DC Monuments and Memorials Tour

Walking the grounds, you can imagine its historical evolution. Since 1789 when Pierre L'Enfant laid out a plan for the new federal city, the National Mall has been an integral part of his grand design. The two-mile tree-lined green space connecting the U. S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial has transformed from L'Enfant's original vision. In the early days, it was no more than an English garden bordering the capitol grounds expanding to the Washington Monument. The first monument's construction was stalled by the Civil War. The mall would be pivotal in the defense of the Capitol, the White House. There the Union Army established headquarters with Union troops were present on the Mall from 1860 to 1865. In 1902, Michigan Senator McMillian the vision it has become today. The Plan made several recommendations for improving the design and appearance of the grounds, and expanding into the swampy marshland, and subverting Tiber Creek underground. This tour is choked with fun facts and historical anecdotes.