It took 40 years to build the Washington Monument in the heart of our nation’s capital but work on the 555-foot 5-inch tall obelisk has never really stopped.
Commemorative stones have been added to the monument’s interior structure from time to time, including one carved from South Dakota granite that features the state seal.
Matthew Reitzel is the manuscript archivist at the South Dakota State Archives.
Public access to the stairway inside the memorial is now prohibited. The National Park Service is offering a virtual tour of the interior with photos of all 194 stones on their Website.
