World War II Memorial
Background The World War II Memorial on the National Mall was constructed in 2004 as a monument to the soldiers and civilians who fought for the United States during WWII. The central fountain pool is surrounded by a granite plaza. The perimeter is ringed by granite columns and bronze wreaths, and the outer entrance ramp […]
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Background On March 4, 1921, the United States Congress approved the burial of an unidentified American soldier from World War I in the plaza of the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. Designed by architect Lorimer Rich and sculpted by Thomas Hudson Jones, the neoclassical white marble sarcophagus includes a relief of Peace, Victory and […]
Patterson Park Pagoda
Background The acreage that is now Patterson Park was first occupied by a Baltimore citizen in 1669 and became a city park in 1827. Patterson Park Pagoda, designed by Parks Superintendent Charles H. Latrobe, has been a feature of the park since 1892. The sixty-foot-tall octagonal observation tower is a Victorian […]
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Background Since 1968, the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity had been working toward erecting a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., in Washington, DC. Authorized by Congress in 1996 and constructed in 2003 in West Potomac Park, The Stone of Hope is composed of 159 granite blocks on four acres. It depicts MLK Jr […]
Lincoln Memorial
Background Designed by Henry Bacon, the Lincoln Memorial was built between 1914 and 1922, and dedicated in May of 1922. The interior of the memorial is constructed of limestone and marble, which had developed a ring of collected dirt and oils on the walls and columns over […]
Fallingwater
Background Fallingwater is one of the most recognized examples of modern architecture in the world. Frank Lloyd Wright designed this vacation home for Edgar Kaufmann in 1935, specifically for its location over the Bear Run stream and waterfall. It has been open for public tours since 1963 when it was […]