La Tour Eiffel
By. Paisley M
What They Thought
The Eiffel Tower, or La Tour Eiffel as the French residents call it is one of the world's most famous landmarks. At first not many people appreciated the towers beauty. Some know that it is and was a difficult monument to build and take care of.
How it All Began
The Eiffel Tower was first built as a grand entrance to the 1889 world's fair. The design for the tower was first sketched by Maurice K & Emile N. Gustave Eiffel's architect company was the one picked to build and fund the Eiffel Tower, Mr. Eiffel was not interested in building it because it didn't look pleasing to the eye. The tower was named La Tour Eiffel after Gustave Eiffel himself. The tower took 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days to build. The reason that the tower took so long to build is because France wanted to create one of the tallest man made structures that would later turn into one France's most loved monuments. But not everyone was happy about the new tower.
Strength or Weakness
When the La Tour Eiffel was completed on March 31, 1889, many residents and tourists marveled at the tower. But many residents thought of it to be an eyesore, some thought it would make them more weak or prone to more attacks from enemy countries. They were right, during WW II, Hitler wanted to attack what had become France's most loved monument, because many of his men would have to climb up the tall towers stairs that it would give their place in the war, so he stood down. But what many don't know is that a lot goes into making the Eiffel Tower what it is today.
Just The Little Things
The tower stands at 1,063 feet tall, since it stands this tall 25 painters with over 100 different paint brushes go through and repaint the tower, so it doesn't end up rusting over, this happens every 7 years and takes more than 18 months. Acording to "Softschools.com" The tower has a total of 5 billion lights, 1,665 steps. But the Tower also has a elevators. Also the tower weighs 10,000 tonnes, or tons. Gustave Eiffel was not interested at funding the making and building of the tower, but after many embellishments were made to the Tower, it gained his interest.
In The End
As of today La Tour Eiffel stands tall and with a interesting and puzzling past behind it. Not many people today know what the architects and painters had to go through to reach France's goal of building one, of the world's tallest man-made monument.