Barron Lighting Group Lights the Washington Monument

Photographer Ian Livingston

PHOENIX, Arizona – The National Park Service hosted a special ceremony to light the Washington National Monument as it undergoes repairs from damages caused by the 2011 earthquake. The Monument lights up each night at dusk, with 488 TRACE*LITE fixtures manufactured by Barron Lighting Group, making the Monument appear to glow in the dark. The designer for this illumination project chose a decorative blue-gray scrim that covers the scaffolding to preserve the shape of the Monument and replicate its marble blocks. The luminaries are mounted inside the scrim to create that luminescent glow.

Photographer Ian Livingston

“We were excited to hear about this project. Being able to supply lighting for a national icon like the Washington Monument was very important to us,” remarked Alan Tracy, president and owner. “This is part of our heritage and it’s important to preserve that for future generations. We were truly honored to be able to participate in this project.”

This lighting effort is not a one-time affair. Sensors were installed that will illuminate the national icon each night until it reopens sometime in Spring 2014. During the ceremony, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said in his speech about the project, “We wanted it to look attractive because it’s going to look like this for the next 12 months.” The National Park Service recently launched a live view of the Monument online at www.earthcam.com for all to enjoy this experience.