Washington Monument Grounds: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Washington Monument, National Park Service
NPS National Capital Regional Office, Temkin M, Groesbeck S. 2009. Washington Monument Grounds: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Washington Monument, National Park Service. Cultural Landscapes Inventory Report. 600016. National Capital Regional Office/CLI Database
The Washington Monument Grounds is a cultural landscape within National Mall and Memorial Parks. It is located in Washington D.C. and comprises U.S. Reservation 2. Containing approximately 106 acres, the landscape is bounded by 14th Street to the east, Constitution Avenue to the north, 17th Street to the west, and the Tidal Basin to the south. The Washington Monument Grounds was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places automatically in 1966 under the National Historic Preservation Act. An updated 1980 nomination concluded that the site possesses national significance, and is listed under Criterion C for its architecture, engineering and landscape architecture, with a period of significance lasting from 1848-1849. In 1997, a National Register nomination for the L’Enfant Plan for the City of Washington, D.C. was accepted by the Keeper and found Washington D.C.’s Monumental Core, within which the monument grounds are located, to be nationally significant under Criterion A in the areas of politics/government, social history, and commemoration. The period of significance listed by this nomination is 1791-1943. The most significant structure of the Washington Monument Grounds is the Washington Monument. This structure was listed as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1981 and is also listed in the National Register. Other structures located on the monument grounds that are also listed in the register are the Monument Lodge, the Survey Lodge, the Jefferson Pier and two U.S. Capitol Gateposts (designed by Charles Bulfinch). The Washington Monument Grounds retains integrity for its period of significance, 1791-1943. While there have been some changes to the landscape, especially in circulation, and the loss of some features, the overall integrity of the Washington Monument Grounds is high. The period of significance for the Washington Monument Grounds cultural landscape is 1791 to 1943. This period begins with the initial conception of the National Mall design by Pierre Charles L’Enfant, and continues through the completion of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in 1943. The Washington Monument Grounds cultural landscape retains integrity to its period of significance, 1791-1943, with all seven aspects of integrity represented. While there have been some changes to the landscape and the loss of some features, the overall integrity of the Washington Monument Grounds is high, and the existing landscape characteristics successfully invoke the historic significance of the property. The Washington Monument Grounds cultural landscape is in good condition. This is largely due to the integrity and condition of its structures, circulation, vegetation and views.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- NPS National Capital Regional Office; Temkin, Martha; Groesbeck, Sarah
- Date of Issue
- 2009-08-12
- Units
- NAMA , NCR , WAMO
- Keywords
- Andrew Jackson Downing, Architecture, Charles Bulfinch, Community Planning and Development, Engineering, Exotic Revivals, George Washington, Historic Designed Landscape, Landscape architecture, L'Enfant Plan, marble, McMillan Plan, Obelisk, Public Space, Robert Mills, The City Beautiful Movement, The Early National Period, The Late Victorian Eclectic Landscape, The National Mall, U.S. Capitol Gateposts, Urban Planning in the Twentieth Century, US Reservation 2, Washington National Monument Society