Washington Monument Scaffolding Is Coming Down Today
Two years later, the scaffolding around the Washington Monument is ready to come down
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Two years ago, on August 23, 2011, an earthquake hit the eastern U.S., a rare “intraplate” earthquake centered in Virginia. One victim of the quake was the 129-year old Washington Monument, which was cracked and broken by the shaking.
Architects did their best to make the scaffolding that went up around the monument look nice, says Jimmy Stamp for Smithsonian Magazine’s Design Decoded blog, but now the mesh and piping is set to come down. Starting today, says ABC, the Washington Monument will begin to emerge from its cocoon, restored to its former glory.
Photo: Colin Schultz
More from Smithsonian.com:
Scaffolding is All Over D.C. Here’s Why the Monuments Still Look Majestic
Hurricanes May Cause Earthquakes
Scaling the Washington Monument
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