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Honoring Our Presidents
February 5, 2010 – 3:38 pm
The Washington Monument is the most visible landmark in our nations capital. In this view, the U.S. Capitol is to its right.
Celebrate Presidents Day
Have you seen pictures of the most popular presidential monuments in Washington, D.C.? Maybe you’ve visited these monuments in our nation’s capital.
The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial have long been symbols of America. The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is the newest presidential monument.
Presidents Day is on Feb. 15 this year. To celebrate, Make Kids Count takes a tour of these famous monuments.
A monument to Washington
When French-American architect Pierre L’Enfant designed Washington, D.C., he included plans for a monument to America’s first president.
The design was chosen through a contest, as were most capital memorials. The winning designer was Robert Mills.
In 1848, workers began building the monument, but money ran out after six years. By the time work began again, 25 years later, workers had to get rock from a different quarry. As a result, the stone changes color about one-third of the way up.
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The Lincoln Memorial
February 5, 2010 – 3:34 pm
Lincoln is seated because the designer thought a standing figure would disappear among the tall columns.
A place for dreams
Abraham Lincoln is one of our most honored presidents. He took the first big steps toward ending slavery. He held the United States together during the Civil War.
As a result, the memorial to him has become one of the most inspirational sites in the world. Many world-changing events have been held there.
In 1939, a group would not allow singer Marian Anderson to perform in their hall because she was black.
First lady Eleanor Roosevelt helped arrange for her to sing at the Lincoln Memorial instead. Millions heard her concert on the radio.
In 1963, at a march for civil rights, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech there. The speech continues to inspire people throughout the world.
The memorial
When Lincoln was president in the 1860s, the Potomac River came almost to the Washington Monument, about three-fourths of a mile away.
The Lincoln Memorial was designed by Henry Bacon with 36 columns on the outside. These represent the states that existed at the end of Lincolns presidency. The names of the 48 states that existed when the memorial was dedicated are written at the top of the memorial. A plaque with the names of the newest states, Alaska and Hawaii, was placed at the memorial later.
The Lincoln Memorial is built on former swamp land that was filled in by the U.S. Army in the late 1800s.
Work began on the memorial in 1914. The 19-foot-tall statue of Lincoln is made up of 28 pieces of marble put together like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
Honoring Jefferson and FDR
February 5, 2010 – 3:31 pm
The Jefferson Memorial was designed by John Pope, Otto Eggers and Daniel Higgins.
When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt first came to Washington, D.C., he was surprised that there was no memorial to his hero, Thomas Jefferson. Roosevelt led the push to build a memorial to him.
Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. He also nearly doubled the size of America with the Louisiana Purchase.
Working during the war
Workers began building the memorial in 1938. The original statue was made of plaster because metal was needed for weapons in World War II. After the war, a bronze statue replaced the plaster one.
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is the largest presidential memorial in Washington, D.C. It covers about 7.5 acres. It was dedicated in 1997.
The memorial is made up of four outdoor “rooms.” Each room represents one of Roosevelt’s four presidential terms. Fountains and pools give it a sense of peace.
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