13 Things About the Washington Monument Stones

Last week I shared some information about the Washington Monument and the Pope's stone which was destroyed by the political party known as the Know Nothings.

During my research I took a little side tour and found some interesting things about the panels that decorate the interior walls of the monument.

As I advised in my earlier posts:

In 1849, funds had begun to dwindle. The Society began the commemorative stone program where states could donate engraved stones that would go on the interior of the monument. The program got a little out of hand as more folks got involved. Stones began arriving from territories, groups, organizations and even a few individuals.

The purpose of the program was to help all Americans feel a part of the memorial and more importantly to the society the stone donation program would cut the cost regarding the number of stones to be purchased.

So, I thought I would post some of the bits of information I found on 13 of the stones since it is Thursday, and it's been forever since I posted a Thursday 13.

1. The "Alaska" Stone was the last to be installed. It's made from jade and is said to be worth three million dollars.

2. The "Citizens of Stockton, California" stone is made from granite. The gold leaf on the letters dates back from the 1850s Gold Rush.

3. The "Michigan" stone is solid copper with a sterling coat of arms and lettering that costs around $1,000 in 1852.

4. The "Nashville" stone was carved by William Strickland, the architect of the state capitol in Tennessee and who is actually buried within the walls of that building. I'm glad he didn't make the same request for the Washington Monument.

 

5. The "Arizona" stone is actually fashioned from three different petrified tree trunks. Why?  Well, Arizona is home to the Petrified Forest National Park.

 

 

6. The "South Carolina" stone was damaged during the Civil War when it was removed following Fort Sumter. A hatchet was used to remove the stone, and then it was buried on the monument grounds. During the war hundreds of Northern soldiers camped on it and farm animals lived over it.

7. The "Turkey" stone represents one from several countries who wanted to take part in honoring George Washington. Turkey was one of the first nations to establish trade with the United States.

 

 

8. The "Association of Journeymen Stonecutters" stone is fashioned from Pennsylvania marble. It was designed by Stephen G. Cartlidge who was 17 at the time.

 

9. There are two stones from "Georgia". I find it a little ironic that one says "The Union as it was - The Constitution as it is" considering the Civil War was just a few short years away.

10. It should be noted that future generations might not know who you are if you aren't very clear.  Seriously, who are the S. of T. R. I.?   This stone was donated by the Sons of Temperance of Rhode Island.

 

 

11. One of the few stones given by Native American groups was the "Anacostia" stone.

12. I don't know about you, but there's just something about the "Kansas" stone I like.

 

13. And last, but not least is this stone...the "Peter Force" stone. It was accepted by the Society before November 27, 1849....after that date they no longer accepted stones from individuals.

You can look through all of the stones here.

You can visit the Thursday 13 blog hub here.

The Know Nothings and the Washington Monument

I've tried to get back into the groove of active posting by sharing old pictures on my Facebook page for "History Is Elementary" in the evening over the last several days.

What?  You don't "like" me on Facebook?

Well, what are you waiting for?

Look on the right sidebar and scroll down to find the Facebook "like" box and click that sucker pronto!

There...don't you feel better, now?

So, anyway, Tuesday night I posted this picture of the Washington Monument.

Yes, I know.  It doesn't look right, does it?  At the point this picture was taken the construction had been suspended. In fact, the monument sat for 25 years with no action whatsoever.

Of course, knowing that the above picture was taken in 1860 it would be very easy to surmise construction stopped because of the Civil War...and to a point, you would be right, but the war isn't the only reason why construction stopped. Work was suspended around 1854, six years prior to the first shot fired at Fort Sumter, so....there had to be another reason for the suspension.

It had something to do with those durned Know Nothings. I've written about them before way back in 2006 when I told my students Millard Fillmore was a Know Nothing.

Back then I advised Fillmore accepted the 1856 presidential nomination for the Know Nothing or American Party. They were a Nativist group that feared Catholics would gain too much control of state and local governments and opposed their immigration. Know Nothings wanted to use the government to push their agenda regarding a Protestant Anglo-Saxon society. They called for limits on immigration, wanted to limit political office to native-born Americans only, and called for a twenty-one year wait for immigrants to become citizens. Other extreme desires of the Know Nothings were a limit on the sale of liquor, and to have their version of the Bible read in American classrooms.

The name Know Nothing derives from the fact that when party members were asked about the group's activities, they were supposed to reply, "I know nothing."

When the first idea was hatched concerning the Washington Monument a society was formed as early as 1832 to oversee the design and construction named The Washington National Monument Society.

A design contest was held which Robert Mills won. The image below was his original design.

 

Yes, the original design was altered along the way.

In 1849, funds had begun to dwindle. The Society began the commemorative stone program where states could donate engraved stones that would be installed in the interior of the monument. The program got a little out of the hand as more folks got involved.

The purpose of the program was to help all Americans feel a part of the memorial and more importantly to the society the stone donation program would cut the cost regarding the number of stones that had to be purchased.

Stone began arriving from states as well as other territories, foreign nations, fraternal organizations, societies, businesses and even a couple of American Indian tribes. While a few stones were delivered with a donation towards the construction, many did not.

Some of the stones came with inscriptions that didn't have anything to do with President Washington. The Templars of Honor and Temperance sent a stone that said, "We will not buy, sell, or use as a beverage any spirituous or malt liquors, wine, cider, or any other alcoholic liquor."

The Know Nothings gained control of the Society in 1855 and kept things in turmoil.  Basically, they took control of the records and started their own organization, of sorts. Work slowed down to a crawl with only four feet being added to the monument over the next three years. Eventually, the work stopped.

The Know Nothings also objected severely to one of the donated commemorative stones. Pope Pius IX donated a stone taken from the Temple of Concord in Rome and had it inscribed "Rome to America". Of course, the Know Nothings weren't happy about the stone due to their anti-Catholic feelings.

Supposedly, a group of Know Nothings stole the stone, smashed it to bits and threw the pieces into the Potomac River.

You can read more about it here from a 1970s article in the Milwaukee Journal.

The Washington Sentinel from March 8, 1854 advised the block was mutilated beyond recognition before being thrown into the river. In the days that followed souvenir hunters fanned out across the banks of the river looking for fragments.

In 1858, the Know Nothings gave up their control of the Society, and finally in 1876, President Ulysses S. Grant signed an act that gave control of the Washington Monument to the U.S government. The Society would still solicit funds and provide advice regarding construction. Once government funding was in place the monument was finished with a few modifications to the original design.

So, is the Pope's stone still at the bottom of the Potomac River?

A Washington Post article from June, 1892 advises a large stone....sharply cut and beautifully polished was found near the southwest corner of the abutment for the Long Bridge over the Potomac River during a period of construction. The stone had marks on it that might have come from a hammer and an inscription on one side had been partially knocked off in several places. Just enough remained, however, to make out "RO - MERICA" cut deep in Gothic letters.

In fact, the Smithsonian boasts a piece of the Pope's stone they received as a donation in 1972. The woman who donated it claimed she had held onto the stone for over 60 years. Her brother gave her the stone via one of the supposed original thieves.

As far as I can tell the rowdy members of the Know Nothings responsible for the theft were never found. The Know Nothing Party was eventually absorbed into the Republican Party.

A Balloon View of Washington D.C.

It’s always so interesting to see what you can see from a balloon. This is a balloon view of Washington D.C. taken from the July 27, 1861 edition of Harper’s Weekly. You can click on the image if you want to see an enlarged version.

Today is Wordless Wednesday. You can find other bloggers participating by clicking here

A Place That Makes You Think

This is my husband. He has just walked down the steps of the Jefferson Memorial and is looking out across to the Washington Memorial. How can you visit Washington D.C. and not be reduced many times to moments of reflection? This place makes you think about the ones that came before us and how important it is to preserve their dream.

You can find other blogs participating in Wordless Wednesday here.

Also the Education Carnival (including a post of mine) is up over at Where's the Sun?

13 Things About Union Station in Washington D.C.

One of the first places we headed upon arriving in Washington D.C. was Union Station where we gawked at the architecture, ate a great dinner, and listened to the rumble of trains arriving and departing. It was a great visit.

1. Union Station was designed by architect Daniel Burnham and is considered to be one of the finest examples of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture.

2. When it was completed in 1908 Union Station covered more ground than any other building in the U.S. and was the largest train station in the world.

3. Today the area around the station is covered with busy avenues, pedestrians, and cars going in many different directions. In 1908 when the station was finally completed it sat on the edge of an area known as “Swampoodle”which was basically a shantytown on the banks of Tiber Creek which has been described as “sewery.”

4. The station is so large that the Washington Monument could lay on its side within the concourse.

5. The 96-foot barrel-vaulted, coffered ceilings contain 22-karat gold leaf and the total cost for Union Station was $125 million including the tons of white granite used in its construction.

6. During its heyday Union Station was described as a city within a city. A bowling alley, mortuary, baker, butcher, YMCA, hotel, ice house, liquor store, Turkish baths, first-class restaurabt, nursery, police station, and a silver-monogramming shop could all be found on the premises.

7. B. Smith’s Restaurant can be found in the old Presidential Suite that was added to the station. President Taft was the first president to use the room as he waited to depart from Union Station. The station website advises many other important people also used the Presidential Suite over the years including King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain, King Albert I of Belgium, King Prajadipok of Siam, Queen Marie of Rumania, and King Haasan II of Morocco. President Eisenhower was the last president to utilize the suite for travel purposes, but in 1989 President George Bush used it during an Inaugural Ball.

8. Following the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt his body was returned to Washington D.C. via a funeral train that crossed the Potomac and backed into Union Station.

9. In 1953, an out of control Federal Express Train crashed through a newsstand and into the main concourse. No one was killed.

10. By 1968 more people were traveling by air than by train so a decision was made to transform the station into the “National Visitor Center”, but by 1978 the center closed due to low attendance.

11. The building soon fell into disrepair….rain damaged parts of the roof and toadstools began to grow inside the building. The fungus was so out of control that the building had to be sealed in 1981. Would Congress save the building or bulldoze it?

12. Later in 1981 Congress enacted the Union Station Redevelopment Act of 1981 which called for the Department of Transportation to come up with a plan for the commerical development of the station so that it would be financially self-sufficient. Through public and private partnerships the building was restored to its original state and a mixed use transportation center was created at the cost of $160 million

13. Today over 130 unique shops and restaurants fill the station. Amtrack uses the station for its headquarters and executive offices as well. The station is one of the most visited destinations in Washington D.C. with over 32 million visitors a year. Within the station you can find exhibitions, cultural events and private events such as the Presidential Inaugural Ball. Citywide galas are also held at Union Station.

Information obtained from the Union Station website.

Visit other bloggers participating in Thursday Thirteen here.

A Travel Log Complete With a Few Pictures

Well, as you can tell by now posting has been a little sparse this week. I’m still recovering from our wonderful trip to Annapolis and Washington D.C., however, our trip was jam packed with so, so much more. In five short days here are 13 things I did:

1. Fought Atlanta rush hour traffic as we finally got on the road around 3 p.m. last Wednesday. Egads! I’m glad we don’t do this every day.

2. Got to Archdale, North Carolina around 10:30 p.m. and spent the night. (Reminder to hubby… NEVER accept a room again where we are going to have to sleep together on a double bed.)

3. Reached Washington D.C. at rush hour, but it wasn’t too bad. This is the scene that met us. Wow!

4. We exited and instantly realized we weren’t in Atlanta anymore…..pedestrians EVERYWHERE and instead of red lights hung on a wire in the middle of each intersection they were positioned on poles on each corner. It takes a bit to get used to it. I’m glad I’m not driving. All hail the pedestrian!

5. We checked into our hotel, an old bank building, on F Street. Everyone is friendly and courteous from the valets to the maids. We soon head out to Union Station to look around, and we see the Capitol Building as we head down Constitution Avenue. Dear Daughter gets this great shot.

6. We had a great dinner at Union Station, enjoyed the wonderful architecture, and felt the rumble of the trains as they entered and departed from the station. I arrived in Washington at Union Station in 1974 during my 7th grade trip, and in 1985 my mother had a layover in D.C. when she came to Virginia Beach, Virginia to visit me. Mother didn’t venture too far from the station…..I wonder now if she even realized back then how close the U.S. Capitol Building was to her.

7. After dinner we headed out to the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. They are more than magnificent at night. We walked, walked, walked at each location, but it was so worth it. Dear Daughter and I came away with wonderful pictures and memories of all three of us being there.

8. Friday was our one full day in D.C. We headed to the U.S Capitol to pick up tickets to take the tour. They are free, but tours groups are timed. Our tour was scheduled for 2:45, so we headed out to Arlington National Cemetery for the remainder of the morning. We timed it just perfect….as we walked up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier it was 12 o’clock, and we were able to see the changing of the guard. Afterwards we also saw a wreath laying ceremony on behalf of a middle school group. The best part of the visit…..the magnificent views of Washington D.C. from John F. Kennedy’s grave. Stunning!

9. The U.S. Capitol tour was great……I loved getting up close and personal again with the Rotunda art. Dear Hubby was really struck by the Frieze of United States History begun but not finished by Constantino Brumidi that surrounds the Rotunda.

10. We were worn out by Saturday, but managed to walk down F Street to Madame Toussad’s Wax Museum and immerse ourselves in complete tacky tourism. It was quite entertaining as we had fun taking pictures of each other with all of the famous people we ran into. Here is Dear Hubby being interrogated by J. Edgar Hoover of F.B.I. fame.

11. Finally, the time had come for the real purpose of our trip…..the wedding. We headed up to Annapolis a bit early so we could make sure we could find parking, would be admitted onto the campus, and find the chapel. What a wonderful place… I would like to visit again. Here is an image of the bride and her two brothers who both serve in the U.S. Army. These kids are friends of my son, and have all spent numerous hours in our home. We are proud of all three of them and were honored to share this special event with their family. No, that's not me with them...it's another family friend.

12. Sunday was heading out day again. We went North again up New York Avenue and Route 50 towards Annapolis except this time we headed for the Bay Bridge where we crossed over the Chesapeake Bay and then headed down the Eastern Shore of Maryland and on into Virginia. After the bustle of horns, people, sirens, and monuments of D.C. it was very interesting to view another type of monument….farmhouse after farmhouse, field after field, small town after small town….monuments to the backbone of our American culture….where it all started…working the earth….a plot of land to own…freedom.

13. Finally it was time to cross the Chesapeake Bay a second time via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel……….during the whole two years I lived in Virginia Beach from 1984 to 1986 I never once ventured out to the tunnel. Here’s a snap of a ship where it looks as if it is going through the bridge. Actually the bridge descends rapidly into a tunnel right before the spot where you see the ship.

Virginia Beach has really changed in 20 years! Dear Hubby and I managed to locate our old townhouse, but not much else. It was kind of funny. We did manage to get a picture of Dear Daughter in front of the Francis Land House. This home has some significance to my family (I’ve written about it here), and though we didn’t have time to tour it I wanted to at least get a picture of my daughter sitting on the same steps Francis Land had walked up and down.

Sunday night was spent in Rocky Mount, North Carolina before crossing over the middle of North Carolina to High Point. Now if you aren’t aware High Point, North Carolina is the mecca for all things furniture. Needless to say Dear Hubby will have a new leather chair in about 8 weeks once they create the one we ordered.

We finally arrived back home Monday evening……so glad to be home, but so glad to have taken the trip. Wonderful meals, wonderful people, wonderful memories, and a great experience witnessing a young couple begin their married life together in such a historic way.

Visit the Thursday Thirteen hub here.

Observing Memorial Day

If I had to name one place where you should visit over a long Memorial Day weekend I can think of no better place than Arlington National Cemetery, our nation’s premire memorial cemetery, honoring those who have served in our armed forces.

My husband, daughter, and I visited Arlington for several hours on Friday. If you aren’t a proud American as you walk the grounds, exit the gates, and cross Memorial bridge back over the Potomac towards the Lincoln Memorial then you and I… sadly…. don’t have anything in common.

Today (Sunday) we are still attempting to recover from our visit as I do believe we traversed most of the 600 plus acres Arlington encompasses. I’ve never walked so many steps or climbed so many hills in my entire life, but it was so very worth it.

The images I took during our visit and the three views I've posted above best help me remember why Memorial Day is observed. I’ll post more later….

Washington D.C. in a Whirlwind

We arrived in our nation’s capital very late last evening, but we were still able to visit the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials (along with a gazillion school children). We also spent some time in Union Station for a late dinner and a look see.

Today we ventured out to Arlington National Cemetary and the U.S. Capitol building. Tomorrow we will motor over to the Naval Academy in Annapolis to witness a special young lady marry a recent graduate (today) of the academy in the chapel on the Naval Academy grounds. Tonight we are having dinner with the young lady’s two brothers. Both young men are currently serving their country. I’ve written about them before.

Pictures? Oh my, do I have pictures! Unfortunately, the connection in my hotel isn’t cooperating with my computer as well as I would like for it to, so we might just have to wait until next week for visuals….but why am I saying this? You already know I’m going to tell you all about all of the interesting things I’ve done and seen. That’s how I roll around here, isn’t it?

In the meantime until I get to post more visit the education carnival to see what is going on in the education blogosphere. The carnival is currently posted over at Teacher in a Strange Land.

Also…..many, many thanks to all of the folks who voted for History Is Elementary in the category of education/homeschooling for Best of the Blogs. If you haven’t voted or would like to vote again you can vote once each day between now and the 26th. You can vote here.

I'm Headin' Out

I’m headin’ out today for a long Memorial Day weekend. Can you guess where I’m going? Yes, our nation’s capital city, Washington D.C.!

I believe our capital city is another ingredient into the mix that makes America great. What about you?

Actually I’m heading to Annapolis to the Naval Academy to witness the marriage of a very special young lady. She is marrying a graduate of the Naval Academy on Saturday in the chapel on the Academy grounds. While we are that close we will be exploring Washington D.C. on the fly as well as attempting to track down a statue I wrote about here. I just have to get a picture of it.

I hope to be able to update each day while I’m gone to let you see where I’ve explored that day.

So, tell me…..if you had one day in D.C. where you go and why?

Happy Wednesday,and don’t forget to vote for me over at the Best of Blogs. You can vote once each day through the 26th. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to vote.

Visit the Wordless Wednesday hub here.