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57-791: The Jefferson Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, D.C. , built in honor of Thomas Jefferson , the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence , a central intellectual force behind the American Revolution , a founder of the Democratic-Republican Party , and the nation's third president . Built between 1939 and 1943, the memorial features multiple quotes from Jefferson intended to capture his ideology and philosophy, known as Jeffersonian democracy , which

114-586: A day. The inlet gates, located on the Potomac side of the Basin, allow water to enter the Basin during high tide. During this time, the outlet gates, on the Washington Channel side, close to store incoming water and block the flow of water and sediment into the channel. As the tide begins to ebb, the general outflow of water from the Basin forces the inlet gates to close. This same force is applied to

171-769: A dock near the eastern end of the Tidal Basin. The activity is popular during the Cherry Blossom Festival, which takes place in April. Sea level rise and land subsidence has caused portions of the paths next to the water to regularly flood at high tide. To address this problem, the Trust for the National Mall brought together in 2020 five design firms to re-imagine the Tidal Basin's future. After completing an environmental assessment that found that

228-529: A planned project would have no significant impact "on the natural, cultural or human environment" in the area, the National Park Service (NPS) then announced in 2023 that would renovate approximately linear 6,800 feet (2,073 m) of seawall along the Basin and parts of West Potomac Park . The Basin's seawall will become 4.75 feet (1.45 m) taller and will stand on a new foundation to prevent it from sinking further. The NPS will increase

285-504: A series of granite and marble-stepped terraces. A flight of granite and marble stairs and platforms, flanked by granite buttresses, leads up to the memorial from the Tidal Basin to a portico with a triangular pediment . The pediment features a sculpture by Adolph Alexander Weinman depicting the Committee of Five , the five members of the committee charged with drafting the U.S. Declaration of Independence . In addition to Jefferson, who

342-483: A square platform, flanked by two smaller, rectangular, colonnaded buildings. Construction on the Jefferson Memorial began December 15, 1938. The cornerstone was laid roughly eleven months later, on November 15, 1939, by Roosevelt himself. By this point, Pope had died in 1937 and his surviving partners, Daniel P. Higgins and Otto R. Eggers , assumed leadership for the Jefferson Memorial's construction. At

399-436: Is from Jefferson's autobiography. The sixth sentence, beginning "Establish the law...", is from a letter of August 13, 1786, to George Wythe . The final sentence is from a letter of January 4, 1786, to George Washington : God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God

456-744: Is governed by the Commemorative Works Act , while outside the District there are no systematic regulations. Among the NPS national memorials and affiliated areas, ten celebrate US presidents , eleven recognize other historic figures, six commemorate wars, five memorialize disasters, and five represent early exploration. Eleven of the twenty-two non-NPS memorials commemorate wars or veterans, another ten represent groups of people who died for related reasons, and one relates to Native American history. Several major war memorials are located on or near

513-563: Is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than these people are to be free. Establish the law for educating the common people. This it is the business of the state to effect and on a general plan. The inscription on the panel of the southeast interior wall is excerpted from Jefferson's July 12, 1816, letter to Samuel Kercheval : I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with

570-696: Is the uniquely designated Washington Monument , which was completed in 1884 and transferred to the NPS in 1933. The most recently established is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial , dedicated in 2020. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial was created out of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument in 2019 and was previously just the USS Arizona Memorial . The NPS national memorials are in 15 states and

627-594: The District of Columbia . Washington, D.C., has the most, twelve, followed by Pennsylvania and New York , each with three. The affiliated areas are in four states (two additional beyond those with NPS memorials) and the Northern Mariana Islands , while the other sites are in nine states (five additional), the District of Columbia, and Midway Atoll . Creation of new memorials in Washington, D.C.

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684-503: The George Floyd protests by Washington D.C Mayor Muriel Bowser , who published a report which recommended "renaming, relocating or adding context to dozens of monuments, schools, parks and buildings in [Washington, D.C.] because of their namesakes participation in slavery or racial oppression". In the report, “DCFACES” had advised Mayor Bowser to request and convince the U.S. federal government to "remove, relocate, or contextualize"

741-529: The National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Washington Monument , initially intended to be built at the intersection of the White House and the Jefferson Memorial's site, was ultimately built farther east because the ground at that location was deemed too soft and swampy. The Jefferson Memorial is a designated national memorial and is managed by the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of

798-557: The National Mall , contributing to the national identity . The historic areas within the National Park System are automatically listed on the National Register of Historic Places . "National Memorial" is omitted below in the names of sites that include it; others may separate the two words or just use "Memorial", and there is also one international memorial included. Private and other organizations may use

855-610: The White House . By 1901, the Senate Park Commission, in the McMillan Plan , proposed building a Pantheon -like structure on the site that would host "the statues of the illustrious men of the nation, or whether the memory of some individual shall be honored by a monument of the first rank may be left to the future," but no action was taken by Congress on the commission's recommendation. The completion of

912-458: The other national memorials . A few additional units, including Fort McHenry National Monument , include "national memorial" in their enabling legislation, but are not otherwise called that and are thus not listed here. The National Park Service provides technical or financial assistance to affiliated areas but does not own or administer them. Congress has designated a number of sites as national memorials but not as units or affiliated areas of

969-567: The Interior 's National Mall and Memorial Parks division . In 1966, the Jefferson Memorial was named to the National Register of Historic Places . In 2007, it ranked fourth on the " list of America's favorite architecture ", published by the American Institute of Architects . The site ultimately selected for the Jefferson Memorial's construction was appealing at least partly because it was located directly south of, and in view of,

1026-474: The Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial . On April 13, 1943, the 200th anniversary of Jefferson's birthday, the Jefferson Memorial was officially dedicated and opened by Roosevelt. At the time, Evans' statue had not yet been finished due to material shortages that emerged during World War II . Instead, the memorial opened with a temporary plaster cast statue similar to the bronze statue that Evans ultimately completed four years later, in 1947. The statue's cast

1083-415: The Jefferson Memorial due to Thomas Jefferson 's ownership of slaves . The Jefferson Memorial is composed of circular marble steps, a portico , a circular colonnade of Ionic order columns, and a shallow dome . The building is open to the elements. It has a diameter of approximately 165 feet (50 m). The memorial is constructed with white Imperial Danby marble taken from Vermont , which rests on

1140-661: The Jefferson Memorial is geographically removed from other buildings and monuments in Washington, D.C., the National Mall , and Washington Metro , the memorial plays host to many events and ceremonies each year, including memorial exercises, the Easter Sunrise Service, and the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival , and ranks highly among destinations for visitors to the city each year. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from Thomas Jefferson Memorial Features . National Park Service . List of national memorials of

1197-585: The Jefferson Memorial's development emerged in 1934, when then President Franklin Roosevelt , who came to admire Jefferson after reading a book on Jefferson by his friend Claude G. Bowers , inquired with the Commission of Fine Arts about erecting a memorial to Jefferson. Roosevelt included plans for the Jefferson Memorial in the Federal Triangle project, which was then under construction. Later

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1254-722: The Jefferson Memorial. Pope had served previously as architect for the National Archives Building and the original West Building of the National Gallery of Art . He prepared four different plans for the project, each on a different site. One was on the Anacostia River at the end of East Capitol Street ; one at Lincoln Park ; one on the south side of the National Mall across from the National Archives administration building; and one

1311-580: The National Park Service. While some are maintained by other federal agencies, most of these were created by local governments or private organizations which sought federal designation for wider and official recognition; the naming typically does not come with federal funding, but Congress has provided funds or allowed private fundraising for certain memorial sites. The Department of the Interior has noted that Congressional designation of private or local government sites as "National" may mislead

1368-677: The Tidal Basin Inlet Bridge in 1908 helped facilitate and expand recreational usage of East and West Potomac Parks. In 1918, large liquid chlorine dispensers were installed under the bridge to treat the water, which made the Tidal Basin , also known as Twining Lake, suitable for swimming. The Tidal Basin Beach, on the site of the future Jefferson Memorial, opened in May 1918, operating as a "Whites Only" facility until 1925, when it

1425-629: The Tidal Basin originated in the 1870s to serve both as a visual centerpiece and as a means for flushing the Washington Channel, a harbor separated from the Potomac River by landfills where East Potomac Park is now situated. Colonel Peter Conover Hains of the United States Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the Basin's design and construction. The Basin was initially named the Tidal Reservoir . It later received

1482-475: The Tidal Basin, carrying eastbound Independence Avenue traffic in three lanes. The bridge's name commemorates Brigadier General Charles Willauer Kutz , a Commissioner of Engineering for the District of Columbia during the first half of the 20th century. Architect Paul Philippe Cret designed the multi-span plate girder bridge , which the engineering firm of Alexander and Repass constructed. Construction began in 1941 and reached completion in 1943. The bridge

1539-521: The U.S. Public Buildings Commission prepared shows the Basin with the name "Twining Lake". In August 1918, the Congressionally-funded Tidal Basin Bathing Beach opened in front of the site of the present-day Jefferson Memorial. Although the racially-segregated beach was "a place to see people and be seen", a strictly-enforced rule prohibited women's bathing suits that stopped more than six inches above

1596-822: The United States Download coordinates as: National memorial is a designation in the United States for an officially recognized area that memorializes a historic person or event. As of September 2020 the National Park Service (NPS), an agency of the Department of the Interior , owns and administers thirty-one memorials as official units and provides assistance for five more, known as affiliated areas, that are operated by other organizations. Congress has also designated twenty-two additional independently operated sites as national memorials. Another five memorials have been authorized and are in

1653-566: The constitutional refusal to recognize a state religion. On the panel of the southwest interior wall are excerpts from the United States Declaration of Independence : We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men. We...solemnly publish and declare, that these colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states...And for

1710-418: The knee. By one estimate, the beach attracted up to 20,000 people on a July day in 1920. The beach hosted beauty contests until 1922, when a beach official banned the pageants for being too risqué. Congress had planned to open a separate beach for African-Americans nearby, but southern senators blocked the plan. Rather than integrating the beach, Congress ordered its dismantling in 1925. The Tidal Basin

1767-479: The memorial proved dismaying to Roosevelt, but the opposition diminished notably once revised plans identified a means for maintaining the surrounding cherry trees amidst the memorial's construction. In 1939, the Memorial Commission hosted a competition to select a sculptor for the planned Jefferson statue to be placed in the center of the memorial. They received 101 entries and chose six finalists. Of

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1824-446: The memorial's dedication in 1943. In the 1970s, nearly three decades after the memorial's opening, additional changes to Olmsted's landscaping were implemented. But in 1993 and 2000, attempts to restore the integrity of Olmsted's initial design were made. Roosevelt ordered trees be cut so that the Jefferson Memorial was clearly visible from the White House ; additional tree pruning was also completed to create an unobstructed view between

1881-630: The most consequential intellectual forces behind both the American Revolution and the American Enlightenment . The Jefferson Memorial is built in neoclassical style and is situated in West Potomac Park on the shore of the Potomac River . It was designed by John Russell Pope , a New York City architect, and built by Philadelphia contractor John McShain . Construction on the memorial began in 1939 and

1938-441: The name "national memorial" (such as George Washington Masonic National Memorial and National Memorial for Peace and Justice ) but they are not officially designated by the federal government, and are not listed here, as they are not created pursuant to the statutory scheme. The National Park Service manages 31 national memorials as official units . It also oversees two more national memorials as part of other units, listed with

1995-579: The name of Twining Lake to honor Major William Johnson Twining of the Corps of Engineers, who served on the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia as its Engineer Commissioner during 1879. In the Commissioners' annual report to Congress for that year, Major Twining proposed to create the tidal reservoir and use its water to help "flush" the Washington Channel. A 1917 map of Washington that

2052-420: The nearby Tidal Basin and was rescued. Police stated that both Mills and Foxe were intoxicated and that Mills was bleeding from his nose and scratches on his face. The Tidal Basin covers an area of about 107 acres (43 ha) and is 10 feet (3.0 m) deep. The Army Corps of Engineers designed the Basin to enable it to release 250 million US gallons (950,000 m ) of water captured at high tide twice

2109-529: The outlet gates, which open into the channel. The force of the water running into the channel sweeps away the Basin's built-up silt The Corps, which maintains the Basin's gates, has restored their functioning. As part of the restoration and redesign of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool , completed in 2012, water is pumped from the Basin to fill the pool. From mid-March until October, paddle-boats are available for rent at

2166-506: The panel on the northeast interior wall come from multiple sources. The first, which begins "God who gave us life gave us liberty" is from A Summary View of the Rights of British America . The second, third, and fourth sentences are from Notes on the State of Virginia . The fifth quote, which begins "Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free"

2223-558: The planning stage. Memorials need not be located on a site directly related to the subject, and many, such as the Lincoln Memorial , do not have the word "national" in their titles. There is a degree of overlap in development of some areas designated as memorials, monuments , and historic sites , and their characterization is not always consistent with their names, such as whether the site is closely associated with whom it memorializes. The earliest and perhaps most recognizable

2280-443: The progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors. A lower level of

2337-404: The proposed location for it because it did not align with L'Enfant 's original plan for the city, and many established elm and cherry trees , including rare stock donated by Japan in 1912, would be removed under the memorial's original plan. Construction continued amid the opposition, which included women protestors chaining themselves to cherry trees around the construction site. Opposition to

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2394-3732: The public into believing they are affiliated with the federal government. Congress has also authorized the construction of many memorials or commemorative works on federal land under the Commemorative Works Act , usually in Washington, D.C., or nearby; these are not listed unless specifically called a national memorial. 37°46′N 122°28′W  /  37.77°N 122.46°W  / 37.77; -122.46  ( AIDS Memorial Grove ) 28°31′30″N 80°40′55″W  /  28.525°N 80.682°W  / 28.525; -80.682  ( Astronauts Memorial ) 28°12′N 177°21′W  /  28.20°N 177.35°W  / 28.20; -177.35  ( Battle of Midway ) 41°28′26″N 81°29′31″W  /  41.474°N 81.492°W  / 41.474; -81.492  ( David Berger Memorial ) 31°45′25″N 106°24′04″W  /  31.757°N 106.401°W  / 31.757; -106.401  ( El Paso Community Healing Garden ) 37°20′N 79°32′W  /  37.33°N 79.53°W  / 37.33; -79.53  ( D-Day ) 36°26′28″N 105°17′42″W  /  36.441°N 105.295°W  / 36.441; -105.295  ( Disabled American Veterans Vietnam Veterans ) 33°52′59″N 117°16′01″W  /  33.883°N 117.267°W  / 33.883; -117.267  ( Distinguished Flying Cross ) 38°25′12″N 96°10′52″W  /  38.420°N 96.181°W  / 38.420; -96.181  ( National Memorial to Fallen Educators ) 39°23′42″N 77°19′34″W  /  39.395°N 77.326°W  / 39.395; -77.326  ( National Fallen Firefighters Memorial ) 38°53′42″N 77°00′36″W  /  38.895°N 77.010°W  / 38.895; -77.010  ( Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II ) 41°24′40″N 81°31′34″W  /  41.411°N 81.526°W  / 41.411; -81.526  ( Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust Memorial ) 38°54′N 77°01′W  /  38.90°N 77.02°W  / 38.90; -77.02  ( National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial ) 47°04′N 122°43′W  /  47.07°N 122.71°W  / 47.07; -122.71  ( Medicine Creek Treaty ) 32°50′24″N 117°14′42″W  /  32.840°N 117.245°W  / 32.840; -117.245  ( Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial ) 39°58′N 83°01′W  /  39.96°N 83.01°W  / 39.96; -83.01  ( National Veterans Memorial and Museum ) 33°53′13″N 117°16′41″W  /  33.887°N 117.278°W  / 33.887; -117.278  ( Prisoner of War/Missing in Action ) 38°53′N 77°04′W  /  38.89°N 77.07°W  / 38.89; -77.07  ( United States Marine Corps War Memorial ) 39°46′37″N 86°09′54″W  /  39.777°N 86.165°W  / 39.777; -86.165  ( USS Indianapolis Memorial ) 35°18′54″N 115°33′00″W  /  35.315°N 115.550°W  / 35.315; -115.550  ( White Cross World War I Memorial ) These memorials have been authorized by Congress but have not yet been constructed and established. Three would become NPS units if completed. Tidal Basin The concept of

2451-713: The quote's final sentence and is taken from an August 28, 1789, letter Jefferson wrote to James Madison : Almighty God hath created the mind free...All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens...are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion...No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively. The Jefferson quotes from

2508-489: The request of the Commission of Fine Arts, a slightly more conservative design for the memorial was agreed upon. The memorial's cost was approximately $ 3 million. Construction commenced amid some opposition. The Commission of Fine Arts never actually approved any design for the memorial and even published a pamphlet in 1939 opposing both the proposed design and site for the memorial. Additionally, some Washingtonians opposed

2565-494: The same year, Congressman John J. Boyland followed Roosevelt's lead, urging Congress to create the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission to explore the memorial's development. Boylan was appointed the Commission's first chairman, and Congress eventually appropriated $ 3 million for the Jefferson Memorial. The following year, in 1935, the Commission chose John Russell Pope as architect for

2622-485: The six, Rudulph Evans was chosen as the main sculptor, and Adolph A. Weinman was chosen to sculpt the pediment relief situated above the memorial's entrance. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. designed the memorial landscape, which featured a simple design within a circular driveway including primarily Evergreen trees with limited flowering trees or shrubs. The design was perceived as too thin, so white pines and some other plantings were later added before

2679-409: The structure contains a gift shop and a museum focusing on Jefferson's life and political career. The monument is located in West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. , on the shore of the Potomac River 's Tidal Basin . The park is enhanced with the massed planting of Japanese cherry blossom trees , which pre-dated the memorial's construction and were a 1912 gift from the people of Japan . Although

2736-505: The support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. The inscription uses the word " in alienable ", as appears in Jefferson's draft rather than " un alienable " as ultimately appeared in the final Declaration. On the panel of the northwest interior wall is a quote from the 1777 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom , which excludes

2793-409: The widths of the walkways around the Basin from the existing 8 feet (2.44 m) to a planned 12 feet (3.7 m) by enlarging the area's paved surface and reducing its green space . In August 2023, the NPS awarded a $ 113 million contract to construct the project, which it expected to start in mid-2024 and take three years to reach completion. The Kutz Memorial Bridge crosses the northern lobe of

2850-463: Was added four years after the dedication. Among many Jefferson quotes inside the memorial, one of the most prominently situated are those inscribed in the frieze below the dome: "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." This sentence is taken from a letter written by Jefferson on September 23, 1800, to Benjamin Rush in which Jefferson defends

2907-558: Was completed in 1943, though the bronze statue of Jefferson was not completed and added until four years after its dedication and opening, in 1947. Pope made references to the Roman Pantheon , whose designer was Apollodorus of Damascus , and to Jefferson's own design for the rotunda at the University of Virginia as inspirations for the memorial's aesthetics. The Jefferson Memorial and the White House form anchor points to

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2964-461: Was developed by Roman Bronze Works in New York City . On October 15, 1966, in recognition of the Jefferson Memorial's historical and artistic significance, the Jefferson Memorial was named to the National Register of Historic Places . On September 2, 2020, there was a task force known as the District of Columbia Facilities and Commemorative Expressions (DCFACES), created in a response to

3021-484: Was permanently closed to avoid addressing the question of whether it should be racially integrated. The same year, a design competition was held for a memorial to Theodore Roosevelt . The winning design, submitted by John Russell Pope , consisted of a half-circle memorial situated next to a circular basin. Like the McMillan Plan in 1901, the plan was never funded by Congress or acted upon. Another opportunity for

3078-583: Was situated on the Tidal Basin, directly south of the White House. The Commission preferred the site on the Tidal Basin mainly because it was the most prominent site of those proposed and completed the four-point plan called for by the McMillan Commission, which encompassed the region including the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol and from the White House to the Tidal Basin site. Pope designed a large pantheon-like structure designed to be situated on

3135-416: Was staunchly supportive of American republicanism , individual rights, religious freedom, states' rights, virtue , and prioritized and valued what he saw as the undervalued independent yeoman . Jefferson was simultaneously deeply skeptical of cities and financiers and hostile to aristocracy , elitism , and corruption . He is widely considered among the most influential political minds of his era and one of

3192-457: Was the primary author, committee members included John Adams , Benjamin Franklin , Robert R. Livingston , and Roger Sherman . A cornice with an egg and dart molding surrounds this pediment, and below that is a plain frieze . The memorial's interior has a 19 feet (5.8 m) tall, 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) bronze statue of Jefferson developed by sculptor Rudulph Evans . The statue

3249-551: Was the scene of an incident involving the Chairman of the United States House Committee on Ways and Means , Democratic Congressman Wilbur Mills . At 2:00 a.m. on October 7, 1974, Park police stopped Mills' speeding car, whose driver, Albert G. Gapacini, had not turned on its headlights. Also in the car was an Argentine stripper known as Fanne Foxe . After the police stopped the car, Foxe jumped into

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