Washington Monument Restoration

Washington Monument Earthquake Repairs

The Washington Monument is the most iconic structure on the National Mall. Built to honor America’s first President, the 555 feet and 5 1/8 inches tall obelisk is not only the world’s tallest free-standing stone structure but also the worlds tallest obelisk.

On August 23, 2011 the monument was severely damaged by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake and Hurricane Irene which struck the Washington, D.C. area. Damage included more than 150 cracks in the monument’s interior and exterior as well as pieces of stone that had been rattled free. Water from Hurricane Irene was also discovered in the interior of the monument.

32 months of repairs were conducted and the monument was officially reopened on May 12, 2014 after its complete restoration — made possible in part by David M. Rubenstein’s $7.5 million donation to match the funds distributed by Congress (the largest individual gift in Trust for the National Mall history). Repairs included:

  • Vertical and horizontal joint repairs

  • Sealing large cracks (some more than an inch wide)

  • Elevator repair and re-certification

  • Water-proofing

During the restoration, the Washington Monument’s 500 tons of scaffolding was lit up each night from July to November 2013 by 488 glowing lamps.

Thanks to our friends at EarthCam for this amazing timelapse video of the repairs.

Additional Photos

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Projects, Capital ProjectsGuest UserRestoration, Completed, Joint Fed-Private Funding, Washington Monument