Rejections Galore
The architect was prominent, but most of his monument designs got rejected. That meant starting over each time. However, the Baltimore Washington Monument Society decided to hold a competition, inviting the world to submit plans and ideas.
Someone Else Got the Job
The committee chose to hand over the task to another American because immortalizing the first U.S. president was a serious business! Therefore, Robert Mills got the job in 1814. He created a few designs and then settled on the pillar protruding into the sky that you know today.