Week 3: Assignment 2: The Washington Monument – Final Draft
Due: Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Page 1 of 2
Bobby Porter
The Washington Monument
In 1980 I went on my first trip to visit the Washington Monument in Washington DC; it
was a cloudy day when we arrived in town. After we stopped and checked into a hotel I
asked my dad if we could begin our trip to the Washington Monument. I couldn’t believe
how large the monument looked as we approached the national Monument parking
area. I could see the monument was bright white it seemed to be made out of marble
and it seemed to reach the clouds that day. There were so many people there from
every nationality standing in line; the line seemed to go for miles and miles. So I started
counting the flags that went around the building I could not believe there was so many
American flags and I came up with 50 flags, my dad told me son no there is 56 flags
around the Monument .
On that day I started looking all the way to the top of the monument that set in the
middle of the national Mall, it seemed to be swaying side to side every guest a win that
came through made me think the building was going to fall. As I started looking around
the monument I could see there was a long pond on the backside that went all the way
to the White House, my dad told me there has been a lot of very important people that
has stood in the same place your standing there has been everything from presidents to
immigrants and protesters on the mall. There were a lot of young kids that were flying
kites all over the place I could see one kite that was almost reaching the top of the
monument. The line started moving a little faster as a day went by and we were getting
closer to the brass doors that went in the entrance way to the Washington Monument.
I knew that day was going to be the best day of my life I’ve been thinking about what the
monument is going to look like after I get inside. As I started approaching the building I
realized it was really happening we were going to the very top of one of the most
historical buildings in the United States. I knew the George Washington was the reason
the building was built, and until the gentleman that was standing in front of us told me;
the Washington Monument was built to honor George Washington when he led the
Continental Army to victory. The gentleman also told me that the monument sets over
555 feet tall and it was built in1848 to1884, and designed by Robert Mills. For me to
look on the backside of the monument to see it was facing the White House and if I look
to my left it was facing the Nation’s Capital. So I started thinking every president that
looked out the window could see such a beautiful structure every day and I was kind of
jealous.
There were only a few people in front of us just before we got to board the elevator and
go to the top of the monument; I have stood in line for many hours anticipating what
Week 3: Assignment 2: The Washington Monument – Final Draft
Due: Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Page 2 of 2
Bobby Porter
stood between me and those brass metal doors. I could hear the elevator doors opening
as the last group of people were getting off the elevator. It was my turn to get on that
elevator and go all with the top of the monument that was 555 feet tall and it was one of
the largest buildings in Washington DC. I found myself getting so excited I could not
wait for the doors to open and let the people off so we could get on. As we boarded the
elevator the tour guide started giving us a little history about the building and told us
there were other types of statues that were presented in place of the Washington
Monument to honor George Washington, but finally they came up with the design which
today is known all over the world as the tallest crow’s nest ever built and they named it
the Washington Monument.
Finally we reached the top of the monument I walked over to the first window and found
that I was too short to see out the window so I looked at the tour guide that was giving
the tour and asked him if he would hold me up there so I could look out the window. My
dad started laughing and told me you must need a stepstool, I looked at him and said
it’s going to have to be a big one. I could see all over Washington through the little
Windows at the very top of the monument; from every angle you could see just a little bit
more of that beautiful place that we call the Nation’s Capital.
As we concluded our tour and made it to the bottom of the monument my father and I
went to the museum and I picked out a small statue of the Washington Monument to
take home with me. That has been 32 years ago and I can still remember like it was
yesterday everything about the way the monument looked felt and how cold it was when
he went to the top. On that day the boy inside of me got to go back into history for a little
bit of time and it will be something I will never forget, that day I visited the Washington
Monument with my Dad.
Bobby Porter (2012)
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