Columbus Plaza: Cultural Landscape Inventory, National Mall & Memorial Parks - L'Enfant Plan Reservations, National Park Service

Fanning, Kay; McMillen, Frances

Columbus Plaza, U.S. Reservation 334, is a semi-circular two level plaza located at the intersection of Massachusetts, Delaware, and Louisiana Avenues, and E and 1st Streets NE. The 940’ long by 540’ wide brick plaza is the forecourt of Union Station, the Washington, DC train station that includes two granite bowl fountains, three highly elaborate 112-foot flagpoles, and the Christopher Columbus memorial fountain located in the center of the plaza. Designed by Union Station architect Daniel H. Burnham, Columbus Plaza was constructed following the opening of the station in 1907. Burnham was a member of the McMillan Commission; organized in 1901 under the leadership of Senator James McMillan, the Commission set out to improve the public spaces in Washington, DC. The Commission believed the city needed a train station fitting for the nation’s capital—one that served as a grand entranceway to Washington and the nearby Capitol building. Burnham and Pierce Anderson designed the station. As the forecourt of Union Station, Columbus Plaza was considered part of the station’s purpose as a grand entranceway to the city. It was also designed to provide a space where large crowds could gather to welcome visiting dignitaries, or to hold public events. For many, the station and the plaza provided visitors with their first view of the Capitol and Burnham designed a space that was fitting for this purpose. Burnham’s design consisted of a two level plaza with three fountains—two granite bowl shaped fountains at opposite ends of the plaza surrounded by stone balustrades, and one large fountain at the center to serve as the focal point. Three flagpoles inspired by those at the Piazza di San Marco in Venice flank the northern end of the plaza. Rostral columns and lightposts separate traffic traveling between the plaza and the station. Originally, eight circular and elliptical traffic islands separated the roads on the outside of the plaza. By about 1910, all of Burnham’s features, except for the central fountain, were in place on the plaza. In 1907 an Act of Congress authorized the erection of a memorial to Christopher Columbus in Washington. In 1908 the plaza was selected as the location for the memorial and sculptor Lorado Taft’s design was chosen. Columbus Plaza was listed on the National Register in 1980 with a 2007 revision. Columbus Plaza is also included in the 1997 National Register listings for the L’Enfant Plan of Washington, DC and the 2007 Memorials in Washington, DC. The National Register lists the period of significance for Columbus Plaza as 1903 to 1912. This CLI recommends expanding the listing to 1914 to include the addition of the lawn panels and brick paving. These features defined the spatial organization and circulation patterns of the plaza. Though plants were introduced to the lawn panels over the years, the shape of the panels has not been altered. The only exception to this is on the upper plaza where the Freedom Bell was installed in 1981. There, a lawn panel was divided in two to create a space for the bell. The panels, and the brick paving, have remained largely unchanged since the period of significance. The traffic islands included in Burnham’s design have been altered dramatically since the historic period. The original 8 elliptical and circular islands were reconfigured or removed beginning in the mid-1920s. These features, along with the rostral columns and stone balustrades at the north of the plaza, are maintained by other agencies. Columbus Plaza is in fair condition though there are some areas in need of repair that the NPS is addressing. In 2007 the water to the three fountains was turned off following the discovery of deteriorating pipes and a broken water main. The plaza is subject to heavy pedestrian traffic and this has created extensive social trails at the western edge of the plaza. In several areas the brick needs to be replaced.

Columbus Plaza: Cultural Landscape Inventory, National Mall & Memorial Parks - L'Enfant Plan Reservations, National Park Service

Series

Collections