Washington Monument gets $7.5M for earthquake damage repairs
— -- Repairs to the Washington Monument, damaged during an earthquake last summer, will begin as early as this summer thanks to a $7.5 million donation from a Maryland philanthropist.
The National Park Service announced the donation by billionaire David Rubenstein at a news conference Thursday morning in front of the closed monument. Rubenstein's gift matches federal funding approved by Congress in December.
The monument suffered heavy damage inside and outside the structure during last August's magnitude-5.8 earthquake. It suffered cracks of up to 1 inch wide in some marble blocks, missing mortar and other structural issues.
The Park Service says now that it has the funding needed to repair the monument, it will award a contract to begin repairs by August.
The work is expected to take at least 10 months.
"Millions of people have seen the dramatic video of chunks of mortar and limestone raining down on visitors in the monument as the quake rocked the East Coast last August," National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said. "While no one was hurt, the damage to this iconic obelisk was substantial, and it has been closed to the public ever since. Thanks to David's gift and the support of the American people, the National Park Service will once again welcome visitors to the Washington Monument and share the story of our nation's first president."
Rubenstein said he was inspired to help fund repairs to the 555-foot obelisk when it became clear how severely damaged it was by the earthquake. The non-profit Trust for the National Mall aims to raise $350 million to restore the Mall's grounds and facilities. Rubenstein's donation is the largest gift to the non-profit group.
Rubenstein came forward very soon after the earthquake.
"This Washington Monument is probably one of the most recognizable buildings in the United States next to the Capitol and the Empire State Building," he said. "It could use a little repair work, and I wanted people to get to see it as soon as possible."
It is not the first gift Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group, a global asset management firm, has given to the nation's monuments.
He acknowledged some of the large gifts he has made in recent years to the Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives ($13.5 million according to The Washington Post), the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center. Last month, Rubenstein gave $4.5 million to the National Zoo to fund its giant panda reproduction program for five more years.
"I don't think I want to be buried with my wealth," he said. "I want the pleasure of giving it away while I'm alive."
The famous landmark received about 1 million visitors a year before it was closed to the public after the quake.
Congress allocated $7.5 million in December on the condition that private donations would match that amount. The combined $15 million in public and private funds is expected to cover the cost of repairing damage directly caused by the quake, National Park Service spokeswoman Carol Johnson said.
Repairing water damage will cost more, as would a seismic study or reinforcements to strengthen the structure against future earthquakes, she said.
Tourists taking photos and gazing up at the closed monument on Thursday were happy to hear that repairs would be taking place so the structure can reopen to the public.
