History of the Washington National Monument and of the Washington National Monument Society

The work traces the long effort to commemorate George Washington, recounting early congressional resolutions, delays and debates, and the establishment and activities of a private society formed to promote and oversee the monument's completion. It chronicles legislative proposals, contested plans for location and form, correspondence over the disposition of Washington's remains, and the society's organization, incorporation, fundraising, and archival records. The narrative emphasizes institutional obstacles, public sentiment, and procedural history, and outlines how civic initiative eventually resumed and guided the practical and administrative steps that led toward erection of the obelisk.