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This week, we are headed to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to speak with a National Park ranger there about the monuments and memorials. While we will be focusing in on the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, we will talk about the Mall as a whole. Before we have our visit, let’s look at an overview of how Washington, D.C. evolved as our nation’s capital over time and a quick overview of the treasures we house on our National Mall!

Read on for a slightly more detailed look into the trials and tribulations of this famous town!

A national capital - in the beginning

Washington, D.C. is not just another city; it’s our national capitol. Founded in 1790, it was and is the center of our government. And, since we live in a democracy (“for the people, by the people”), it is a city about us--our history and national identity. After more than 200 years as the nation’s capital, Washington is a complex city with many layers and a distinctive character. It is known as a town for locals, an international center of power and a fascinating place to visit.

Who decided on the location of our nation’s capital? It was a compromise (like many decisions in American history). The northern states, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted the new government to take on the debts from the recent Revolutionary War. The southern states, led by Thomas Jefferson, preferred to position the capital somewhere that was open to the slave-holding agricultural interests of the young nation. It was President George Washington who decided on D.C.’s site along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. The city’s position on the Potomac could accommodate oceangoing ships, and it was close to two important colonial port cities (George Town/Georgetown and Alexandria, Virginia).

The states of Virginia and Maryland had to give portions of their land to create a separate district for the capital. Washington bridges the Southern and Northern states. President Washington called this location “the gateway to the interior.” He wanted it to connect the Eastern Seaboard to the Western territories. Washington appointed Pierre Charles L’Enfant to design the city. L’Enfant used Paris as his inspiration. In the late 1700s Paris was an innovative, modern city with great boulevards and ceremonial spaces. L’Enfant planned the city on a grid system, with the Capitol building in the middle.

You can read more about the history of the city here:

A City on Fire - Literally

Within 20 years of its founding, DC was almost destroyed entirely!

America defended itself against Great Britain in the War of 1812, and enemy forces burned most of the city to the ground (including the brand new White House, the Library of Congress, and the Capitol). Dolley Madison, the First Lady at the time, oversaw enslaved workers getting out as many valuables as possible (including the famous portrait of George Washington). The Library of Congress lost all of its books. Thomas Jefferson came to the rescue by selling off his own library to raise the money for a new Library of Congress collection.

The Civil War: Before and After

Andrew Jackson’s presidency (1829–37), forever changed Washington. He introduced the “spoils system”, where the victorious political party brings its supporters to work in the administration. This was a divisive issue in Washington. The government faced many challenges in these early days. For one, the local economy was not stable. Also, the Potomac River had restricted navigation due to a build-up of silt. Epidemics were also rampant. As for transportation issues, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal construction was delayed. When railroads reached the city in the 1830s, a flood of tourists came with them.  So did a proliferation of congressional spouses, who transformed Washington’s social scene. Major construction projects for three federal buildings located just blocks apart in Downtown Washington (the Department of the Treasury, the General Post Office, and the Patent Office [the last is now part of the Smithsonian Institution]) also began in the 1830s. 

After the Civil War, the city grew. Almost a year before the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, Washington became a center for freed slaves. It has remained a home and a hub for the African American population, led back in the late 1800s by Frederick Douglass.

According to Britannica:

In the years following the Civil War, the capital was slowly transformed into a showplace. Two factors contributed to this change. First, in 1871 self-government was granted for the first time to Washingtonians. Under the new territorial government, which lasted just three years, numerous city improvement projects were undertaken: modern schools and markets were erected, streets were paved, outdoor lighting was installed, sewers were built, and more than 50,000 trees were planted. The price for these improvements, however, was far more than Congress had anticipated. The new territorial government was short-lived, but Congress was required to complete the projects. Second, beginning in the 1880s, a number of newcomers arrived in Washington from across the country. Many of them were affluent intellectuals and lobbyists. 

In terms of neighborhood development, Capitol Hill and the downtown Center Market were two of the earliest neighborhoods, as well as Lafayette Square (where the White House is located). In the mid-19th century, streetcar lines expanded transportation in and out of the city into the growing suburbs. During the civil unrest of the 60s and 70s, many Washington residents left the inner city and moved to the suburbs. Even today the downtown areas are undergoing urban renewal and a wealthier social class is moving back to the city.

Though a capitol city, it is ironic that residents of Washington lack full self-governance. Representation in Congress is limited to a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives and a shadow senator. In 1964, Washingtonians were first allowed to vote in Presidential elections; the city was allowed to elect its own mayor only in 1973.

It remains a vibrant and culturally diverse city today. The city is rich with international cultures, African American heritage and culture and it’s also one of America’s most gay-friendly cities. In fact, DC recognized same-sex marriage in 2010, before the Supreme Court, nearby, ruled that it was a right in 2015.

Visitors to D.C. have a number of sites on their “must see” list. You might be interested to know a bit more history about famous places like the National Mall. L’Enfant’s original design included what we know today as the National Mall. It wasn’t until 1901, though, that the city could complete his vision. At this time, the Senate Park Commission (also known as the McMillan Commission) made plans to keep Washington beautiful. The Committee advocated that no undertaking “be allowed to invade, to mutilate, or to mar the symmetry, simplicity, and dignity of the capital city.”

Do you know what is on the National Mall? Read on to see how many you knew and how many you’d like to still explore!

U.S. Park Police Horse Stables and Education Center

Completed in 2022, this sustainable and innovative project was designed and built by the Trust for the National Mall, thanks to the generosity of the Trust’s supporters and benefactors.

The new state-of-the-art home for the horses replaces an outdated facility built in the 1970s and, for the first time, includes an Education Center that welcomes the public to learn about the horses and their history on the National Mall. Importantly, this project created a permanent and universally accessible “Path of Hope” that safely connects the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial to the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial.

The Mounted Unit is one of the oldest and most beloved equestrian units in the U.S. — starting in1934 with just one horse. The unit expanded over the next several decades to provide guidance and a friendly equine presence on the National Mall.   

Learn more about the U.S. Park Police Horse Stables and Education Center here.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, designed by architect Frank Gehry, was dedicated on September 17, 2020. The National Mall’s newest memorial honors Eisenhower as both the 34th President and the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War II. The memorial tells the story of a humble boy from the American heartland who became one of the country’s most revered heroes. 

Learn more about the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial by visiting the National Park Service website

Vietnam Women’s Memorial

Dedicated on Veteran’s Day in 1993, the bronze sculpture is a tribute to the 265,000 women who served during the Vietnam era. 

The memorial was the first monument to American military women on the National Mall. The multi-figure bronze monument was designed by New Mexico sculptor, Glenna Goodacre and portrays three Vietnam-era women, one of whom is caring for a wounded male soldier. The memorial stands 6'8" tall and weighs one ton.

Learn more about the Vietnam Women’s Memorial by visiting the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation.

The Tidal Basin

The National Mall Tidal Basin sits in America’s front yard and comprises beloved national monuments such as the Jefferson Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. This complex, iconic public landscape’s architecture and open space captures individuals and events that have defined our nation and celebrates cherished American values. The iconic National Mall cherry trees that encircle the basin also bring 1.5 million visitors to the Tidal Basin annually for the National Cherry Blossom Festival in just a three-week period.

The Tidal Basin was given the designation of “National Treasure” in 2019 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, recognizing it as a place of national significance in need of a long term preservation solution.

Learn how you can help #SaveTheTidalBasin

The Lockkeeper's House

Over the past 184 years, the Lockkeeper’s House has been a humble witness to our nation’s history. In the early 1800s, George Washington advocated for canals in the capital city and believed they were essential for the economy and fundamental to our nationhood. Finished in 1837, the house sat at the intersection of what used to be the C&O Canal and the Washington Canal, where the Lockkeeper collected tolls and kept trade records for merchandise that entered the city. Over the years, the Lockkeeper’s House evolved to meet the needs of the times – serving as a tool shed for park staff, a watchman’s lodge, and even a temporary holding cell for Park Police.

Learn more about the Trust for the National Mall’s work to restore and relocate the historic Lockkeeper’s House

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is the newest addition to the collection of memorials on the National Mall.  Dedicated on October 16th, 2011 (the 16th anniversary of the 1995 Million Man March in Washington), the stone structure exemplifies the fundamental values of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during his quest for civil rights; freedom, democracy, and opportunity for all.

The national memorial stands 30-feet high and consists of three granite pieces. Inspired by Dr. Kings “I Have a Dream” speech where he says “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” A figure of Martin Luther King is carved into the “Stone of Hope” which stands past the “Mountain of Despair.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial

In August, 1955 Congress formed a commission to oversee the creation of a memorial to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Before his death, Roosevelt joked to his friend, Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, that if Congress ever tried to make a monument for him, he would like it to be no larger than the size of his desk and placed in front of the National Archives.  Congress obliged this request and today, there is a desk-sized stone plaque in honor of FDR outside the National Archives.  However, the commission decided that a plaque was not a sufficient way to honor one of America’s most beloved presidents so it selected a location in West Potomac Park, half-way between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. The monument was dedicated by President William J. Clinton on May 2, 1997.

Korean War Veterans Memorial

“Freedom is not free.”

The Korean War Veterans Memorial aims to spread that message by encompassing all of the various entities and people who contributed to the freedom of South Korea in the 1950’s. Emerging from the Ash Woods in West Potomac Park, the larger-than life soldiers, UN Wall, and mural each contribute to the sense that freedom requires a collective sacrifice.

In 1988, President Reagan appointed the Korean War Veterans Memorial Advisory Board which selected the land directly south across the Reflecting Pool from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as the location. In 1995, the designer, Cooper-Lechy, broke ground on the project on the 42nd anniversary of the war’s armistice. Just two years later on July 25, 1997 President Clinton and South Korean President Kim Young Sam dedicated the memorial.

Jefferson Memorial

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission was established on April 13, 1934, his 200th birthday. With the McMillan Commission, they decided to place the memorial due south of the White House, completing the 5-point monument center that Pierre L’Enfant had originally envisioned in 1791. The cornerstone was laid by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1934 and dedicated in 1943.

Despite being home to one of America’s most influential founding fathers, the Jefferson Memorial is perhaps most famous for the cherry blossom trees that surround it and the Tidal Basin which the memorial overlooks.  The trees were given to the United States by Tokyo in 1912 and have since become one of the Mall’s defining features.

The Mall

The Mall is truly America’s Front Yard.  It is along this 2-mile stretch of land in the heart of the nation’s capital that people from all over the country and world come to honor, mourn, protest, but most of all celebrate America’s rich history.

The Mall is the space encompassed by Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues on the North; First Street on the East; Independence and Maryland Avenues on the South; and Fourteenth Street on the West. In other words, it is the land stretching from the Capital Building to the Lincoln Memorial and from the White House to the Jefferson Memorial.

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is arguably the most prominent feature of the Washington, DC skyline.  In 1833, John Marshall, James Madison and others created the Washington National Monument Society in honor of the 100th anniversary of George Washington’s birthday. The Society advertised for competitive architectural designs beginning in 1836.  Robert Mills’ design was chosen and on July 4, 1848, the cornerstone was laid. 

The Egyptian obelisk monument stands 555’ 5 1/8” tall and weighs 81,120 tons.  It is surrounded by 50 American flags, one for each state.  The structure is made of white marble blocks which range in thickness from 15’ at the base to 18” at the top.  Visitors may notice that the marble changes color at 150 feet; that marks the spot where construction stopped between 1856 and 1876. Visitors are welcome to climb the 896 steps inside the monument to the observation level which, on a clear day, provides 30-40 mile views (there is also, of course, an elevator!).

World War II Memorial

The World War II Memorial was commissioned by President Clinton on May 25, 1993.  The approval process, which can sometimes take decades, was expedited so that the memorial could be built while veterans of the war were still alive to enjoy it. Construction began in September, 2001 and the memorial was dedicated by President George W. Bush on May 29, 2004.

The memorial was designed by Friedrich St. Florian. It is split into two sides, representing the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.  There are pillars surrounding the entirety of the structure, each with the name of a US state or territory from which a person was involved in the war. The east-facing wall of the memorial, the Freedom Wall, is covered with 4,048 gold stars, one for every 100 Americans who lost their lives in some aspect of WWII. Despite controversy surrounding its design and location, the memorial attracts more than 4.4 million visitors each year.

Constitution Gardens

Constitution Gardens is the land between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial bound by Constitution Avenue to the north and the Reflecting Pool to the south. Before the McMillan Commission’s 1901 plans, the land was completely submerged beneath the Potomac River.  The Army Corps of Engineers dredged the area in the beginning of the 20th century.  During World War I, the land was home to temporary Navy offices which remained there until 1970. During the bicentennial restoration of the Mall, Constitution Gardens was chosen as the ideal space for a quiet oasis from the bustling city.  The 52-acre park was officially dedicated in 1976. President Reagan proclaimed it a “living legacy tribute” to the Constitution on September 17, 1986 in honor of the Constitution's bicentennial.

In July, 1982 the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial was dedicated on a small island in the center of the Gardens’ 6-acre lake.

Learn more about the future vision for Constitution Gardens

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., a non-profit group, was established on April 27, 1979 by Jan Scruggs and a group of fellow Vietnam veterans.  On July 1, 1980, President Carter signed legislation authorizing a site for a Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Constitution Gardens, slightly northeast of the Lincoln Memorial. Recognizing the divisive nature of the war, there were four very specific criteria for entrants in the design competition.  Entries were judged on whether they were: reflective and contemplative in nature; harmonious with the surroundings; designed to contain the names of the dead and missing; and devoid of political statements.  The winning designer was Maya Yin, a Yale undergraduate whose submission was a class project. The now-famous wall was dedicated on November 13, 1982.

Despite the controversies surrounding the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, it has become one of the most emotional locations on the National Mall. Visitors often leave mementos from flowers and letters to service caps and boots.  Any non-perishable items are removed and stored by the National Park Service.  Some of the items are displayed in the Smithsonian Institution’s American History Museum. Learn more about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Lincoln Memorial

In 1867, two years after Lincoln's assassination, Congress formed the Lincoln Monument Association.  In 1901, they selected the monument’s site, due west of the Washington Monument.  In 1911, President Taft signed the Lincoln Memorial Bill which provided the $2 million required.  Henry Bacon was chosen as the architect and in 1914, construction began. Bacon’s design was based on a Greek temple, symbolizing Lincoln’s god-like status in the hearts and minds of Americans.  The statue of Lincoln itself was designed by Daniel Chester French; originally intended to be slightly larger than life at 10 feet tall, the design was altered and the statue now stands at an imposing 19 feet tall. 

Check out the National Park Service’s Interactive Lincoln Memorial site. Take a tour, listen to Ranger Reflections, and download podcasts!

Tune in this week to learn even more about this fascinating place from the experts themselves!

https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC/History

https://washington.org/dc-information/washington-dc-history

https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/washington-dc

https://nationalmall.org/monuments-memorials

https://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/places-to-visit.htm