9:18 AM



The state of Iowa donated their stone in June 1853 which has the inscription, “HER AFFECTIONS, LIKE THE RIVERS OF HER BORDERS FLOW TO AN INSEPARABLE UNION.”

I have had no luck in finding very high resolutions images of these stones for my book, if any of my bloggers know a source, please let me know. (I would love to see these in person).

For those interested in finding out more about the donated stones in the Washington Monument look at this link by the National Park Service. I encourage everyone to take time to download the pdf of the restoration project
http://www.nps.gov/wamo/photosmultimedia/index.htm

The Foreword touches my heart like I am meeting a kindred spirit who appreciates this type of ephemera with the same passion.
“I clearly remember my introduction to the Washington Monument commemorative stones. I took the elevator to the top of the monument opened the stairwell door and began my descent. My discovery of “these stones” was nothing less than a feeling of amazement. When asked if wanted to work on their cleaning and conservation, I responded with an enthusiastic “yes”. That was in 1997. I did not know how lengthy a project I had ahead of me, nor did I know what rewards the project would bring.
Working on the project was a unique opportunity, for which I am grateful. It is my hope that this report will be useful for the interpretation of the commemorative stones for many years to come. It is also my hope that this report will inspire others to continue with my research and to make their own contribution to the historical record of the stones.”