Jefferson Memorial

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a national monument in Washington, D.C. It honors Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. Jefferson was a major intellectual force behind the American Revolution and the American Enlightenment. He was also the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

The memorial celebrates his political philosophy, often called Jeffersonian democracy. It serves as a significant anchor point for the National Mall. Today, it is managed by the National Park Service. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The memorial is built in the neoclassical style. This architectural style draws inspiration from ancient Greece and Rome. The architect, John Russell Pope, looked to the Roman Pantheon for design ideas. He also used Jefferson's own rotunda design from the University of Virginia as a guide.

The structure features a circular colonnade of 26 Ionic columns. These columns are high and have a specific diameter. The building is constructed with white Imperial Danby marble from Vermont. It sits on terraces made of granite and marble steps.

The building includes a portico with a triangular pediment and a shallow dome.

The site for the memorial has a long history. In the late 19th century, the land was used as a beach. In 1901, the Senate Park Commission proposed a Pantheon-like structure for the area. However, Congress did not fund this plan. The site eventually became part of the Tidal Basin.

In 1918, the area was used for swimming after water treatments were installed. The site of the future memorial once hosted a beach that was not racially integrated. It was closed in 1925 to avoid the issue of integration.

A new plan emerged in 1934. President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to honor Jefferson. He had become interested in Jefferson after reading a book by Claude G. Bowers. In 1935, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission was established. The commission chose John Russell Pope as the architect. Pope considered several different locations for the memorial. He eventually chose the Tidal Basin because it was a prominent site.

This choice aligned with the larger McMillan Plan for the city's parks.

Construction was not without conflict. Some residents opposed the location because it did not follow the original city plans. Many people wanted to protect the cherry trees near the site. These trees were a gift from Japan in 1912. In 1938, some women even chained themselves to the trees to protest.

To resolve this, revised plans were made to save the trees. Construction officially began on December 15, 1938. President Roosevelt laid the cornerstone in November 1939. The total cost of the project was approximately $3 million.

The memorial opened on April 13, 1943. This date was the 200th anniversary of Jefferson's birth. At the time of the opening, the central statue was not ready. Material shortages during World War II delayed its completion. A temporary plaster cast statue was used for the dedication.

The permanent bronze statue by sculptor Rudulph Evans was installed in April 1947. The landscape was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. He used evergreen trees and later added white pines.

Since its opening, the memorial has faced environmental challenges. The ground around the monument began to sag in the years following construction. By the 2000s, the ground was sinking further. Part of the seawall began falling into the Tidal Basin. In recent years, high tides have flooded over the seawall. This has led to the need for reconstruction of the wall. Despite these issues, the memorial remains a major destination. It hosts the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival and many important ceremonies.