A Sketch Design for the Washington Monument

Illustration of a proposal for the Washington Monument in Washing D.C., drawn by an architecture student and first appearing in an 1879 issue of American Architect and Building News.

The above illustration originally appeared in American Architect and Building News, and was submitted to the publication by an architecture student. Curiously, the student is not named, and is just called ‘the author’. The wonderfully detailed design is Gothic, which is in stark contrast to the minimalist design that eventually got built.

The monument consists of a biaxially symmetric tower with a base anchored by a large portico on one side. The portico serves as the monument’s entrance, and it houses a statue of George Washington, which visitors would pass by as they enter the structure. The detailing is typical of the Gothic style, with nearly every piece of the design pointing up in some way. The overall effect resembles a bell tower, and the proportions are reminiscent of Big Ben in London.

I’m interested to know how this would’ve been received had it got built. Nearly all the major landmark buildings in Washington are Neoclassical, which would give any Gothic design a religious undertone, given its context. This is not the case overseas, of course, and the design would feel right at home in London or a medieval town where Gothic is much more common among civic buildings.

Check out other unbuilt designs here.


References and quotations taken from: “A Sketch Design for the Washington Monument.” American Architect and Building News 1879, vol. V, no. 168 (1879). 84-85.