tours of the Washington Monument from Monday until Jan. 24 because of "credible threats to visitors and park resources." In an alert , the NPS said the groups involved in last week's Capitol rioting were threatening to disrupt Joe Biden'...

Lightning Zaps Washington Monument
Lightning Zaps
Washington
Monument
video

Lightning Zaps Washington Monument

2 National Guardsmen also hit in Lafayette Square park

(Newser) - If the air over Washington, DC, felt electric Thursday night, well, no wonder. Two members of the National Guard suffered non-life-threatening injuries as they were struck by lightning within Lafayette Square park, the home of ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd, shortly after midnight, WUSA9 reports. Both are...

Reopened Monument Has a Little Glitch

The elevator conked out, at least for a while

(Newser) - The newly upgraded elevator at the Washington Monument stopped working just days after reopening to the public following a three-year renovation project, the AP reports. The National Park Service says there was a "brief interruption in service" for about an hour Saturday. Spokesman Mike Litterst said Parks Service staffers...

Washington Monument Reopens After 3 Years
Washington Monument
Finally Reopens

Washington Monument Finally Reopens

It was closed for 3 years for repairs

(Newser) - After a three-year closure, the Washington Monument is reopening to the public. The 555-foot stone obelisk was closed in Sept. 2016 in order to replace the aging elevator and upgrade security systems. The monument will reopen to the public at noon Thursday, and first lady Melania Trump is expected to...

Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument Vandalized

World War II memorial also hit with graffiti

(Newser) - The National Park Service says graffiti has been found at the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the World War II Memorial, the AP reports. US Park Police spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Rose said Tuesday that the messages written in permanent marker were discovered over the holiday weekend. Similar graffiti was...

Washington Monument Is Officially Shorter

10-inch change is a matter of measuring standards

(Newser) - The Washington Monument is now almost 10 inches shorter, though that's not because it's actually shrunk, the AP reports. The change in height, to be announced today, is due to a shift in how the monument is measured: "It is just where you start from," says...

You Can Finally Visit Washington Monument Again

Landmark reopens 3 years after earthquake

(Newser) - More than 150 cracks have been repaired, rainwater leaks have been sealed, and the 130-year-old Washington Monument will reopen today for the first time in nearly three years since an earthquake caused widespread damage. The memorial has been closed for about 33 months for engineers to conduct an extensive analysis...

Washington Relights Quake-Hit Monument

488 lights will keep it glowing during repairs

(Newser) - While the Washington Monument is closed for earthquake damage repairs over the next year, 488 lamps will restore the marble tower's glow each night on the National Mall. The National Park Service lit up the monument for the first time last night, and will continue to do so each...

Virginia Once Again Rattled by Quake

But this is a tiny one: a magnitude of just 2.4

(Newser) - It's been nearly a year since a dateline of "Mineral, Virginia," made some earth-shaking news , but the town worked its way back into the press in the wee hours of this morning: A very minor earthquake rattled the same Virginia area that bore the brunt of last...

Washington Monument a Bit Shorter After Quake

It's only a millimeter or so off, but parks officials are wary

(Newser) - The earthquake that rattled DC last summer may have caused the Washington Monument to shrink by a smidge. Surveyors say the land around the monument is down 2 millimeters since August, or about 1 millimeter more than it should be, reports the Washington Post . And while that's just a...

Billionaire Pays to Fix Washington Monument

David Rubenstein chips in $7.5M

(Newser) - Billionaire history buff and Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein has agreed to chip in $7.5 million to help repair the damage the Washington Monument suffered in the August earthquake that shook the region. Congress had already allocated $7.5 million to the task, and expected an equal amount to...

National Cathedral Needs $15M Quake Fix

And 'tens of millions' still to come

(Newser) - The National Cathedral needs at least $15 million in initial earthquake repair. The church remains closed as workmen scramble to stabilize large stone pinnacles and other structures shaken loose in the August earthquake. The chief stone mason believes it will take at least 10 years to repair all the damage,...

Eerie Washington Monument Quake Video Released

DC landmark to remain closed indefinitely

(Newser) - Debris falls from the ceiling and terrified tourists run for safety in a video released by the National Park Service that shows the moment last month when an earthquake damaged the Washington Monument . The video was taken by a surveillance camera near the top of the 555-foot-tall landmark. Officials say...

Washington Monument Springs a Leak

Hurricane Irene flooded quake-damaged landmark

(Newser) - The East Coast earthquake and Hurricane Irene have left the Washington Monument flooded. Engineers plugged cracks in the monument caused by last week's quake before the storm hit, but pools of water were found inside during a post-hurricane inspection, indicating that some cracks are still undiscovered.

More Cracks Found in Washington Monument

DC landmark to remain closed indefinitely

(Newser) - Further inspection has revealed even more cracks in the top portion of the Washington Monument, which was damaged by this week's 5.9 magnitude earthquake . Engineers discovered the cracks during a day-long inspection of the interior of the monument, AP reports. A 4-inch crack was discovered during an inspection...

Quake Damaged Washington Monument, Natl. Cathedral

Both closed indefinitely after cracks found

(Newser) - Officials tallying up the damage from yesterday's shocking East Coast earthquake discovered hits on the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral. National Park Service workers found cracks near the top of the 91,000-ton marble monument, which has been closed indefinitely to protect the public, reports AP . Three of...

17 Stories