I mean, it’s the White House – President’s Park

Posted on May 29, 2020 by dccajunontheroad

It’s hard to know what to write about the White House.

It’s the White House.

It’s one of the most significant sites in the world. It’s one of the most recognizable buildings on the planet. It’s been the home of nearly every American President; only George Washington, who selected the site and laid the cornerstone, did not live there. Every president since John Adams has walked its halls, deliberated monumental decisions and steered the nation, shaping entire eras of American history and foreign policy. In so many ways, it is an encapsulation of the entire history of the United States, witnessing the bad and the good, from the fact that it was constructed with slave labor, to the drafting of the Emancipation Proclamation within those same walls. All types of men have held the office of the President and have lived under its roof, at times transforming, restoring and renovating the building to meet their tastes and their needs as President. Still, the north and south facades have remained nearly the same, and the location on Pennsylvania Avenue has never changed.

For a building of such importance, the White House isn’t much larger than a spacious mansion. A few years ago, a friend came to visit me in Washington, and I took her around to see all the major sites, including the White House. Upon finally laying her eyes on one of the most historically significant buildings in the world she remarked how small it was.

It may not be as large in stature as the Lincoln Memorial or the Capitol at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, but it has witnessed more history, more significant decisions that shaped our nation and the world, than nearly any other place on the planet.

*On a recent visit to the White House, I saw some of the burn marks left when the British set the building ablaze during the War of 1812*

The White House, its grounds, and its surrounding parks make up President’s Park, administered by the National Park Service. The building itself is accessible and open to the public, though not nearly much as in the early days of the republic. Tours can be arranged through a Congressional office.

I’ve been through the mansion several times, and it’s one of those places that never gets old or repetitive to visit. The tour of the mansion moves quickly, and highlights the main reception rooms. Entering through the East Wing, visitors get a glimpse of the China Room and Map Room on the lower floor, followed by the State Dining Room, East Room, Red Room, Green Room, Blue Room and Cross Hall, all of which have been the scene of so much Presidential History, from Presidential news conferences, to state dinners, to meetings with foreign dignitaries.

Some of most famous parts of the White House complex, though they are not part of the original mansion, are also possible to tour. The West Wing is generally limited to official business, or limited tours led by White House or Executive Office staff members. I’ve managed to get on three tours of the West Wing, which took me through the Roosevelt Room, the Cabinet Room and the Oval Office, which is smaller than it appears on TV, but still an incredible place, considering the significance of the space. Pictures are allowed in only one part of the West Wing – the Brady Briefing Room.

*Kara and I in the James Brady Briefing Room*

Lafayette Park, not far from where my office, features the famous statue of Andrew Jackson on horseback, identical to the statue in New Orleans’ French Quarter, as well as statues of Revolutionary War heroes Lafayette, Rochambeau, von Stueben and Koziusko. The small park, frequented daily by protestors and tourists taking selfies with the White House alike is arguably as historic a space as the White House itself. Dignitaries, Vice Presidents, cabinet members, Congressmen and Senators and other notable officials lived in the rowhouses in such close proximity to the Executive Mansion, and Presidents of years past were known to take walks through the square.

The south side of the White House, with the famed Truman Balcony, overlooks the Ellipse, the site of the National Christmas Tree. Kara and I attended the tree lighting in 2013 and make an annual pilgrimage to visit the tree and view that year’s decorations. The South Lawn of the White House also welcomes visitors twice a year for the Spring and Fall Garden Tours, allowing visitors to come right up to the front of the White House without entering to see the semiannual flora in bloom. If you can’t get into the White House for a tour, try to get tickets to the Garden Tours, or at the very least, visit the White House Visitor Center, which has great exhibits about the forty-four men who have occupied the nation’s most historic address.

*National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse*

“Now He Belongs to the Ages…” – Ford’s Theater NHS

Posted on May 24, 2020 by dccajunontheroad

On April 14, 2015, Kara and I snagged a pair of tickets to the commemorative ceremonies marking the 150^thanniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater. As history buffs and having just completed a years’ long tour of other sesquicentennial commemorations of various Civil War battles – Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Appomattox Courthouse – we felt this was the best way to cap off the journey. Although our seats were in the back of the upper balcony of the packed house, the ceremony was incredibly well done and very moving. Several of the regular performers (Ford’s Theater is still an active theater) gave interpretations of several of Lincoln’s speeches, reflected on his monumental years as president, and performed songs from the Civil War. The final performance of the evening was the singing of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” the Union march that echoed across the nation during and after the war. The singers poured their hearts and souls into the beautiful rendition, and then, mid song, at exactly 10:15 PM, they abruptly halted, the lights dimmed, and a single spotlight shone on the balcony at stage right. There, 150 years before, at that very moment, John Wilkes Booth, one of the most famous actors of his day, shot Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, in the back of the head. A single bullet, a single moment in time, and the nation, reeling from the Civil War, would be changed forever.

The crowd, ourselves included, sat in silence for a moment, all eyes transfixed on the balcony, before the emcee quietly invited everyone to exit the building onto 10th Street. Kara and I solemnly descended the stairs, as did everyone else in the theater, and when we exited the historic façade, we were surprised to find hundreds of people crowded outside the theater, lining the path where Lincoln was carried from Ford’s Theater to the Peterson House directly across the street. Lincoln would die there, stretched horizontally across a bed that was too small for him, the following morning, April 15, 1865 at 7:22 AM.

Ford’s Theater National Historic Site preserves the two structures associated with the assassination – the theater itself and the rowhouse where Lincoln died. Like all the other national parks in Washington, DC, I first visited when we came to the capital as a family in 2000. I’ve been many times since, and it doesn’t get old. Few sites capture such an important moment in time than this relic of the growing city of Washington at the end of the Civil War. Despite its significance, the theater itself suffered years of neglect before it was fully restored. The rest of the city has transformed around Ford’s Theater – the FBI headquarters stand only a block away, and the Hard Rock Café is adjacent to the theater – but the site preserves one of the most transformative places in American history. It’s somewhat funny to think that had Lincoln not been assassinated there, the theater would have been lost to time long ago, as would the house where he died.

Visitors to the historic site can tour a very well-presented museum in the theater’s basement, detailing Lincoln’s presidency and the minutes leading up to his assassination. Exhibits include the coat he was wearing that night at the theater, the bloodstained pillows on which he laid his head, and the very gun used by John Wilkes Booth. Visitors can next tour the theater itself and listen to one of the talented rangers or volunteers give a detailed, lively recounting of the assassination itself, from the time Lincoln arrived for a quiet, relaxing evening after years of bloodshed and war, to Booth’s hiding in wait, to his leap from the balcony in front of a startled, confused audience. When the theater isn’t packed during the height of tourist season, you can even walk up to and inside the balcony, standing right behind the chairs where the Lincolns sat on that fateful evening. From there, visitors cross 10th Street and into the small Peterson House; in the back of the building, through the parlor where Lincoln’s cabinet met and where Mary Todd wept, one can stand in the small room where the sixteenth president breathed his last. A museum detailing Lincoln’s funeral, the hunt for the assassins, and the late president’s legacy occupy the building adjoining the House Where Lincoln died. I’m biased, but I think the free museums at Ford’s Theater are among the best in the city.

Although it’s not part of the park, if you have the time and a vehicle handy, I highly recommend following the Civil War Trails’ John Wilkes Booth escape trail. Following the shooting, Booth fled the city, escaping before the bridges and roads out of Washington were closed, and fled south through Maryland. He stopped at the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd where his leg, broken from his leap from the balcony, was treated and set, before continuing south. He and his accomplice, David Herold, hid in the woodlands along the Potomac River for days before they were cornered in Virginia; Booth was shot and killed on April 26, 11 days after Lincoln. Several of the sites, including Mudd’s home, are preserved and open for tours; the site of Booth’s death, paved over by a four lane highway, is commemorated by a simple Virginia state marker, and completes the story of the moment that altered the course of the stunned nation more than a century and a half ago.

Panorama of History – Arlington House

Posted on May 1, 2020 by dccajunontheroad

One of my favorite views in Washington is of Virginia from the back of the Lincoln Memorial. The Memorial Bridge spans the Potomac River, flanked by two massive gold statues, leading into the hills of Arlington National Cemetery. Perched on a hilltop directly above the bridge is a sight that has peered over the city of Washington for more than 200 years – Arlington House. The view from the house is iconic as well; standing on the bluff with the mansion directly behind you, visitors can behold a panoramic of the capital, with vistas of all key landmarks, from the Pentagon on the right to the National Cathedral far to the left.

Arlington House overlooking John F. Kennedy’s grave

The house itself has witnessed an incredible amount of history, both good and bad, encapsulating a wide swath of the American experience. Constructed in the early 1800s by enslaved African Americans, the home originally belonged to George Washington Parke Custis, the step grandson of George Washington and the grandson of Martha Washington. After Martha’s death in 1802, Custis inherited the property and began construction on the mansion on its prominent hillside, as the city across the river grew, including the White House and the Capitol building. The opulent structure with its massive columns was one of the first major Greek Revival buildings constructed in the country.

On June 30, 1831, George Custis’ daughter, Mary Custis, married Robert Edward Lee, a member of the prominent family of Virginia Lees and a rising star in the U.S. Army, in the front parlor of the house. The Lees inherited the mansion and the thousands of acres of surrounding farmland, and resided at the house for the next thirty years, when they were not travelling to different military outposts.

Arlington House parlor

By 1861, Robert E. Lee was among the most prominent military figures in America, but with the succession of Virginia from the Union, he opted to resign his post and join his state’s militia, penning a letter of resignation in an upstairs bedroom of the mansion. Only weeks after Virginia seceded, Union soldiers from across the river in Washington occupied the Arlington House; it would remain in Union control for the remainder of the war. In 1864, as the brutal conflict dragged on, US Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs confiscated the house and grounds to use as a cemetery for the war dead, essentially as a punishment to Lee, who was now in command of the Confederate Army. Meigs’ sought to make the Arlington Mansion uninhabitable; the cemetery that now surrounds the house, filled first with Union dead from nearby battlefields, is Arlington National Cemetery.

1024px-East_front_of_Arlington_Mansion_(General_Lee's_home),_with_Union_soldiers_on_the_lawn,_06-28-1864_-_NARA_-_533118

Arlington House with Union soldiers, 1864

While the Army maintains Arlington National Cemetery, the National Park Service owns and operates the Arlington House as a museum and in many ways a memorial to Robert E. Lee. Adorned with period furnishings from the time the Lees left the house in 1861, the home appears much as the Union army found it when it began its occupation.
Despite its prominent location, this home remains somewhat challenging to access. Arlington Cemetery has increased security over the years, and the only way to access the house is through the cemetery. Unfortunately for my brother Joe, aside from our family trip to Washington in 2000, he has not been able to visit the house on his recent trips to Washington. On the many occasions I have visited the cemetery, whether with friends, family or a quiet afternoon visit, the house is only intermittently open. Prior to the infamous 2011 earthquake, the house was rarely closed, having just undergone extensive renovations and modernizations. Unfortunately, the earthquake inflicted major damage on the nearly two century old structure, resulting in years of closings and scaffoldings scaling the famous façade of the building. Even after most of the restoration was complete, access is still fairly intermittent, so try to plan ahead before you make your own visit.

View from Arlington House

The complex history of the site – built by the slaves for the descendants of our nation’s first president, inherited by the commander of Confederate forces, and finally the setting for the nation’s most hallowed cemetery – adds to the lore of Arlington House. In a way, it encapsulates much of the challenges of the first century of our nation. When you visit Arlington National Cemetery, as everyone should do, and see the graves of the Kennedys, witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and explore the gravesites of America’s heroes, make time to visit the Arlington House. Whether or not you are able to tour the interior of the building, with its impressive collection of memorabilia and 19^th century furnishings, the exterior of the building remains one of the most stunning sites in the Capital region. The prominent façade peers over the graves of John and Jacqueline Kennedy, immediately downhill from the house, and guards the cemetery like a silent sentinel. The incredible views of the city from its lofty perch make clear why it was of such strategic importance at the start of the Civil War. Its rich and controversial history only enhances its standing as one of the key features of the Washington landscape.

So a Massive Government Complex Used to Sit on the National Mall – Constitution Gardens

Posted on April 30, 2020 by dccajunontheroad

Constitution Gardens, Washington, DC

Nestled peacefully between Constitution Avenue and the Reflecting Pool, and between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, stands a wide expanse of rolling grounds, a tranquil lake, miles of curving sidewalks and trails, and a small, little-known monument to some of our most significant founding fathers. Surrounded by some of the busiest spots on the National Mall, this park, Constitution Gardens, is rarely full, and serves to buffer the bustle of the city north of Constitution Avenue and the serenity of the monuments and memorials.

Considering how peaceful this scene is, it’s hard to believe that less than half a century ago, it was covered in cheaply constructed yet surprisingly resilient government buildings. Built at the height of the First World War, much of what we now know as the National Mall, on either side of the reflecting pool and in the large grassy area below the Washington Monument, was covered with millions of square feet of office space, hastily erected to support the war effort abroad. These blocks of long, narrow buildings lingered in the heart of the city for decades and even expanded their footprint over the years; at one point, a pedestrian bridge over the Reflecting Pool connected these massive complexes.

Temporary War Department Buildings. Constitution Gardens replaced the buildings to the right of the Reflecting Pool. Notice the pedestrian bridge across the now iconic landmark! (National Park Service)

After filling the same purpose during the Second World War, the buildings began to deteriorate as personnel moved across the Potomac to the Pentagon and surrounding neighborhoods. Finally, in the early 1970s, President Nixon ordered their demolition, returning this part of the National Mall to the scenic open spaces we know today. Coinciding with the nation’s bicentennial celebration in 1976, the refurbished greenspace north of the Reflecting Pool was named Constitution Gardens.

The Washington Monument dominates all vantage points of Constitution Gardens

While infinitely better as a parkland between key features of the Mall, and providing incredibly views of the Washington Monument, Constitution Gardens feels like something of an afterthought on the Mall. The sidewalks could use some work, the man-made lake is always in need of cleaning, and the small snack stand on the edge of the tree line is never open and seems out of place. There are plans to reconfigure and improve the park, but work has not begun as of this writing.

The best feature of the park in my opinion is the Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Constructed on a small island in the middle of the lake and accessible by footbridge, this tucked away monument is something of a hidden gem in the city. 56 square stones, arranged by state, honor the men who risked their lives in 1776 to sign the Declaration of Independence. The signatures they affixed to the parchment are etched in gold on each stone as a lasting tribute to their courage. With an impressive view of the Washington Monument reflecting in the lake, this small island is a nice hideaway in the middle of the city and monuments.

Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution Gardens

A few of the gold leaf signatures from the Declaration of Independence. Also pictured: Kara.

Considering it lacks the grandeur of the other elements of the National Mall, it’s somewhat curious as to why Constitution Gardens is its own unit of the National Park Service. This is likely due to the fact that it was created separately from the other portions of open space on the National Mall, and its clearing coincided with a celebration of the nation’s founding. With the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the far western end of the park, and the small recently restored Lockkeeper’s House – a remnant of the canals that once ran where Constitution Avenue now passes – the park fits neatly into the configuration of the monumental corridor of Washington and protects essential open space. And, it’s a hell of a lot better than a massive government office complex hugging the Reflecting Pool and dwarfing the Lincoln Memorial.

Lockkeeper’s House, Constitution Gardens

A Fitting Tribute, but Not My Favorite – Korean War Veterans Memorial

Posted on April 29, 2020 by dccajunontheroad

I hate to say it, but I do have a least favorite major memorial on the National Mall.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial is an incredibly merited tribute to the men and women who fought the “Forgotten War” between World War II and Vietnam, an early and significant attempt to halt the spread of Communism around the globe. Even now, nearly 70 years after armistice was declared, we still feel ramifications from this brutal and deadly conflict.

But the monument just feels…odd. Don’t get me wrong, it is quite a beautiful site, and the veterans absolutely deserve a monument to their sacrifice. But this memorial attempts to do too much, and the message of sacrifice seems to get lost in the random pieces in the monument’s triangular plaza. It also moves very quickly from the point of entry to the exit – blink and you may miss any meaning at all.

The memorial was built in the mid 1990s, and was the second major war memorial completed on the National Mall, only a decade after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and a decade before the dedication of the World War II Memorial. So much of this memorial attempts to echo the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, including its location, southeast of the Lincoln Memorial and directly across the Reflecting Pool from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Like Vietnam, its design includes a smooth, polished granite wall, but instead features etchings of faces of Korean War veterans rather than the names of those killed. The centerpiece of the memorial is a collection of 19 larger than life statues of soldiers from all branches marching through the difficult terrain of Korea. The polished wall reflects the statues, creating the illusion of 38 service members instead of 19, echoing the 38^th parallel, the dividing line between the two Koreas. Visitors move through the monument quickly, entering a path between these statues and the Reflecting Pool in the distance; the path is lined with the totals of all killed, wounded and missing from the United States and all United Nations countries that participated. At the end of the sidewalk is a circular reflecting pool with the words “Freedom is not free” emblazoned on a black stone. Visitors then move back on a different sidewalk between the wall of pictures and the statues, and exit just as quickly as they arrived.

There’s a lot going on, and hardly an opportunity is provided to stop and reflect on the sacrifice made, or understand the history of the conflict. It is a beautiful space, and the faces of the statues evoke the horror and stress of war. As with all monuments, the changing colors of the seasons enhance different aspects of the memorial. The faces on the wall are etchings of actual images of people who served; when I volunteered, more than once I heard an older gentleman pointing to a face and saying that it was of someone he knew. But overall, and this is just my opinion, it’s the most forgettable memorial experience on the National Mall.

Wall of faces with statues reflected in the polished stone

I’ve been to the Korean War Veterans Memorial many times, but it is never my final destination. I don’t think I’ve ever said or thought, hey, let’s go visit the Korean War Memorial. We’ll swing through on the way home or in between Lincoln and Jefferson rather than begin there. I appreciate the symbolism it includes, especially as a volunteer guide, as it provided a lot of good information to share. But symbolism should enhance the visitor experience and the memorial, not simply exist. Regardless of the design, the memorial does more than adequately pay tribute to the soldiers who fought to keep our nation free and safe for democracy, and helps to remove the label of the Korean War as “the Forgotten War.”

More Than a Simple Gash in the Ground – Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Posted on April 28, 2020 by dccajunontheroad

Sometime in the mid-90’s, one of the traveling replicas of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial made its way to our hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana. My dad was retired from the Air Force by then, and had served during the Vietnam War, the wounds of that conflict still fresh for him. He knew a few of the names on the wall, soldiers killed in action during the devastating struggle half a world away, which divided the nation until its inglorious end in 1975. Seeing the replica was the closest that Pop or any of us had ever gotten to the monument until we visited the actual Vietnam Veterans Memorial on our family trip in 2000.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is truly one of the most moving spaces in Washington, evoking a conflict still fresh in the public’s consciousness. And the memorial itself, while now one of the most visited and admired monuments in the city, it was incredibly controversial when it was built.

When the design, submitted by 21 year old architecture student Mya Lin, was selected in 1981, critics thought the simple memorial – an angled, sloping wall of polished black granite, etched with the names of the more than 50,000 American soldiers who lost their lives in the war – was simply a “gash in the dirt” and not impressive enough to properly commemorate such a tragic event. After some compromises, the memorial was eventually built, and has become something more evocative than simply a war memorial, but a sacred shrine to the men and women who served half a world away. Veterans, including Pop, treat the site with incredible reverence, collecting etchings of the names of their comrades in arms, leaving mementoes and notes behind, and reflecting on what each name – the loss of an American soldier – means. Every time I’ve visited, a noticeable silence hangs over the site, more than any other monument on the National Mall.

As a volunteer guide on the Mall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was the one site where I never chose to work. I instead deferred to the many volunteers who were alive during the War, several of whom served, who could convey the meaning of the Wall better than I ever could have hoped. Their stories of friends lost, of visitors who have come to pay their respects, are themselves a living part of the memorial.

Until the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, war memorials in the city were dedicated to, and often in the likeness of, the military leaders and heroes of campaigns or battles, like Ulysses S. Grant, Winfield Scott or Phil Sheridan. Part of what made the Wall controversial and revolutionary was that it was one of the first to memorialize the common soldier, listing the fallen no matter their rank. Near the monument, two sets of statues of soldiers, which were part of the compromise to allow the Wall itself to be built, seem superfluous; the Wall, which silently draws visitors in as they walk down into the angle of the memorial, more than effectively conveys the significance of the sacrifice of the men and women listed and those who survived. Much like the FDR Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial allows the visitor to slowly flow through, studying the names, quietly coming to grips with the incredibly loss of life as they walk down the gradual slope, deeper into the heart of the monument. Since it was built, newer monuments in the city and around the country reflect the theme of memorializing the common soldier rather than the larger-than-life generals.

While the monument, like all the others on the Mall, is usually packed with visitors, evenings provide some of the best opportunities for quiet reflection at the site. Dimly lit and mostly void of any other visitors, the memorial after dark possesses a haunting quality; each name glows in the spotlights, the brilliantly lit Washington Monument, reflecting in the polished black granite. Travelling replicas of the memorial provide individuals who cannot travel to Washington with the opportunity to sense the power of the Wall, but the real Vietnam Veterans Memorial remains one of the most powerful monuments in the city, so much more than just a simple gash in the ground.

The National Park Where We Got Engaged – Lincoln Memorial

Posted on April 27, 2020 by dccajunontheroad

Daniel Chester French’s statue of Abraham Lincoln

On September 30, 2017, I proposed to Kara in front of the Lincoln Memorial. For a long time, we’d discussed watching the sunrise from the steps of the iconic memorial; the sun breaking over the horizon creates a vibrant orange sky behind the silhouettes of the Capitol and the Washington Monument, a view second to none in the nation’s capitol. I’d purchased the ring the week before, and after checking the weather for that Saturday morning, I suggested we finally rise early and drive out to the memorial at dawn, which thankfully didn’t take much convincing. I did, however, have to skillfully choose my words in explaining why she shouldn’t wear just a fleece and tights, and why I planned to wear a blazer. I’d asked two of our friends, Amy and Arman, to photograph the moment, so they hid nearby and blended in with the crowd until we got into our positions. After watching the sunrise from the steps, right in front of the giant statue of the seated Abraham Lincoln, we strolled down to the plaza between the monument and the Reflecting Pool, where I dropped to one knee and asked Kara to marry me.

Memories are created at National Parks, from family vacations at places like the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone, to weddings under the Grand Tetons, to honeymoons at Dry Tortugas in Florida or the parks in Hawaii. Many have been settings for iconic moments in American history, none more so than the Lincoln Memorial on the banks of the Potomac River – Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech, which is commemorated with a stone on the steps of the memorial; to Marian Anderson’s singing of “My Country Tis of Thee” on Easter Sunday in 1939. In each instance, the statue of Lincoln stands in the backdrop, staring stoically and silently on.

Lincoln Memorial in the snow, 2016

Built on land dredged from the Potomac River as part of the McMillan Plan to revitalize the city at the turn of the century, the Lincoln Memorial anchors the National Mall, the Greek Doric temple watching over the capitol of the nation saved by the man it honors. The nineteen foot tall statue of Lincoln is comprised of 28 pieces of white Georgia marble, and posed under the words “In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.”

The Lincoln Memorial remains one of our favorite spots in the city, where we can catch gorgeous vistas of the capitol on one side and the Memorial Bridge and avenue leading into Arlington Cemetery on the other, and of course, where we can stand in awe of the famous statue by Daniel Chester French. The Memorial is the most visited site in Washington, and is nearly always packed with tourists and visitors from all over the world, staring in awe at the massive marble figure, reading the words in stone of the Gettysburg Address or Lincoln’s second inaugural, or posing for pictures with the dramatic backdrop of the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool. Whenever I run the Mall from my home on Capitol Hill, the halfway point is Lincoln, and I always climb the stairs to the massive atrium, gaze up at the statue of the Great Emancipator, read silently one of the speeches, and glance around in awe of the monument, as though I’m visiting for the first time all over again. It is the very definition of a landmark, where people can gather, commemorate, learn, see and remember.

With so many memorials and national parks, everyone has their own connection to the sites, and the Lincoln Memorial is no exception. When I volunteered on the Mall, visitors always found their own personal connections, whether it was with the man memorialized in marble, or with the speech given on August 28, 1963, or the stunning achievement in architecture and planning that created such a monument. One of my favorite moments while volunteering at Lincoln occurred when I was sitting inside the small kiosk adjacent to the memorial. A visitor with a heavy Eastern European accent came up to the window with a big smile and, pointing to the Reflecting Pool, said “Forrest Gump! Forrest Gump! Jenny!” At first I didn’t understand the comment, then quickly realized he was referring to the 1994 film, where Forrest and Jenny reunited in the Reflecting Pool in the middle of an antiwar rally. I smiled back and nodded, yes, that’s where that scene took place. That was this man’s connection to the sight, and I appreciated that.

By now, I’ve visited Lincoln at least 100 times. I’ve guided friends from out of town through it, pointing out Lincoln’s clenched and relaxed fists or the typo in the second inaugural address. I’ve sprinted to the top to reward myself with a great view during an intense run. I’ve happily taken pictures of families posing in front of the statue or the dramatic backdrop of the mall, just like we asked a stranger to do when we first visited in 2000. I’ve driven out to it at night, resting on the steps, staring out past the spotlights at the other monuments in the distance. I’ve gone out of my way on other walks around the Mall to swing by this special place, this solemn monument to a man who truly saved the Union and pressed for a new birth of freedom.

Visits to Lincoln with the family in 2000 and with just the folks in 2011

What stood out to me on my first visit there, on our family trip in 2000, was how bright the room was, with the hot July sun reflecting on the white marble, and how open and airy the atrium was around the solemn statue of Abraham Lincoln. I’ve made innumerable memories at the Lincoln Memorial, as have thousands of other visitors over the years. But the best memory will always be my proposal on the steps of the memorial on a cool September morning. The Lincoln Memorial, the scene of so much history and meaning, will always be our national park.

Oh and by the way, she said yes.

Mr. Lincoln approves!

Don’t ride your bikes through the monument, please! Thank you! – Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Posted on April 25, 2020 by dccajunontheroad

FDR and Fala, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

During my time as a volunteer on the National Mall and up to today, one of my favorite monuments to guide visitors through and interpret was the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. A newer monument dedicated in 1997, I appreciate the fact that, unlike the other massive, look-up-in-awe monuments like Lincoln or Jefferson, FDR, as it’s colloquially known, allows visitors to simply breeze through at their own pace, as the story it tells – that of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the longest serving president in American history – unfolds. There’s no symmetry to it, no massive focal point peering out across the city, no grand staircase leading into the open atrium. Rather, it is a landscaped garden with pink granite walls and statues in bronze, spread out over several acres, but not taller than a single story at any point. It draws visitors in and pulls them through four “rooms”, each telling the story of one of Roosevelt’s four terms in office, with stones at the entrance to each noting the term and the years served. As an added bonus, the memorial is shrouded in cherry trees, which explode in color when they bloom in spring, enhancing the pinkish hues of the walls and the green of the rusting bronze.

Grand Entryway to the FDR Memorial

Upon passing the belatedly added statue of Roosevelt in a wheelchair, and the massive bronze eagle – a replica of the medallion that hung from his podium at his first inaugural, visitors enter the first room, which focuses on the New Deal and his first hundred days in office. Opposite the entrance, a giant waterfall crashes down near his famous quote “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” the torrent of water symbolizing the barrage of legislation he pressed through Congress to tackle the ongoing Great Depression.

First Term, 1933-1937. The waterfall represents the New Deal, forcefully enacted in FDR’s first 100 days.

Glimpsing views through the trees of the adjacent Tidal Basin and the Washington Monument, visitors then enter the second room, which depicts the country still grappling with the Great Depression. Statues show infamous breadlines and poverty-stricken farmers suffering through the Dust Bowl as the depression drags on. But the room also portrays hope, with the statue of a man hunched over a radio, listening to one of Roosevelt’s famous fireside chats. In a plaza opposite these statues are five columns and another waterfall – probably the most symbolically rich part of the monument.

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Opposite these columns are five panels, covered with apparently random pictures, letters and shapes, but on closer inspection, the panels are mirror images of the surface of each adjacent column. It was explained to me that these columns symbolize scrolls on a printing press, and the panels the finished product. Each panel contains the “alphabet soup” of government programs FDR created while in office – CCC, WPA, FCA, FAP, FWP, etc. – as well as the artwork the government designed for each. Across the plaza, the massive, multi-tiered waterfall is meant to evoke a hydroelectric dam, like those the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) erected throughout the south to create jobs and boost the states’ economies. A dominant feature in all four rooms, the rushing water serves to not only symbolize Roosevelt’s connection to the water – from his time as Secretary of the Navy to the soothing baths at Warm Springs, Georgia that helped his polio – but also to mask the sound of the jets flying overhead to and from Reagan National Airport, just across the Potomac.

Columns and the matching panels, symbolizing the planning and execution of FDR’s New Deal programs

In the Third Room, the focus shifts from peacetime to wartime, as World War II was underway when Roosevelt was elected to his unprecedented third term. Broken, jagged rocks litter both the plaza and the waterfalls, symbolizing the chaos and disorder of war. On the opposite end of this room stands what could be argued is the centerpiece of the monument – a statue of a seated Roosevelt, accompanied by his faithful dog, Fala.

Third Term and World War II, 1941-1945

The fourth and final room, while the largest, represents the shortest of his four terms, as Roosevelt died only a few months after taking office at Warm Springs, Georgia. A pool of standing water rests beneath a bas relief depicting his funeral procession through Washington after he died. The large plaza also contains the grandest of the waterfalls, with all components of the previous three combined to reflect on the chaos of his presidency and the strength of his personality. Steps at the edge of the plaza are etched a brief timeline of his life, and a statue of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reminds visitors that much of Roosevelt’s strength came from his lifelong companion.

Waterfalls in the Fourth Room, 1945

Timeline of FDR’s life in stone

I like to joke that by this point, after passing through all four rooms in chronological order, you can turn around and walk the other way, and Roosevelt is alive! A modern-day monument, absent the pomp of the large towers of marble that surround it, the memorial’s plazas evoke hanging gardens, which are enhanced in spring when the canopy of trees provide ample shade and the flowers throughout are in full bloom. Unfortunately, the waterfalls are often off – the park service regularly shuts off all fountains and running water at the various monuments in the winter, and now, none are on because of a recent flood in the tunnels beneath the memorial that damaged the waterfall components.

FDR Memorial with Cherry Blossoms in bloom

Even without the waterfalls, the memorial is one of the best examples in Washington of a living, free flowing memorial, one that visitors can breeze through rather than stand below and look up to. Because it is a surface-level monument, there are also plenty of bike riders who pedal through the often-crowded memorial; one of the more unpleasant tasks of volunteering on the mall was reminding these riders to walk their bikes through the memorial.

Eleanor Roosevelt

When we first visited in 2000, we did what every other first time visitor does at FDR – we walked through. We studied the quotes, admired the artwork, posed with the statues, and then continued our journey. But on each return visit, I’ll notice another small detail I’d missed before or see each room in a different light with the changing seasons. Moving through the monument, one can easily miss some of the symbolism. For me, it’s the monument I can visit again and again and pick up something new, even if I’m just passing through.

FDR Memorial in Autumn

Bas Relief of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Funeral Procession

There are Classrooms Inside the Jefferson Memorial! – Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Posted on April 22, 2020 by dccajunontheroad

Under the Dome of the Jefferson Memorial

When we first visited Washington in 2000, we spent July 31 wandering the National Mall, visiting all of the iconic monuments and sites, and acquiring the corresponding stamps. The Jefferson Memorial was our first of the day, and over time has become my answer to the question, “What is your favorite monument on the Mall?” Located far from any Metro station and separated from many of the other monuments by the expansive Tidal Basin, away from the throngs of tourists that stay near the Lincoln Memorial and the Smithsonian museums, it commemorates the revolutionary life of the author of the Declaration of Independence and the nation’s third president, Thomas Jefferson. While Jefferson’s life continues to undergo closer scrutiny, especially the contradiction of owning enslaved African Americans while preaching that “all men are created equal,” his contributions to the creation of the nation secure his standing as an essential founding father.

Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin, Washington, DC

The monument itself, relatively new compared to Lincoln and Washington, stands on the tip of East Potomac Park on land dredged from the Potomac River. Its design reflects key components of Jefferson’s own architectural passions – the domed roof and the extended portico reflect both Monticello and the University of Virginia’s Rotunda, which Jefferson designed. Inside the monument stands a bronze statue of Jefferson, and the walls surrounding him are inscribed with passages from important writings, including the iconic words from the 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…” The statue itself was the last piece of the monument installed; originally, a plaster casting of the statue was installed in 1943 prior to its dedication, as the American war effort at the time could not spare the excess bronze for the memorial. The bronze statue seen today was squeezed through the massive columns and erected in 1947.

Interior of the Jefferson Memorial at Night

Ringing the monument are hundreds of the famed Japanese Cherry Trees, which, when covered in their light pink blooms in the spring, give a dramatic, iconic backdrop to the memorial. When the island was first created, however, there were no plans for a memorial to Jefferson there; the site was originally a segregated beach. When talk of a monument began in the early 20^th century, plans were made to build a monument to Theodore Roosevelt rather than Jefferson. Those plans were scrapped by Franklin Roosevelt himself, who instead pressed for the Jefferson Memorial (a monument to Theodore Roosevelt would come some time later, on an island in the center of the Potomac.). Roosevelt was an apparent admirer of Jefferson’s and having recently completed a biography of the president by a friend of his, he strongly supported memorializing him somewhere in the capital.

Jefferson Memorial and the famous Cherry Blossoms

Some of the original cherry trees, gifted to the United States by Japan in 1912, still stand near the Jefferson Memorial. When the monument was planned in the early 1930s, dozens of protesters chained themselves to the trees to prevent their destruction, though the monument eventually was erected, and replacement trees were planted. The Jefferson Memorial and the Cherry Blossoms now go hand in hand, each complimenting the other when the flowers are in bloom annually in late March or early April.

Each year, we spend at least one afternoon at the monument when the cherry blossoms are in peak bloom, weaving our way through the throngs of tourists and visitors, snapping a few great shots of the memorial, framed by the cherry blossoms. Other times of the year, the memorial is one of the quietest of the massive monuments, providing great settings for resting and reflecting. The vantage point on the steps of the memorial also provide one of the most iconic spots to view the city’s Fourth of July fireworks display; I’ve watched it there twice, joining friends on the edge of the Tidal Basin to gaze at the show. Even on crowded days, the monument invites you to take a moment under the expansive dome to simply look up – study the features of the statue, read the words inscribed on the stone wall, gaze in awe at the design of the palatial structure.

Brothers Coussan on the Fourth of July 2013

Hallway inside the Jefferson Memorial

One of the many perks of my time in Washington was when I volunteered as a guide on the National Mall. A few times, I was lucky enough to work inside the Jefferson Memorial, explaining the history of the site and the monument itself. Volunteering to work the Cherry Blossom Festival required attending a volunteer training, in which we received an explanation and history of the cherry trees themselves. The training was held in a classroom in the basement of the Jefferson Memorial! I knew beneath the massive steps was a small museum about Jefferson, as well as a gift shop and restrooms, but I had no idea the structure also included a handful of classrooms, mainly used for training by the National Park Service. The windowless room looked no different from any other classroom, the only difference being it was inside the Jefferson Memorial!

Classroom inside the Jefferson Memorial

America’s Front Yard in My Backyard- National Mall and Memorial Parks

Posted on April 21, 2020 by dccajunontheroad

U.S. Grant Memorial, Washington, DC

When Pierre L’Enfant designed the city of Washington more than 200 years ago, he laid out a grid of streets overlaid by broad, diagonal boulevards, with each major intersection complimented by a circle or square, creating public spaces across the city. His master plan called for statues of American leaders and war heroes dotting the landscape, with vast monuments to Great Americans in key areas, including a massive edifice to Washington. He foresaw grand open spaces from the Capitol to the White House, similar to the great avenues of Europe.

District of Columbia War Memorial

As a result of L’Enfant’s vision, Washington DC enjoys the highest concentration of National Park sites anywhere in the country. In fact, there is an entire section of the passport for the “National Capitol Region.” The DC area is packed with monuments you’ve heard of – the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial – and others you’ve likely not – the John Ericsson Memorial, the George Gordon Meade Memorial, the George Mason Memorial. But one that nearly everyone has surely heard of, and perhaps visited, is the National Mall.

George Mason Memorial

The National Mall calls to mind the long expanse of green open space stretching from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and technically, that is correct. Specifically, the National Mall is only the green space between the Capitol and the Washington Monument (the Reflecting Pool is actually part of the Lincoln Memorial). Sometimes called “America’s Front Lawn,” this field of well-manicured green is the gathering place for national celebrations, from Presidential inaugurations to Fourth of July events. Living in Washington, we use the National Mall as a pristine jogging area, running from Capitol Hill to the Lincoln Memorial on a regular basis, while local groups dodge tourists to play soccer or softball on the open fields in between the Smithsonian Museums.

John Paul Jones Memorial

Farragut Square

While the National Mall itself is fairly straightforward, National Mall and Memorial Parks is a bit more complicated, and encapsulates the bureaucracy required by the National Park Service to manage a fraction of the monuments, statues, circles, squares, parks and open spaces throughout Washington, DC. Nearly every public space in the district is owned by the National Park Service; while the city does maintain several parks throughout, most are federal parklands. In order to maintain them all, the National Mall and Memorial Parks was established as an umbrella unit in the district. National Mall and Memorial Parks includes all of the famous monuments in the core of the city – Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, FDR, Martin Luther King, Jr., Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, and the National Mall itself – all of which are their own units of the National Park Service. The other 150 or so sites it maintains are not their own standalone units, and are thus not as famous. This list includes:

African American Civil War Memorial

African American Civil War Memorial – This monument in the U Street neighborhood honors the service of African Americans who fought with the Union in the Civil War

American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial – Dedicated in 2013, this modern memorial honors all veterans disabled during wartime conflicts.

American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial

George Gordon Meade Memorial

District of Columbia War Memorial – The domed structure honoring the soldiers from the District of Columbia who fought and died in World War I. For decades, it has been the unofficial national World War I monument in the city.

East Potomac Park – This manmade island extends along the Potomac River from the Jefferson Memorial to Hains Point and includes golf courses, tennis courts hiking trails.

George Gordon Meade Memorial – Located on Pennsylvania Avenue, this monument honors the Union commander at Gettysburg, George Meade.

George Mason Memorial – Near the Jefferson Memorial stands a small, quaint monument to George Mason, a founding father who helped shape the Bill of Rights.

Japanese American Memorial

Japanese American Memorial – This newer monument near Union Station commemorates the Japanese Americans relocated to internment camps across the country during World War II.

John Ericsson Memorial – Standing across from the Lincoln Memorial, this monument commemorates the contributions of Ericsson, whose rotating gun turret led to the development of the ironclad ship.

Ulysses Grant Memorial – While now technically administered by the Architect of the Capitol, this magnificent statuary collection of Grant and Union soldiers stares out across the Mall, guarding the Capitol building.

United States Navy Memorial – Located in the Penn Quarter neighborhood, this small memorial park recognizes the contributions of the US Navy over the past two centuries.

West Potomac Park – This open parkland includes the Franklin Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Memorials on the edge of the Tidal Basin, as well as several soccer and softball fields.

Golf Course at East Potomac Park

McPherson Square

Nearly every square – McPherson, Farragut, Scott, Sheridan – and every statue – Edmund Burke, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Gompers – is part of the National Mall and Memorial Parks. However, there are several other umbrella park units that encompass all of the other memorial sites in the District – National Capitol Parks-East, Rock Creek Park, Pennsylvania Avenue NHS, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. All include major park units themselves, while managing and caring for numerous other outlying parks in the city.

While these sites and landmarks are spread throughout the city, the stamps are fairly easy to collect, if you know where to look. Between my first visit to Washington in 2000 and my summer internship there in 2005, I researched where they were all housed, and struck out my first weekend to find them all. Most of the stamps for these lesser known monuments around the Mall were located, at the time, at the Survey Lodge Ranger Station (formerly the boiler room that housed equipment to power the Washington Monument’s elevator). They’ve all since been moved to the bookstore directly in front of the Washington Monument. Every few years, a new monument is built, like the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, or the NPS decides a stamp is needed for a long standing monument, like the George Gordon Meade Memorial. With each new stamp comes a new visit to acquire the cancellation.

John Ericsson Memorial

In addition to the stately monuments and memorials, National Mall and Memorial Parks manages and maintains the thousands of Cherry Blossom trees that line the Tidal Basin, frame the Jefferson Memorial, and grace the banks of the Potomac River. The blossoms only reach peak bloom for a week or so during the year, which attracts throngs of tourists from the region and around the world. The blossoms appear as pinkish clouds along the Tidal Basin and bring an extra beauty to the monuments. For a few years, I served as a volunteer with the National Park Service on the Mall, and one of my favorite duties was guiding tourists and visitors around the Tidal Basin during peak bloom and the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Cherry Blossoms along the Tidal Basin

When you’re visiting these famous historic sites, however, the bureaucratic structure of the National Park Service in Washington should be, and hopefully is, far in the back of your mind. The vast open parklands invite visitors from all over the world to see, experience and understand the complex, complicated, and fascinating history of the people who made this nation what it is today. Ringing the Mall stand the dozen massive museums of the Smithsonian Institution; although not National Parks, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention them, as they are part of the fabric of the site and should not be missed.

Cherry Trees in West Potomac Park

It took nearly 200 years for L’Enfant’s vision of the city to be fully realized, and now it is among the world’s most familiar and accessible open spaces. For those of us living in DC, we recognize how fortunate we are to have such a treasure as our backyard.

Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

DC Cajun On the Road

Travels of a Louisiana Expat Living in Washington