The construction of the Washington Monument is completed with the placement of an 8.9 inch tall, 100-ounce pyramid of solid aluminum atop the capstone. Inscribed on the capstone is the Latin phrase “Laus Deo”, meaning “Praise be to God.”
The cornerstone had been laid 36 years earlier on July 4, 1848; the first stone was laid atop the unfinished stump on August 7, 1880; and the completed monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885. it opened on October 9, 1888. When completed, the Washington Monument surpassed the Cologne Cathedral (515') to be the tallest building in the world at 555 feet, 5.125 inches. More
Jackson Lanier, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
