The National Mall & Memorial Parks, Part 2

Back in July, I visited the National Mall & Memorial Parks in Washington, DC. During the first part of my hike around the Mall, I visited many memorials dedicated to political leaders and veterans. During the second part, I visited even more memorials along with passing Smithsonian museums with distinct architecture.

A stone pillar made of nine sections standing in front of a manmade body of water with a neoclassical building in the background A man-made body of water with a white stone obelisk on the other side. Nearby is a black metal bench. A man-made pond with concrete on the shore and a tall obelisk across the water

While walking around the Tidal Basin, I found a 17th century Japanese stone pagoda. This gift from Japan arrived in the United States in 1958 but had been shipped in pieces across five crates with no instructions, making reassembly somewhat difficult. The pagoda is across the Basin from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and the two architectural designs make a pleasing visual contrast. The pagoda is more similar in form to the Washington Monument, which can be seen throughout the walk.

A fountain with three tiers. A low pavilion behind a lush green lawn and small flower garden Bronze statue of a man wearing late 18th century clothing and lounging comfortably on a stone bench.

Before I reached the Jefferson Memorial, I found another memorial to a nearly forgotten Founding Father. George Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the model for the Declaration of Independence, and was later a delegate at the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention in 1787. He ultimately refused to sign the United State Constitution in part because it allowed slavery. George Mason Memorial is a quiet garden including a bronze statue of the man gently seated on a bench where visitors can also sit to have their picture taken.

A neoclassical style, temple-like building at the top of many steps A twenty foot tall metal statue on a pedestal depicting a man wearing late 18th century clothing A round, high ceiling with geometric shapes.

While I found no one else at the George Mason Memorial, plenty of visitors walked up the many steps to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Resembling a Greek temple, this shrine to a Founding Father includes a massive statue of the third President of the United States and a selection of his writings carved into the curving stone wall. My favorite architectural feature of the the building was the ceiling of the rotunda with its repetitive geometric design. Remember how this design looks, as it will reappear at the end of this post.

A large Romanesque style building made of red brick with many turrets A large Romanesque style building viewed across a lush green lawn A round cement building. Gross.

While the Tidal Basin was located on the west end of the Mall, I also visited the east end of the Mall, which includes the Capitol. The Smithsonian Institution Building, usually called the Castle, is among the most recognizable buildings. This was the first building of the Smithsonian, opening in 1855; accordingly, it has been undergoing renovations to prepare for America250. The building was designed by James Renwick, Jr., who also designed Ascension Memorial Episcopal Church in Ipswich, MA and the Seven Oaks mansion in Bristol, RI, among many others. Abutting the Castle is the Arts and Industries Building (AIB), which opened in 1881 and is also getting a makeover. Starkly contrasting the Romanesque Revival style of the Castle and AIB was the cylindrical concrete Hirshhorn Museum, which is not a design I would have chosen.

A blonde brick wall with a curvilinear design A blonde brick wall with colorful banners protruding from the side A white pillar in an urban park across a busy intersection

I also walked past the National Museum of the American Indian, DC, a beautiful beige building with a shape described as “sweeping curvilinear architecture”. The landscape-like pattern continues down the wavy side of the building, which is constructed of rough blonde brick. The area surrounding this building is landscaped with native plants. I had visited this museum soon after it first opened in 2004 and would like to revisit during my next excursion to the capital. Across the street from the museum was Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, dedicated to the General of the Armies for the United States during World War II who later became the 34th U.S. President. The crosswalk situation made reaching this memorial somewhat difficult, so I opted for a picture from afar.

A neoclassical style building like a temple with a golden roof on the rotunda. A neoclassical style stone building with many steps leading to the grand entrance In an underground metro station, the ceiling has a unique linear design. A train has just stopped.

Two other buildings on the Mall that caught my attention were the National Museum of Natural History and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art. Both buildings lean heavily into the neoclassical style, treating the museum as temples of knowledge. While I am a fan of this type of architecture, it may feel intimidating for those who do not visit dozens of museums and historic sites every year. I can understand why newer Smithsonian museums opt for styles that better reflect the contents and culture of the collection. Finally, this area of the Mall has its own Metro stop appropriately named Smithsonian. Besides the opportunity to ride on an underground train, which may not be as much of a novelty for those who live an area with a subway system, the stations have distinct architecture created by Harry Weese of Chicago. Weese combined neoclassical elements as found on the museums and monuments with the brutalist concrete designs found in most other subway systems in the United States. I think this combination works really well, and so does the American public! Back in 2007, the American Institute of Architects held a poll to determine the top 150 favorite architectural designs, and the Metro came in 106.

Location: National Mall, Washington, DC, USA