I figured I would build something that everyone would be able to recognize, but something that wouldn't take too much time. I quickly decided on the Washington Monument without thinking about it too much.

This ended up being a huge mistake. Being the world's tallest obelisk, it is no easy feat trying to full off its likeness in a game with blocks as your tools. I ended up rebuilding the monument four or five times until I finally hit the right formula. Then came the interior, foundation, flags, and so on.

Here are pictures for comparison. I used 3D models and aerial models while building.

<img src="http://imgur.com/EPJDJ.jpg" alt="Aerial shot" title="Aerial shot" />

<img src="http://imgur.com/OeCEA.png" alt="Comparison" title="Aerial comparison" />

<img src="http://imgur.com/b1oO7.jpg" alt="Ground view" title="Ground view" />

<img src="http://imgur.com/hFzHq.png" alt="Minecraft ground" title="Ground comparison" />

It is residing in the World of Minecraft Main server if you would like to visit. It is located rougly in the center of the map, in a little valley. Shouldn't be too hard to find.