Many of you know that the Washington Monument sat unfinished for decades, an eye-sore of a stump on what would become the National Mall. Here is what it looked like in 1877, as seen from the Smithsonian Castle, so you’re looking west towards the Potomac.
![1877 view of the Washington Monument under construction as seen from the Tower of the Smithsonian (now the Smithsonian Castle)](https://ghostsofdc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/12/washington-monument.jpg)
Source: National Park Service