The
Washington Monument is an
obelisk on the
National Mall in
Washington, D.C., built to commemorate
George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the
Continental Army and the first American president. Standing almost due east of the
Reflecting Pool and the
Lincoln Memorial, the monument, made of
marble,
granite, and
bluestone gneiss, is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing tall. It is the tallest monumental column in the world if all are measured above their pedestrian entrances, but two are taller when measured above ground, though they are neither all stone nor true obelisks.