Following an epic day in the National Gallery of Art, we wanted to also fit in a trip along the National Mall. Given the size of the Mall, we knew this would be a challenge. But we were motivated, and we were determined, so we looked back on the Capitol–the major site we could see looking East…
…and set out for the first stop on our Mall tour: The Washington Memorial.
Washington Memorial
Cinthia Villarreal
The Father of His Country, The American Cincinnatus, and the Sage of Mount Vernon. These are all nicknames that George Washington has been called throughout history. For millions of Americans, the prestige for Washington does not stop at his title as first president of the nation or as commander of the Continental Army. For millions of Americans, Washington represents freedom and courage, and he was a trailblazer. It was an honor to witness the monument built in remembrance of the man that founded the nation.
The Washington Monument towered over the busy city as we walked to it.
As we got closer to the memorial, our excitement grew and our ability to form sentences vanished.
From up close, the 555-foot marble obelisk is absolutely incredible and left all of us in awe.
The monument was built in two phases, starting in 1848, the use of different types of bricks is visible from afar.
Around the obelisk, dozens of American Flags decorate the exterior of the monument, flapping through with the wind’s breeze, reminding us of Washington’s central role in forming United states.
Vietnam Memorial
Olivia Discon
Making our way further down the Mall, we took a stroll through the Vietnam Memorial. The structure is not without controversy, especially at its inception. Like all commemorative art, there is incredible importance in doing the subject justice, and when it comes to the perils of war, honoring the lives of those who have fallen is a difficult task. To learn more about the origins of the Vietnam Memorial, I read “A Rift in the Earth” by James Restin Jr. prior to our trip. The title is extremely fitting, as both the appearance of the memorial and the Vietnam War caused a rift in many senses of the word.
Designed by Maya Lin, the striking memorial has numerous symbolic elements. The granite sculpture protrudes from the ground in the shape of a ‘V’, with the 58,000 names of the men and women who lost their lives in the Vietnam War (in chronological order). The mirrored nature of the 200-foot-long memorial evoked a profound sense of loss in what felt like a never ending list of soldiers. This monument is paired with two other sculptures, “Three Servicemen” by Frederick Hart and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial by Glenna Goodacre.
Walking through the list of names, we saw a small crowd of people surrounding part of the display. As we approached the scene, we quickly realized that Maya Lin herself was at the memorial!
To hear from the artist regarding some of the triumphs and struggles she endured while working on this project was a surreal, completely unexpected moment.
We were extremely grateful for the rare opportunity to speak with the artist alongside her work. And also, to snap a quick photo with her!
The odds of such a meeting were astronomical, and the excitement of meeting Ms. Lin combined with the sobering substance of the Wall was overwhelming.
Lincoln Memorial
At the far west end of the National Mall–we had made it half way!–we met with what turned out to be one of our favorite monuments: the Lincoln Memorial.
Architect Henry Bacon designed the memorial, drawing inspiration from the Greek Parthenon. The giant temple form is adorned with 36 Corinthian columns–one for each state in the Union at the time of the Civil War.
Daniel Chester French designed the actual statue that looms so grandly in the Memorial’s interior. It is 19-feet tall, and it’s impossible to walk into the temple without feeling small in the face of the statue and all that Lincoln meant to American democracy.
The view from this Memorial is amazing…
…and, in fact, this was such a momentous experience for us, we returned to the Memorial after dark.
Korean War Memorial
Cinthia Villarreal
The Korean War took place from 1950 to 1953, where 36,574 Americans and more than 7,200 members of the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army gave their lives for democracy. In commemoration to the war, the Korean War Memorial displays 19 stainless-steel soldiers in the deadly grounds of the war. Next to them, the Wall of Remembrance shows the name of the thousands of servicemen and the portraits of those unidentified.
The memorial simulates the experience of the troop on the battle ground. Their facial expressions were masterfully done, reflecting a mix of worry with fear and the heavy-looking bags on their backs, and wearing ponchos which they used during the cold winter nights.
Additional to the Wall of Remembrance, there is another granite wall with the quote “Freedom is not free” and around it, the Pool of Remembrance provides a place of reflection.
Even though this was very different from the other monuments and memorials that we visited, this spoke volumes to me. The Korean War Memorial reminds the day-to-day citizen that the freedom we enjoy today is a privilege and did not come out of nowhere. Millions of people have volunteered and died for the rights that we have today and it should not be taken for granted.
MLK Memorial
Michelle Cardenas
Washington DC is known for all of its memorials and dedications to different significant American events and leaders. Amongst these is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Memorial, a timeless tribute to the iconic civil rights leader. The granite monument was unveiled on August 28, 2011, and was designed by Lei Yixin. The memorial features a couple of Dr. King’s famous quotes, but the most spectacular part of the memorial is the great carving of Dr.King on what artist Yixin calls the “Stone of Hope”.
When we saw the great statue we stood there in awe due to its grandeur. The statue is carved onto the “stone of hope” which is rising from the “mountain of despair” symbolizing the triumph over adversity and relentless pursuit of justice. We walked around and read all the quotes that were on the crescent-shaped granite walls behind the statue, drawing inspiration from his words as well as from his legacy.
FDR Memorial
Olivia Discon
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), the 32nd President of the United States, has a longstanding legacy of service and heart for the American people. Having served 4 terms, during World War II and The Great Depression, FDR’s initiatives were instrumental in navigating America through some of its darkest days. The memorial features a series of outdoor spaces, each representing one of his four terms in office and the trials he and the country faced during his tenure.
One of the prominent sculptures is a statue of Roosevelt seated in a wheelchair, while wearing a robe, which largely obscured his wheelchair. At the time of FDR’s Presidency, disabilities were not widely accepted, and he took pains to hide the extent of his disability from the public.
FDR’s Memorial is laid out as more of a linear park, allowing visitors to explore different aspects of his presidency. We learned about World War II, the rise of media–especially radio (and his fireside chats)–and, of course, the Great Depression.
In fact, one of our favorite sculptures on the Mall was of the soup lines during the Depression. Forged by George Segal, these sculptures looked right in place alongside similar media used throughout the memorial…
…while also evoking many of the images we had seen by Dorothea Lange earlier in the day in the National Gallery of Art.
Jefferson Memorial
We found the location of the FDR Memorial, which was located along the Tidal Basin, allowed for great views of the Mall.
We could see the Washington Monument as well as the Jefferson Monument.
Eventually, we decided to make our way to see the Jefferson Memorial, which we hoped would begin to shine some light on a man whose life we would come to know over the course of the trip.
Designed by John Russell Pope (who also designed the National Archives and Constitution Hall), the Monument was completed in 1943, the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s birthday. With grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr a large statue designed by Rudolph Evans (completed four years later, owing to material shortages during WWII)…
…and a front pediment featuring the Declaration of Independence designed by Adolph Wienman, there is much to admire in this neoclassical marvel.
We would learn much more of Jefferson later in the trip, as we visited the Library of Congress, Monticello, and the University of Virginia, but this was a wonderful introduction to Jefferson–and to the National Mall.
Concluding Thoughts
There are few sites as majestic as the National Mall, even in a City that is full of marvelous sites.
We differed in which monument we liked most, but we all agreed that the National Mall was one of our favorite sites among all trips we had taken, and it whet our appetite for days full of additional site-seeing.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 