McPherson Square: Cultural Landscape Inventory, National Mall & Memorial Parks - L'Enfant Plan Reservations

Fanning, Kay; Ryberg, Stephanie

McPherson Square is a 1.66-acre park lying in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s central business district. It occupies a city square surrounded by K St. to the north, I St. to the south, and 15th St. to the east and west. The park is located within the corridor of Vermont Ave. In plan, McPherson Square is a mirror image of Farragut Square, one block to the west. The buildings surrounding the park are, for the most part, commercial and institutional buildings dating from the mid-twentieth century. The circulation system, built in 1930-31, determines the way space is organized within the park, and comprises a pair of parallel walks along the Vermont Avenue axis, a single walk on the opposite axis, and two narrow curving walks on the east and west sides. All walks lead to the center, where a circular area surrounds the statue of the Civil War hero, Union Brigadier General James B. McPherson. The sculpture depicts Gen. McPherson mounted on a horse and turning in the saddle to face west, surveying a field of battle. The 12 ft. bronze statue stands on a 15 ft. granite pedestal. Large deciduous trees line the boundaries of the park and are placed randomly along the major walks, emphasizing the spatial pattern. McPherson Square is heavily used by local residents, office workers, and tourists. Thousands of commuters pass through daily, many heading to and from the McPherson Square Metro stop south of the square. Others gather in the park for lunch. Planting in McPherson Square consists primarily of large deciduous trees placed on 6 grass panels, whose shape is determined by the walk system. The park is symmetrical along the diagonal, NE-SW axis of the former Vermont Avenue corridor (removed in 1876). Trees are placed along the boundaries and most trees are native deciduous species; a few are exotics, such as the large Chinese elm and three Japanese sophoras. The only tree that actually stands in the center of a panel rather than near an edge is the huge red oak in the southern triangular panel; this tree probably dates from the late nineteenth century and was likely one of the first trees planted. A large gingko near the sidewalk in this triangle may also date from before 1920. In 1981, magnolias and crabapples were planted around the statue plaza. The primary vistas from McPherson Square are along the parallel walks that follow the line of Vermont Ave. through the park. Looking southwest along this axis provides a vista of the northeast corner of Lafayette Park, one block away. The bus shelter obstructs this vista. Looking northeast affords a vista of Thomas Circle, at the intersection of Vermont Ave. with 15th St. and Massachusetts Ave. Also significant are the reciprocal views between McPherson Square and the surrounding mid-twentieth-century buildings. Overall, McPherson Square maintains a medium level of integrity. The statue remains in its original location. The circulation system dating to 1930-31 is intact, though the paving – which may be more recent – is deteriorating. Spatial organization and land use have not changed greatly, except for increasing numbers of pedestrians. Vegetation retains medium integrity to the 1930-31 planting plan; though there have been removals and replacements of trees, both trees and lawns have kept essentially the same layout. The hedges that formerly surrounded the major grass panels have been removed, as have several trees added in the 1980s that partly blocked the vistas along the Vermont Ave. corridor. Most small-scale features date from the 1960s or later, with the exception of the concrete drinking fountain, which does not function.

McPherson Square: Cultural Landscape Inventory, National Mall & Memorial Parks - L'Enfant Plan Reservations

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