Materials

Exterior: Memorial walls, entablature, attic frieze, Doric columns, and upper steps—Colorado Yule marble; Tripods—Tennessee pink marble; Lower steps and terrace walls—pink Milford, Massachusetts granite.

Interior: Walls and Ionic columns—Indiana limestone; Statue and plinth—George white marble; Pedestal and chamber floor—Tennessee pink marble; Ceiling panels—Alabama marble saturated with melted beeswax for translucency; Ceiling beams—Copper alloy to form bronze and/or brass; Murals—Oil paint mixed with white wax and kerosene and applied to canvas.

Exterior Statistics

Retaining wall: Height—14 feet; Width (east and west sides)—257 feet; Depth (north and south sides)—187 feet. 

Foundation of building: Piles extending between 44 to 65 feet from original grade to bedrock.

Height of building: 79 feet 10 inches from foundation top; 99 feet above grade at foot of terrace walls.

Total height including foundation: 169 to 192 feet depending on bedrock surface.

Total width of building north to south: 201 feet 10 inches at widest point.

Total depth of building east to west: 132 feet at widest point.

Tripod(s) height: 11 feet.

Diameter of memorial site: Approximately 1200 feet.

Acreage of memorial site: 109.63 acres.

Memorial weight: 38,000 tons or 76,000,000 pounds.

Doric colonnade: Width (east and west sides)—188 feet 4 inches; Depth (north and south sides)—118 feet 6 inches; Height—44 feet; Number—36 plus 2 at entrance; Column diameter—7 feet 5 inches; Drums in column—11 including capital; Flutes in column—20.

Platform under colonnade: Height—8 feet divided into three steps; Bottom step 201 feet 1o inches on east and west sides and 132 feet on north and south sides.

 

Interior Statistics

Central chamber: Width—60 feet; Depth—74 feet.

Side chambers: Width—38 feet; Depth—63 feet.

Chamber height: 60 feet from floor to ceiling.

Chamber floor to top of statue: 30 feet 7 inches.

Statue: 28 pieces; Height—19 feet; Width—19 feet; Weight--120 tons (175 tons with pedestal); Cost—$88,400.

Statue’s head: Height—3 feet 7 inches; Width—2 feet 7 inches.

Plinth between pedestal and statue: 1 foot 7 inches.

Pedestal: Height—10 feet; Width—16 feet; Depth—17 feet.

Ionic columns: Number—8; Height—50 feet; Diameter at base—5 feet 6 inches; Drums in column—9 excluding capital and base; Flutes in column—24.

 

Memorial Basics

Groundbreaking ceremony—February 12, 1914

Cornerstone laying ceremony—February 12, 1915

Dedication ceremony—May 30, 1922

Cost of building--$2,957,000.