The White House is owned by the American people and stewarded by the National Park Service. It is more than the President's residence; it is a site for protests and national discourse about what it means to be American. As one of the most iconic ...
The first-ever picket for gay rights in Washington, DC took place outside the White House in April 1965. One of the first protests of its kind in United States history, this moment stands alongside better-known protests and uprisings like Stonewall in New York as one of the origins of the American LGB rights movement. What would you picket for? Text what would be on your protest sign to someone you’d want to join your picket line.
A black and white photo from 1965 showing people picketing in front of the White House. One of the signs reads "sexual preference is irrelevant to federal employment".
Participants in the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights marched across E Street in front of the South Lawn of the White House on October 14, 1979. The 1979 march is seen as the birth of a national movement for LGB rights that helped small, local organizations unite, know that they were not alone, and bring their issues to a national stage showcasing their collective power.
A black and white photo of a man banging a drum in front of the White House.
You are standing at the location of the second display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in Washington, DC. In October of 1988, 8,288 panels covering almost the entire grass field were placed to commemorate some of the many lives lost during the AIDS epidemic. During the display, one AIDS activist, Duane Puryear, made his own memorial panel for himself. The AIDS quilt is community arts and memorialization project organized by the NAMES Project Foundation.
An aerial photo of a large quilt that covers the majority of a circular plot of land in front of the White House.
In 1992, protestors came to the White House to scatter the ashes of their loved ones who passed away from AIDS onto the White House Lawn. Acting out of grief, anger and love, these protesters demanded that President George H. W. Bush and the United States government take action to end the AIDS epidemic.
Black and white artwork showing an urn in front of the White House. Inside the earn is the text "You have lost someone to AIDS/ For more than a decade, your government has mocked your loss. You have spoken out in ager, joined political protests, carried fake coffins and mock tombstones, and splattered red paint to represent someone's HIV-positive blood, perhaps your own. George Bush believes that the White House gates shield him, and from you, your loss, and his responsibility for the AIDS crisis. Now it is time to bring AIDS home to George Bush. On October 11th, we will carry the ashes of people we love in funeral procession to the White House. In an act of grief and rage and love, we will deposit their ashes on the White House lawn. Join us to protest twelve years of genocidal AIDS policy."
Bernard Baruch (1870-1965), a financial advisor from New York City, made his fortune on Wall Street. His greatest satisfaction, however, was his service to his country as an economic advisor during World War I and World War II and as a confidante to six presidents. The story is told that Mr. Baruch disliked being driven to the White House to confer. He preferred to sit on a bench and wait for a signal light from the White House indicating that the president was ready to meet.
(251 words) <br />The Bernard Baruch Bench of inspiration sits just northwest of the center of Lafayette Square, a seven-acre brick-lined park across Pennsylvania Avenue NW and the White House to the south, and bordered by H street to the north, Madison Place to the east and Jackson Place to the west. <br />From the intersection of 16th street, NW and H street, NW, travel south onto a brick walkway into Lafayette Square. In the center of the park is a bronze equestrian statue surrounded by four bronze wheel-mounted canons. About fifty feet northwest, on the outer edge of a brick plaza that surrounds the equestrian statue, is a black wooden bench with a bush behind it to the north and a two-foot tall cement obelisk set beside it to the east. <br />The two foot-square wide obelisk has a bronze plaque set on its flat top with an inscription that reads: <br />The Bernard Baruch Bench of Inspiration<br />Dedicated in Honor of <br />Mr. Baruch's 90th Birthday - August 19, 1960<br />For His Inspiring Devotion to Country<br />And Distinguished Service to Boyhood<br />By Both The <br />National Capital Area Council and the Boy Scouts of America <br />The Boy Scout Motto - Mr. Baruch's Philosophy<br />"BE PREPARED" <br />Set in the center of the plaque is a circular plate inscribed to read: <br />For God and Country<br />Fifty Years of Service<br />1910 1960<br />Boy Scouts of America <br />In the center of the plate is an emblem of a shield of the American flag across a bald eagle and set atop a trefoil background. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION<br />
The memorial to the Boy Scouts of America stands on the site of the first Boy Scout Jamboree in 1937. It is one of the few memorials in Washington, D.C. commemorating a living cause. The funds to build this memorial were raised by Scout units throughout the United States, and each donor signed one of several scrolls that were placed in the pedestal of the statue.
(449 words) <br />The Boy Scout Memorial is located east of the Ellipse, on 15th street NW between E street to the north and Constitution avenue to the south in Washington, D.C. <br />From the intersection of 15th and E streets, travel southwest along the sidewalk west of Ellipse road six hundred forty feet. The memorial is located sixty feet to the east set beside a circular pool area and surrounded by benches. <br />The sculpture consists of three bronze figures. In the center is a boy wearing a uniform, neckerchief, and garrison hat stepping forward and carrying a walking stick in his left hand. To his right side is a male figure, nearly nude, who carries a bundle of leaves and drapery in his left arm. Part of the drapery blows across his middle as he strides forward with his right leg. To the boy's left is a female figure who holds a torch in her left hand that has a gold-colored flame. Her left hand extends slightly, her palm is facing upward, and she strides forward on her right leg. <br />The boy stands about five feet tall, the man eight feet, and the woman about seven feet. They are set on a five-foot-tall hexagonal-shaped pink granite base that measures eight feet wide and seven feet long. <br />A panel on the west side of the pedestal features an inscription, around a beaded bronze border that reads: <br />On my honor I <br />Will do my best <br />To do my duty <br />To God & my <br />Country and to obey the <br />Scout law to <br />Help other people <br />At all times <br />To keep myself <br />Physically strong <br />Mentally awake <br />And morally <br />Straight <br />Another inscription on the ground at the statue base describes the memorial.<br />The statues stand at the north end of a one hundred sixty-five feet circumference round pink granite plaza area. To the west of the statues is a fifty-foot long, twenty-five-foot wide two-foot deep pool area. Eleven benches line the edge of the plaza, and six trees sit in the grass area around the memorial. At the end of each bench is a three-inch bronze emblem of a shield of the American flag across a bald eagle and set atop a trefoil background. <br />An inscription around the edge of the pool reads: <br />In grateful tribute to the men and women whose generosity, devotion, and leadership have brought Scouting to the nation's youth and to honor all members of the Boy Scouts of America who in days of peace and times of peril have done their duty to God and their country this memorial was authorized by the Congress of the United States and erected in recognition of the fiftieth anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.<br />END OF DESCRIPTION <br />
Built in 1828, these sandstone guardians silently watched over the U.S. Capitol grounds until 1874. In 1889, this gatehouse and its twin, located on Seventeenth Street and Constitution Avenue, were reconstructed in their present locations. These houses have weathered several floods, water, and the effects of acid rain. On the southeast side are markers indicating the high-water marks during floods.
(240 words) <br />The Bulfinch Gatehouse is located at the northwest intersection of 15th street NW and Constitution avenue, in the southeast corner of the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. <br />The gatehouse is a one-story, one-room, fifteen by fifteen-foot sandstone structure with window on the left and right side. The building faces 15th street and has an arched front door bracketed by columns on each side. A thirty-foot tall tree is set to the left. <br />The door is dotted with metal beading along the arch and vertical and horizontal lines of its face. A circular interwoven pattern lines the top of the door, and another etched curling leaf pattern design runs across the front top of the building. <br />The back of the building has no doors or windows and has two similar columns set on either side, between the sandstone wall. Similar to the front side, a circular interwoven pattern runs above the columns, and another etched curling leaf pattern design lines the back top of the building. <br />To the left of the front door is a one by one and one-half foot bronze plaque that reads: <br />Bulfinch Gate House<br />Erected about 1828<br />Under Direction of Charles Bulfinch, architect of the Capitol, this gate house stood until 1874 with another now at 17th and Constitution Avenue at the west entrance to the Capitol grounds. <br />National Capital Sesquicentennial Commission<br />1950 <br />Two faded highwater marks are etched into the lower left front face of the building. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION<br />
Built in 1828, these sandstone guardians silently watched over the U.S. Capitol grounds until 1874. In 1889, this gatehouse and its twin, located on Seventeenth Street and Constitution Avenue, were reconstructed in their present locations. These houses have weathered several floods, water, and the effects of acid rain. On the southeast side are markers indicating the high-water marks during floods.InscriptionsBulfinch Gate HouseErected about 1828Under Direction of Charles Bul
(216 words) <br />The Bulfinch Gatehouse is located at the northeast intersection of 17th street NW and Constitution avenue, in the southwest corner of the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. <br />The gatehouse is a one-story, one-room, fifteen by fifteen-foot sandstone structure with window on the left and right side. The building faces 17th street and has an arched front door bracketed by columns on each side. The door is dotted with metal beading along the arch and vertical and horizontal lines of its face. A circular interwoven pattern lines the top of the door, and another etched curling leaf pattern design runs across the front top of the building. <br />The back of the building has no doors or windows and has two similar columns set on either side, between the sandstone wall. Similar to the front side, a circular interwoven pattern runs above the columns, and another etched curling leaf pattern design lines the back top of the building. <br />To the left of the front door is a one by one and one-half foot bronze plaque that reads: <br />Bulfinch Gate House<br />Erected about 1828<br />Under Direction of Charles Bulfinch, architect of the Capitol, this gate house stood until 1874 with another now at 15th and Constitution Avenue at the west entrance to the Capitol grounds. <br />National Capital Sesquicentennial Commission<br />1950 <br />END OF DESCRIPTION<br />
This fountain memorializes Archibald Butt and Francis Millet, two men who died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic in April 1912. This memorial, planned by their friends and approved by Congress, honors the two of them together, inseparable in memory as in life.
Butt-Millet Memorial Fountain<br />(270 words) <br />The Butt-Millet Memorial Fountain is located at the north edge of The Ellipse, on the south side of E Street, NW between 15th and 17th streets, about 300 feet west of the National Christmas Tree, and just south of the White House. Facing north, the fountain sits between the sidewalk and E street. <br />The Butt-Millet Memorial Fountain stands twelve feet high. An octagonal light brown granite base supports an eight-foot-wide bowl of golden-brown marble. A grey granite column of about seven feet rises from the center of the bowl. <br />Two figures in low bas-relief are depicted, one on the north and one on the south side of the column. The northern figure of a woman with paint brush in her right hand and palette across her chest with her left hand. She looks off slightly to her left. The southern figure is of a man in armor and helmet, holding a shield. Four globes in the bowl surround the granite column and emit water, which cascades over the edge of the bowl into a shallow receptacle in the light brown granite base. Pairs of rosette engravings surround the lower eight sides of the pedestal base.<br />A three-foot wide, forty-foot long walkway of one-foot square light grey stone blocks leads from the sidewalk at a northeast angle to the fountain. The stone pattern continues in a circle around the base of the fountain.<br />A three-inch tall inscription around the lip of the bowl reads: <br />In memory of Francis Davis Millet 1846-1912 and Archibald Willingham Butt 1865-1912. This monument has been erected by their friends with the sanction of Congress. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION <br />
Designed by Architect of the Capital, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the Commodore Stephen Decatur House was the home of the famous naval captain from 1818 until Decatur’s death in 1820. The elegant Federal-style mansion is located in Lafayette Square and has hosted many prominent politicians and foreign envoys during its two century lifetime.
A three-storied brick Federal-style house on the corner of two streets in Washington, D.C.
The First Division Monument sits on a plaza in President's Park, west of the White House and south of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) at the corner of 17th Street and State Place, NW. The monument was conceived by the Society of the First Division, the veteran's organization of the U.S. Army's First Division, to honor the valiant efforts of the soldiers who fought in World War I.
(538 words) The First Division Monument sits on an elevated plaza in President's Park, west of the White House and south of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the corner of 17th street NW and State Place, NW. 17th street is to the west and E street NW is to the south. Facing north from the sidewalk on E street, a grass lawn of about two hundred sixty feet runs up to the base of the monument. Red tulips are planted in the shape of a huge number one, about fifty feet wide at its base and two hundred feet long, south to north from the sidewalk to the memorial. Three-foot tall black metal posts joined by chain links line the sidewalk. Access to the monument is very limited, beyond viewing from the sidewalk. A stone walkway leads from the right side of the lawn and bends around to the front of the memorial. Thirty feet of lawn separates the walkway from ten, fifty-foot wide steps that lead up to the memorial plaza area. At the top of the stairs, a thirty-five-foot tall round pink granite column sits atop a three-foot high square base of white granite in the center of the plaza. Three feet of cobblestone walkway surrounds the base of the memorial. A fifteen-foot tall, gilded bronze, winged goddess in helmet and chest plate stands on a gold sphere atop the memorial column. She holds a flag above her head in her right hand. Her left arm is extended outward with palm open and facing downward. The monument's height from ground to top is seventy-eight feet. Engravings of a saber and wreath surround the base of the column, along with text that reads: Erected by the Memorial Association of the First Division and patriotic friends to the memory of the dead of the division who gave their lives in the World War that the liberty and the ideals of our country might endure. Campaign names and dates follow this text. A ring round the bottom of the column is engraved to read: First Division United States Army American Expeditionary Forces June 1917 September 1919. Atop a two-foot high and three-foot deep ledge along each side of the memorial base is an eight by three-foot bronze plaque featuring hundreds of names. The top of front plaque, on the south side of the column, reads: The Names of Our Immortal Dead are Here Enshrined. Six other similar-sized bronze plaques lay atop a three-foot high granite border that surrounds the plaza area. Inscriptions are also carved into the two-foot wide granite plaza floor around the memorial base, which list division names and train companies. A four by three-foot bronze plaque laid into the plaza floor at the base of the memorial reads: First-Infantry Division - United States Army World War Two. A list of the organic units follows this text. Along the eastern side of the memorial column is a one hundred-foot long, fifty-foot wide garden of red tulips. A bronze plaque at the far east end of the garden reads: To the Soldiers of the First Infantry Division (MECH) Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice in Desert Storm (Iraq and Saudi Arabia) 1991. A list of names follows this text. END OF DESCRIPTION
This monument, located in the center of Lafayette Park, portrays Major General Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) as he appeared while reviewing his troops at the Battle of New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 8, 1815. Thirteen years later he became the seventh president of the United States. The bronze statue faces west, while Jackson and his charger look slightly south toward the White House. Grouped at the base are four of the cannons Jackson captured in Pensacola, Florida.
(265 words) <br />The General Andrew Jackson Statue stands in the center of Lafayette Square, a seven-acre brick-lined park across Pennsylvania Avenue NW and the White House to the south, and bordered by H street to the north, Madison Place to the east and Jackson Place to the west. <br />From the northeast corner of Jackson place, NW and Pennsylvania avenue, travel three hundred seventy feet east on Pennsylvania avenue. Turn left and proceed north along the brick walkway into the park. Set in the center of a circular grass lawn is the equestrian statue of General Andrew Jackson. <br />Jackson wears a military coat with tail, gloves and shoulder epaulettes Horse and rider face west, but their heads are turned slightly towards the south. The horse is reared back on its hind legs and Jackson raises his hat with his right hand. The statue rests on a marble pedestal that is eight feet high, sixteen feet long and eight feet wide. On the upper right side of the south face of the pedestal is carved: <br />CLARK MILLS, SCULPTOR <br />On the west face is inscribed: <br />JACKSON <br />Below the general's name is inscribed: <br />OUR FEDERAL UNION<br />IT MUST BE PRESERVED <br />Four bronze canons on wheeled carriages, each about six feet long, sit at the corners of the pedestal. The statue is surrounded by a circular grass lawn, two hundred forty feet in circumference. A three-foot tall spiked black metal fence lines the grass lawn and a brick plaza rings the outer perimeter. <br />Fifty-foot-wide grass lawns lined with flowerbeds stretch north and south from the statue to the ends of the park. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION<br />
The statue commemorates Polish patriot Thaddeus Kosciuszko (1746-1817) and his life-long dedication to fighting for freedom in America and Poland. His skill in building fortifications in key places, including West Point, contributed greatly to the success of freedom in the American Revolution. This bronze memorial, located at the northeast corner of Lafayette Park, was dedicated in 1910.
(425 words) <br />The General Kosciuszko Statue stands in the northeast corner of Lafayette Square, a seven-acre brick-lined park across Pennsylvania Avenue NW and the White House to the south, and bordered by H street to the north, Madison Place to the east and Jackson Place to the west. <br />The statue sits in the southeast corner of H street and Madison place. The eight-foot bronze statue shows Kosciuszko standing proudly to the north on a fifteen-foot pedestal, in military coat with shoulder epaulettes, tricorne hat and boots. His right foot is set forward and rests on a low rock. He holds a furled piece of paper in his right hand and a sword in his left. Inscribed on the pedestal beneath him is: <br />KOÅšCIUSZKO <br />A bronze eagle with spread wings stands atop a sword, flag, and shield laid on a quarter hemisphere showing the United States along the front base of the pedestal. Inscribed on a curved two-foot tall platform below reads: <br />SARATOGA <br />Along the west side of the pedestal base is a bronze statue of a wounded man in military uniform, lying on top of a basket at the feet of a standing man. The wounded man looks up at the man above him and points with his right hand to the north. The standing man wears a cap and long coat. He holds a long blade on a staff with his right hand and rests his left on the left shoulder of the wounded soldier. Beneath them is inscribed: <br />MILITARY ENGINEER<br />IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION<br />FORTIFIED SARATOGA AND WEST POINT <br />The south side features another eagle with wings spread wide atop a quarter hemisphere and holding a snake in its talons. <br />Beneath is inscribed: <br />RACÅ,AWICE<br />An inscription on the pedestal above reads: <br />AND FREEDOM SHRIEKED<br />AS KOSCIUSZKO FELL <br />ERECTED BY THE POLISH NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF AMERICA<br />AND PRESENTED TO THE<br />UNITED STATES ON BEHALF OF THE POLISH AMERICAN CITIZENS<br />MAY 11, 1910 <br />The east side features a bronze statue of a man in military uniform, trifold hat and epaulettes, holding a flag in his left hand and tending to a man in shirt and knickers, seated on a tree stump. A drum lies by his side. The seated man looks up at the soldier above him. Below them is inscribed: <br />GENERAL THADDEUS KOÅšCIUSZKO<br />1745-1817<br />SON OF POLAND <br />The statues sit on a twenty-foot wide granite base and are surrounded by a circular grass area, about one hundred seventy feet in circumference. Three-foot tall black metal posts form a ten-foot-wide ring around the grass area and statue. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION<br />
This memorial was erected in 1891 on the southeast corner of Lafayette Park. Some believe the bronze statue portrays the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) petitioning the French National Assembly for assistance to the Americans in their fight for independence.
(404 words) <br />The General Lafayette Statue stands in the southeast corner of Lafayette Park, a seven-acre brick-lined park across Pennsylvania Avenue NW and the White House to the south, and bordered by H street to the north, Madison Place to the east and Jackson Place to the west. <br />From the northwest corner of Madison place, NW and Pennsylvania avenue, travel about fifty feet northwest. Set atop a raised circular grass lawn is a bronze statue of an eight-foot-tall man facing southwest towards the White House. He wears a long coat and vest, with a cloak wrapped around his left arm and rests his sword on the ground with his left hand. His right hand is open and outstretched and left foot set slightly forward. <br />Lafayette stands atop an ornate, carved marble pedestal approximately twenty-five feet in height, and surrounded by seven additional bronze sculptures at its base. <br />In the front is a seated, half-naked woman stretching her arm forth to hand Lafayette a sword above. Inscribed on the pedestal above her inside an ornate design featuring a menacing-looking lion face, reads: <br />TO GENERAL LAFAYETTE AND HIS COMPATRIOTS<br />1777-1783 <br />An inscription on the bottom left front corner of the pedestal reads: <br />ALEXANDER FALGUIERE<br />ANTONIN MERCH<br />STATUAIRES <br />PAUL PUJOL<br />ARCHITECTE <br />On the opposite side are two cherubs. Their bodies face the pedestal, but their heads turn back and they rest their outer hands on the lower part of an inscription above them, which reads: <br />By the Congress, in commemoration of the services rendered by General Lafayette and his compatriots during the struggle for the independence of the United States of America. <br />To Lafayette's left are two men in curled wigs, military uniform with sashes and long boots. They are turned to each other as if in conversation. The man on the left has his right hand raised while the right man rests his left hand on his sword handle. <br />The right side also features two men in curled wigs, military long coats and boots. These two appear to be walking in stride. The man on the left has his left arm wrapped around the shoulder of the man to his right. A shield sits on the ground at the feet of the man to the right. Inscribed along the edge of the shield is: <br />MAURICE DENONVILLIERS FONDEUR<br />PARIS 1890 <br />The statue rests on a twenty-five-foot wide circular granite base surrounded by a one hundred seventy-foot circumference grass lawn. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION<br />
Comte de Rochambeau (1725-1807) commanded the 5,500-man Royal French Expeditionary Force sent to help the American revolutionary forces from 1780 to 1782. His skillful leadership and professional wisdom were vital to the American victory at Yorktown in 1781. The statue depicts him directing his troops. Rochambeau is wearing the uniform of France. He was the "official" representative of the King of France.
(410 words) The General Rochambeau Statue stands in the southwest corner of Lafayette Park, a seven-acre brick-lined park across Pennsylvania Avenue NW and the White House to the south, and bordered by H street to the north, Madison Place to the east and Jackson Place to the west. From the northeast corner of Jackson place, NW and Pennsylvania avenue, travel about seventy feet northeast. Set atop a raised circular grass lawn is a bronze statue of an eleven-foot tall man in military long coat and tricorn hat. He points to the south with his right index finger and holds a paper down by his left side. His left foot is set slightly forward. Rochambeau's sword rests at his left hip while a cannon and cannonball are set behind his left foot. Below him on the front of the nineteen-foot granite pedestal stands a bronze sculpture of a woman dressed in robes and armor-like garb, raising two staffs with flags in her left hand. Her right foot is raised back off the ground. A sword in her downturned right hand protects a bald eagle, its wings outstretched, mouth open and left talon raised off the ground. The eagle's right talon clutches a stone shield with thirteen stars and stripes beneath them. Beneath the shield lie sprigs of laurel. Above the woman figure, along the top of the pedestal, an inscription reads: ROCHAMBEAU. The east and west sides of the pedestal feature high relief granite shields. On the east side is a crest with three fleur-de-lis and a crown set on top. The west side crest has three stars in its center and a crown above. Framing each shield above is a garland of leaves and berries. Beneath are two crossed sprays of laurel and garland. The south face of the pedestal features an inscription framed with a garland of laurel above. The inscription reads: WE HAVE BEEN CONTEMPORARIES AND FELLOW LABOURERS IN THE CAUSE OF LIBERTY AND WE HAVE LIVED TOGETHER AS BROTHERS SHOULD DO IN HARMONIOUS FRIENDSHIP WASHINGTON TO ROCHAMBEAU FEBRUARY 1, 1784. Inscribed on the left corner of the statue base is: Fondu Parle Val d'Osne Paris 58 Boule Voltaire. Along the back edge of the statue base is inscribed: F HAMAR. An inscription along the back curved base of the pedestal reads: BY THE CONGRESS MAY XXIV MDCCCCII. The statue's pedestal rests on a square granite base, which sits on a circular mound of grass, two hundred feet in circumference. END OF DESCRIPTION
This statue memorializes Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, the Continental Army of the United States Inspector General. The Prussian-born general was highly skilled in military tactics and standards. This memorial honors von Steuben for his transformation of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and his service to the American people.
This statue memorializes Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, the Continental Army of the United States Inspector General. The Prussian-born general was highly skilled in military tactics and standards. This memorial honors von Steuben for his transformation of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and his service to the American people.
This monument consists of a bronze equestrian statue of Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) and a square platform with a bronze soldier at each corner, representing the four branches of the U.S. Army: infantry, artillery, cavalry, and engineers. President Theodore Roosevelt dedicated the monument on October 15, 1903. This site was chosen because General Sherman was reported to have stood here while reviewing returning Civil War troops in May 1865.
(438 words) <br />The General William Tecumseh Sherman Statue stands in Sherman Plaza, a small park south of the Treasury Building and by the White House at the west side of 15th street NW between Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to the north and E Street to the south. Treasury Place is on the west side of the park. <br />The memorial is very detailed and stands at nearly fifty feet tall. Rows of seven steps on all four sides with two-foot high railings and curved buttresses, lead to a granite platform, whose four corners are guarded by six-foot six-inch tall bronze Union soldiers. In the center is an immense forty-foot tall pedestal, capped with the bronze figure of General Sherman astride a horse. Together, horse and rider stand fourteen feet tall. An inscription on the pedestal just below the Sherman statue reads: <br />WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN <br />1820-1891 <br />Inscribed at the base of the pedestal, on its northern side is the following text:<br />On no earthly account will I do any act or<br />Think any thought hostile to or in defiance <br />Of the old government of the United States<br />Alexandria, Louisiana January 18, 1861 <br />Wars Object is More Perfect Peace<br />Washington, DC February 23, 1882 <br />Standing on lower pedestals halfway down from Sherman on north and souths sides are two eight- foot six-inch tall figures. The south side figure is fiercely ripping open her garment at chest level as she stands over the body of a soldier. Two vultures at her feet look over the corpse. The north side figure is of a bare-chested woman wearing a flowing robe from waist height, holding a long olive branch across her body. Three young children are at her feet, one of whom is feeding a dove on the ground. <br />Below these figures, and on all four sides of the pedestal, are four bronze bas-reliefs, each depicting a different Civil War battle. The north and south side bas-reliefs measure seven feet six inches by three feet nine inches. The eastern and western side versions measure four feet by three feet nine inches. <br />Four pairs of bronze portrait medallions of commanders are fastened to the pedestal on both sides of each bas-relief. <br />A six-foot wide multi-colored mosaic floor surrounds the base of the monument, which contains the names of Civil War battles. A three-inched engraved leaf-patterned border runs around the edge of the mosaic floor. Two granite steps lead up to the surface of the floor. Ten feet behind are wood benches which frame the entire outer plaza area. <br />Just behind the benches, three-foot tall bushes line the plaza as well as forty-foot tall elm trees on all sides.<br />END OF DESCRIPTION <br />
First Lady Claudia Taylor (Lady Bird) Johnson created the Committee for a More Beautiful Capital. Part of her dream was to "frame the White House in water." Each fountain is made from an enormous slab of granite 18 feet square, nearly a foot thick, and weighing 55 tons. The granite was quarried in Morton, Minnesota, from rock more than 3.5 million years old. These rainbow granite monoliths were a gift of publishing magnate Mrs. Enid Haupt.
(226 words) <br />The Haupt Fountains are located at the south end of the Ellipse, at the intersection of 16th street, NW and Constitution avenue.<br />The two identical fountains sit on the east and west sides of 16th street at Constitution avenue and the two Haupt Fountains flank the entrance to the Ellipse. The White House sits in the distance, directly north. <br />Travel about forty feet west on the north side of Constitution avenue from the intersection with 16th street and turn right. A thirty-foot long brick walkway leads north to a thirty-foot-wide circular brick plaza surrounded by grass lawn. Set in the center are the Haupt Fountains. <br />The fountain is an eighteen square foot slab of pink granite, about one-foot thick. The outer edges have a rough finish and the top of the surface is polished smooth. The slab is elevated about two feet off the ground by a curved brick base underneath that follows the brick pattern of the plaza. A sixteen-foot-wide dish in the center of the polished surface contains jets that create a fountain and pool of water. <br />The south side of the plaza features a six-inch by one-foot wide bronze plaque set in the floor. An inscription on the face reads: <br />Gift of Enid Annenberg Haupt<br />1968 <br />At the north side of the plaza a brick walkway extends fifty feet to Ellipse road. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION<br />
Like the White House, the Treasury Department has been on its original site since 1800. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1972, the US Treasury Building is the oldest departmental building in Washington. Treasury's responsibilities encompass revenue collection, money production, accounting, and economic policy formulation.
(496 words) <br />Located along the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, east of the White House, and at the northeast corner of the U.S. Treasury Building is an eight-foot tall brown roofed kiosk. <br />From the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street, NW travel about fifty feet west along the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue. <br />The kiosk sits on the south side of the sidewalk in front of a spiked black metal fence. The U.S. Treasury Building stands directly behind it. The four-story tan sandstone building features eight tall columns in the center of its south facade. <br />Below the kiosk roof is a four by three-foot wayside. The light blue sign is titled in black letters across the top: <br />A Fortress of Finance<br />The US Treasury Building <br />Text below reads: <br />Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1972, the US Treasury Building is the oldest departmental building in Washington. The building serves as the headquarters of the Treasury Department. Treasury's responsibilities encompass revenue collection, money production, accounting, and economic policy formulation. Treasury's architectural significance and the department's role in America's economic history rank the building among Washington's most important landmarks. <br />Like the White House, Treasury has been in its original site since 1800. From 1836 to 1869, the present building was constructed by notable American architects. Following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, the building served as the temporary presidential office of Andrew Johnson while First Lady Mary Todd remained in the White House. <br />Below to the left is a color image of a four-story sandstone building with eight tall columns supporting an angled roof in its center. Purple and red flowers sit in a garden area at the front of the picture. Text below reads: <br />Treasury's South Facade. <br />To the right is a picture of a stately room with long wooden table, hutch and mirror. An American flag stands behind the table and the blue carpet is decorated with white stars. Text below reads: <br />Restored Andrew Johnson Suite. <br />A drawing below shows about fifteen men is long suit coats gathered in a room. Two men shake hands in the center. Text below reads: <br />President Johnson meeting with the ambassadors, 1865. <br />The right side of the sign features a map titled President's Park. The map is oriented with north at the bottom and south to the top. Constitution Avenue runs across the top of the sign with the circular Ellipse set below to the north. Further north, below E Street, is the South Lawn of the White House, followed by the White House itself. A green arrow indicates You Are Here at the east side of Pennsylvania Avenue, near the intersection with 15th street. <br />A legend at the bottom of the map indicates various locations open to the public and authorized vehicles. Solid and dotted black lines on the map show locations of security gates. Other items marked include restroom locations, refreshments, Metro stations, and the White House Visitor Center at Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th street, NW. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION <br />
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy worked with architect John Carl Warnecke to design a square that preserved the 19th-century buildings and historical character of the park, while also making room for modern office buildings. In 1970, Lafayette Square Historic District was placed in the National Register of Historic Places.
This exhibit panel includes an audio description button in the upper right of the panel. A low, wide exhibit panel "Commemoration and Preservation" includes a photo of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy looking at a model of buildings around Lafayette Square, a painting of an aerial view of trees and winding paths surrounded by houses and the White House by Peter Waddell (2010), a water color painting "Maison du Commodore Stephen Decatur" by Madam E. Valle showing a three-story brick home, a modern photo from a rooftop of Lafayette Park (2016), and a snowy winter night photo of the bronze statue of Andrew Jackson holding his hat aloft on a horse rearing up on its hind legs with the White House in the background.
Hundreds of enslaved people were involved in nearly every aspect of construction including quarrying and transporting stone, cutting timber, producing bricks, and building the walls and roof. Throughout each phase of construction, enslaved and free African Americans worked as axe men, stone cutters, carpenters, brick makers, sawyers, and laborers.
This exhibit panel has an audio description button in the upper right corner. A low, wide exhibit panel shows a drawing of the front of the White House, an early map of Washington, DC, by Pierre L'Enfant (1791), and an artist's depiction of the White House under construction with cranes and scaffolding visible as workers look at plans and move construction materials.
Lafayette Park has long served as a place for political and social demonstrations. people continue to exercise their right of free speech here, using Lafayette Park as a stage and the White House as an audience. Demonstrations often take the form of nighttime vigils, marches, picketing, and other peaceful means of public awareness.
This exhibit panel is equipped with an audio button on the upper right corner. The panel is low to the ground and wide, with images of women's suffragists holding signs in front of the White House that read "Mr. President How long must women wait for liberty" and "Mr. President what will you do for woman suffrage." Other images show various gatherings of people in front of the White House: a demonstration for the release of political prisoners, 1922; African American demonstrators near the White House, 1965; Vietnam War demonstrators outside the White House, 1966; Demonstration at Lafayette Park following the death of George Floyd, 2020.
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building was first built as the Navy, War, and State Department building and completed in 1888. The stables for the president's horses stood on this location prior to that time. In 1949 the building was officially named the Executive Office Building. Today this building serves as the ceremonial office of the vice-president of the United States.
(434 words) <br />Located along Pennsylvania Avenue, west of the White House, and at the northwest corner of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building is an eight-foot tall brown roofed kiosk. <br />From the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, NW travel about sixty-five feet east along the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue. <br />The kiosk sits on the south side of the sidewalk in front of a spiked black metal fence. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building stands directly behind it. The decorative building consists of five stories with an angled roof in its center. Each side features six windows on every level and sets of six columns line the middle section of the building. <br />Below the kiosk roof is a four by three-foot wayside. The light blue sign is titled in black letters across the top: <br />Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building <br />Text below reads: <br />First known as the State, War, and Navy Department Building (built 1871-1888), the Eisenhower Executive Office Building was rededicated in 2002 to honor former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who worked here between 1927 and 1935 for Generals Pershing, Moseley, and MacArthur. From this location President Eisenhower held the first presidential press conference televised live on January 19, 1955. <br />The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is a National Historic Landmark for its architectural significance and historical association. To learn about the building's history and its more notable occupants, or to take a virtual tour of the Victorian interior, visit:<br />www.whitehouse.gov/history/eeobtour/ <br />Below is an illustration of a vast, five-story building with gabled roof, twenty windows on each floor, and sets of columns lining four levels in the center. Text below reads: <br />When this illustration was created in 1898, the building before you was called the State, War, and Navy Building. <br />The right side of the sign features a map titled President's Park. The map is oriented with north at the bottom and south to the top. Constitution Avenue runs across the top of the sign with the circular Ellipse set below to the north. Further north, below E Street, is the South Lawn of the White House, followed by the White House itself. A green arrow indicates You Are Here at the west side of Pennsylvania Avenue near 17th street. East Layette Park sits directly north on the map. <br />A legend at the bottom of the map indicates various locations open to the public and authorized vehicles. Solid and dotted black lines on the map show locations of security gates. Other items marked include restroom locations, refreshments, Metro stations, and the White House Visitor Center at Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th street, NW. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION <br />
The White House is the oldest public building in the District of Columbia, and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is the most famous address in the United States. Here every president except George Washington has led America's government. The White House has come to symbolize the American Presidency throughout the world. While the Capitol represents freedom and the ideals of the nation, the White House stands for the power and statesmanship of the chief executive.
(379 words) <br /> Located along the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, at the east side of the White House, is an eight-foot tall brown roofed kiosk. The kiosk sits on the south side of the sidewalk in front of a spiked black metal fence. The Treasury Building is set to the west. <br />Below the kiosk roof is a four by three-foot wayside. The light blue sign is titled in black letters across the top: <br />The Nation's Most Famous Address <br />Text below reads: <br />The White House is the oldest public building in the District of Columbia and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is the most famous address in the United States. Here every president except George Washington has led America's government. The White House has come to symbolize the American Presidency throughout the world. While the Capitol represents the freedom and ideals of the nation, the White House stands for the power and statesmanship of the chief executive. <br />For White House tour information call 202-456-7041. <br />Below is an overhead color photograph of the rectangular White House building. A curved driveway leads from Pennsylvania Avenue to the four tall columns that line the front of the house. A tree lined arched grass lawn sits in the front and a wide promenade runs east to west across Pennsylvania Avenue. Text below reads: <br />The White House as seen from the air in 2007. <br />The right side of the sign features a map titled President's Park. The map is oriented with north at the bottom and south to the top. Constitution Avenue runs across the top of the sign with the circular Ellipse set below to the north. Further north, below E Street, is the South Lawn of the White House, followed by the White House itself. A green arrow indicates You Are Here at the east side of Pennsylvania Avenue. East Executive Park runs south from this location along the eastern side of the White House. Layette Park sits directly north on the map. <br />A legend at the bottom of the map indicates various locations open to the public and authorized vehicles. Solid and dotted black lines on the map show locations of security gates. Other items marked include restroom locations, refreshments, Metro stations, and the White House Visitor Center at Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th street, NW. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION <br />
White House Ablaze For Americans, August 24, 1814, was one of the darkest days of the War of 1812. After a victory at nearby Bladensburg, Maryland, British soldiers marched on Washington, destroying the U.S. Capitol and many other public buildings. President James Madison sent word to his wife, Dolley, to flee the President's House.
(799 words) <br />This three-sided wayside is located at the northeast end of the Ellipse, south of the White House and north of Constitution avenue NW and the National Mall in Washington, D.C. <br />The sign sits on the outer edge of a walkway around the Ellipse, across Ellipse road NW from the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion. The Ellipse is a one thousand-ninety-yard circumference, fifty-two-acre open grass area surrounded by trees. <br />The three sides of the wayside are four by three feet each.<br />White House Ablaze<br />Along the right side of the sign a color drawing shows a woman in a flowing blue dress standing in front of an eight-foot tall portrait, with an ornate gold border, of George Washington in white hair, black coat, and extending out his right hand. Four men in colonial dress appear to be moving the painting. Text to their right reads: <br />The iconic portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart was among the treasures saved from the British attack on the White House. <br />Below is a picture of the top corner of a white building. A border beneath appears black and charred. Test above reads: <br />Scorch marks from the White House fire are still visible at two locations. <br />The left side of the sign features a map of downtown Washington, DC, from Virginia and the Potomac River on the left, to the Capitol Building and Library of Congress on the right. An arrow points to your location north of the National Mall and south of the White House. <br />Further right is a photo of the silhouette of the back of three adults, two of which who are holding the hand of a child between them, standing in front of an illuminated American flag. Text above reads: <br />Smithsonian National Museum of American History - View the original Star-Spangled Banner flag on display in its special gallery. <br />In the far-right corner is a picture of a red brick house with a white arched window from door and white four-columned entrance. Text above reads: <br />Dumbarton House - Visit a museum at the site where Dolly Madison fled when she left the White House. <br />War in the Chesapeake <br />The center of the sign features a large picture of a tall ship with six white sails and long wooden bow, sailing across the sea from right to left. Atop its mast is the state flag of Maryland, a yellow flag with blue border below, and further below an American flag. An image of a waving American flag also sits in the top left corner of the sign. Text to the bottom left reads: "Pride of Baltimore II, reproduction 1812 schooner"<br />Across the bottom of the sign is a color painting of men in colonial military dress waging war. Groups of four men each fire two canons while others look on, including a man standing proudly amongst the cannon smoke, hands on his hips in a hat with red feather, blue coat with white sash, white pants and boots. Text in the bottom right corner reads: "The Final Stand at Bladensburg, MD, 24 August 1814 by Charles Waterhouse"<br />"O! say can you see..." <br />The top center of the sign features a color image of five red-roofed, red brick buildings in the shape of a pentagon with a tall American flag waving from a flagpole in the center courtyard. A large crowd of hundreds of people stand across a green field in the background. Text below reads: "Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine"<br />The upper left corner of the sign features a waving American flag in the background.<br />The entire right side of the sign is a map of the National Historic Trail, with solid and dotted red lines that identify various points of interest, beginning north at Havre de Grace, Perryville, and Elkton, down through Baltimore and Chestertown, further south to Washington, DC and surrounding areas, and ending at Point Lookout and Tangier Island at the bottom. A legend in the lower right notes that solid red lines represent Trail land routes and dotted lines are water routes. <br />At the top of the map is an image of military men kneeling and shooting rifles across a field in red coats and white pants. Further below a group of three adults and six children hold open an American flag. Below, men in blue military uniform and white pants stand in line amongst gun smoke from the rifles they shoot. To the right a couple bicycles along a path in front of the ruins of a red brick wall with arched door opening, and in the bottom right corner, a group of four kayakers paddles towards the picture. <br />Along the bottom left edge of the sign a photograph image of farmland and green trees is interrupted by the representation of the Potomac River from the map above.<br />END OF DESCRIPTION
The seven acre Lafayette Park is directly north of the White House. The land that comprises Lafayette Park had been used as a race track, a showplace for caged animals, a graveyard, a slave market, and an encampment for soldiers, as well as for many political protests and celebrations that continue today.
(633 words) <br />Lafayette Park is a seven-acre brick-lined park north of Pennsylvania Avenue NW and the White House, south of H street, NW and bordered by Madison Place to the east, Jackson Place to the west. <br />In the center stands a bronze equestrian statue surrounded by four cannons on wheeled carriages. Four additional bronze statues sit in the four corners of the park. To the east and west sides of the park are fountains set in ninety foot-long, fifty-five-foot-wide pool basins. <br />The center statue features Jackson atop a horse reared back on its hind legs. Jackson raises his hat with his right hand. Four bronze canons on wheeled carriages sit at the corners of the pedestal. The statue is surrounded by a circular grass lawn and a spiked black metal fence. Fifty-foot-wide grass lawns lined with flowerbeds stretch from the statue to the north and south ends of the park. <br />The General Von Steuben Statue stands in the northwest corner of the park. Flanking the bronze figure below on the pedestal are two bronze sculptures. To his left is a sculpture of a young boy kneeling at the left side of a bare-chested woman with a robe across her lap. The right side features a sculpture of a naked young man standing next to a seated warrior wearing a helmet and robe over his bare right shoulder. The boy holds a sword in his right hand and the warrior's left hand is outstretched to assist him. <br />In the northeast corner of the park is the General Kosciuszko Statue. Kosciuszko stands proudly in military coat with shoulder epaulettes, tricorne hat and boots. He holds a furled piece of paper in his right hand and a sword in his left. A bronze eagle with spread wings stands atop a sword, flag, and shield laid on a quarter hemisphere showing the United States along the front base of the pedestal. Along the west side of the pedestal base is a bronze statue of a wounded man in military uniform, lying on top of a basket at the feet of a standing man. The wounded man looks up at the man above him and points with his right hand to the north. <br />The General Lafayette Statue is set in the southeast corner of the park. Lafayette stands atop an ornate, carved marble pedestal surrounded by seven additional bronze sculptures at its base. In the front is a seated, half-naked woman stretching her arm forth to hand Lafayette a sword above. On the opposite side are two cherubs. To Lafayette's left are two men in curled wigs, military uniform with sashes and long boots. They are turned to each other as if in conversation. The right side also features two men in curled wigs, military long coats and boots. These two appear to be walking in stride. The man on the left has his left arm wrapped around the shoulder of the man to his right. <br />The General Rochambeau Statue stands in the southwest corner of Lafayette Park. Rochambeau points to the south with his right index finger and holds a paper down by his left side. Rochambeau's sword rests at his left hip while a cannon and cannonball are set behind his left foot. Below him stands a bronze sculpture of a woman dressed in robes and armor-like garb, raising two staffs with flags in her left hand. A sword in her downturned right hand protects a bald eagle, its wings outstretched, mouth open and left talon raised off the ground. The eagle's right talon clutches a stone shield with thirteen stars and stripes beneath them. <br />Set at the center south end of the park, directly across from the White House are two five-foot tall, four-foot wide bronze urns set atop eight-foot tall, five square foot wide granite pedestals. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION <br />
In November 1923, First Lady Grace Coolidge gave permission for the District of Columbia Public Schools to erect a Christmas tree on the Ellipse south of the White House. The organizers named the tree the "National Christmas Tree." That Christmas Eve, at 5 p.m., President Calvin Coolidge walked from the White House to the Ellipse and "pushed the button" to light the cut 48-foot Balsam fir, as 3,000 enthusiastic spectators looked on.
(389 words) <br />Located at the northeast quadrant of the Ellipse and just south of the White House on E street, NW between 15th and 17th streets is the National Christmas Tree. <br />The tree is a living evergreen planted just southwest of the Zero Milestone. The Ellipse area is a wide open fifty-two-acre circular grass lawn. Facing the tree, the Washington Monument stands tall in the distance, about 650 yards to the south. The Jefferson Memorial is also visible slightly to the southwest. <br />The tree sits on a one-foot-high raised planting bed surrounded by a curb of stone blocks. About thirty feet from the sidewalk, a three-foot tall iron gate forms a perimeter of about forty feet around the tree area. <br />In front of the tree, on its northern side, is a green two by one-foot plaque set atop a one-inch tall cement block on the ground. A relief of an evergreen tree is on the righthand side of the plaque. The left side features raised text which reads: <br />National Christmas Tree<br />Transplanted October 11, 1978<br />Christmas Pageant<br />of<br />Peace<br />Committee <br />Just off the sidewalk, about twenty feet to the left as you face the front of the tree, is a four by three-foot wayside sign, titled in black letters: The National Christmas Tree. Below the title is text that reads:<br />The National Christmas Tree has been located at the site in front of you since 1973. Calvin Coolidge was the first president to light the National Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve, 1923. Since that time presidents have continued the tradition in various ways. In 1926, a signal flare announced the lighting to the city. In 1932, holiday carols played over loudspeakers hidden in the branches. The ceremony today includes live music and dance performances broadcast to the nation. <br />The sign shows a color picture of the Christmas tree at dusk, forming a perfect point at its top and brightly lit with large illuminated stars and lights all around. The White House sits off to the left in the background. The tree is encircled by a two-railed white fence and along its outer edge, smaller six-foot tall holiday-decorated evergreen trees surround the entire fence. A train set has been setup around the tree and four visitors can be seen on the left-hand side. <br />In the lower left corner is a six by five-inch black and white picture showing people in winter coats standing at dusk and facing to the right. One man stands apart in front of the others, holding his hat in his hand. A crowd watches to their left. <br />Beneath the picture text reads: <br />President Calvin Coolidge (1923-29)<br />Becomes the first president to light a Christmas Tree on the Ellipse on December 24, 1923. <br />In the bottom right corner text reads: The National Christmas Tree in 2012. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION<br />
These five-foot high, four-foot wide ornamental bronze urns were cast here in Washington at the Navy Yard using melted cannon from the Civil War. The Ordinance Department of the U.S. Navy crafted them, and they were erected in Lafayette Park in 1872. They were presented by Secretary of the Navy George Robeson. The urns were included in the 1852 plans for the park by renowned landscape architect Andrew Jackson Downing.
(258 words) <br />The two Navy Yard Urns sit at the south center of Lafayette Square, a seven-acre brick-lined park across Pennsylvania Avenue NW and the White House to the south, and bordered by H street to the north, Madison Place to the east and Jackson Place to the west. <br />From the intersection of Jackson place and Pennsylvania avenue, travel east three hundred seventy feet along the north side of Pennsylvania avenue. Turn left and proceed one hundred twenty feet north. Set on the left side of the brick walkway are two five-foot tall, four-foot wide bronze urns set atop eight-foot tall, five square foot wide granite pedestals. Each side of the pedestal is adorned with a sunken oval design.<br />The urns are decorated with etchings of robed women and partially clothed men. A naked man plays a double flute. A man in robes holds onto an injured man in front of him as a robed woman looks back at them. A man with a robe falling off his waist rests his hand on the should of a woman playing a harp, and a bare-backed man holds a scepter over his shoulder. <br />A vine wraps around the top end of the urn and the faces of two bearded men hang over the bottom edge along its south side. <br />A fifty-foot wide, one hundred-foot long grass lawn lined with flowers sits between the two urns and brick walkways run north - to south along both sides. A tree with thick low branches sits along the north end. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION <br />
When the British invaded Washington and burned public buildings in August 1814, the White House was destroyed, a a new home for the First Family was needed. Upon Dolley and James Madison's return to Washington a few weeks later, Colonel John Tayloe offered the use of his home to President and First Lady Madison for a temporary "Executive Mansion."
A three-story red brick building over a stone basement and is trimmed with Aquia Creek sandstone. Despite its name, the house is an irregular hexagon. The entrance consists of a short marble stairway leading to a portico on a projecting semicircular bay.
The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution donated the Settlers of the District of Columbia Memorial in April 1935 "as a way of teaching history." The simple granite shaft stands near the sidewalk along Fifteenth Street. Its purpose is to remember the original eighteen patentees "prior to 1700 whose land grants embraced the site of the federal city." A patentee is someone to whom a grant is given. In this case, the grant was ownership of land that became
(236 words) <br />The Original Patentees of DC Monument is located east of the Ellipse, on 15th street NW between E street to the north and Constitution avenue to the south in Washington, D.C. <br />From the intersection of Constitution avenue and 15th street, travel north on 15th street six hundred twenty feet. The monument is set left of the west side of the 15th street sidewalk. <br />Sitting on a ten by ten-foot granite plaza along a grass lawn and line of trees to the west is a seven-foot tall, two by two-foot wide limestone obelisk. The base of the monument measures three feet tall and three by three-feet wide. <br />Images are engraved on each side of the bottom of the pedestal, just above the base. Each side of the base also features a list of names and years. Along the north face is an image of a fish swimming in water and curled to the right.<br />The east face has an image of a flower growing through two large plant leaves. The inscription below reads: <br />To the original patentees prior to 1700 whose land grants embrace the site of the Federal City. This monument is erected by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists. April 25, 1936 <br />To the right is an image of a tree surrounded by a shield within a wreath with a bow at the bottom. <br />The west face features a corn husk.<br />END OF DESCRIPTION<br />
President's Park preserves the cultural resources of the White House—its architecture, artifacts, landscape design, gardens and grounds, and the surrounding parklands—in ways that foster and preserve dignity and respect for the office of the presidency, while still allowing for their use.
An 82-acre urban park in downtown Washington, DC, that surrounds the White House. It features manicured grass lawns, many ornate flower beds, and mature trees. There are sidewalk paths that guide visitors through the greenery to the many statues of historical figures that are in the park.
Originally built to honor the 2nd Infantry Division's dead from WWI, the memorial was expanded in 1962 to include World War II and the Korean War.
(263 words) <br />The 2nd Division Memorial is set along the southeast edge of the Ellipse, between the White House to the north and Constitution avenue, NW to the south. <br />From the intersection of Constitution avenue and 17th street, travel east on Constitution avenue about four hundred feet. Set one hundred sixty feet north across a grass lawn dotted with trees is the 2nd Division Memorial. A fence lines the south edge of the park and prevents access beyond the sidewalk. <br />In the center of a thirty-five-foot long, twenty-five-foot tall granite facade is an eighteen-foot gilded bronze hand brandishing a flaming sword, blocking an opening in the wall. An Indian head within a star is embossed on the front of the sword's handle, and a star is embossed on the back. <br />Etched in gold above the sword along the top of the facade reads: <br />The Second Division <br />Flanking both sides of the sword are two wreaths carved in relief with gold engravings below that list campaigns.<br />Beneath the sword a gold engraving reads: <br />To Our Dead<br />1917-1919 <br />A thirty-five-foot long granite bench runs along the bottom of the memorial, which is bracketed by twenty-foot long wings at either side. The memorial plaza spans sixty-five feet wide and fifteen feet deep. Twenty-five square foot garden areas of red flowers front both sides of the memorial and flag poles sit at either ends. <br />Etched along the three-foot high wall of the memorial wings are campaigns and years. <br />Three-foot tall hedges line the left and right corners of the memorial and thirty-foot tall trees sit behind both side wings.<br />END OF DESCRIPTION <br />
A key feature of the design of the Capitol city, the President has lived in a home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since 1800. Although it didn’t bear the name we know it by today – the White House – until around 1811, President John Adams and wife Abigail were the home’s first residents, and it has been the official residence of the President ever since.
A stone three-story building of neoclassical design with many ornate details that is painted white. On both the north and south sides, the center of the building features columns and a large pediment that protrudes from the building. The building is surrounded by lush gardens and manicured lawns that feature fountains and large mature trees.
The White House Kitchen Garden was planted on the South Lawn by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009. The 2,800 square foot garden provides locally-grown food for the first family and White House guests. What's more, the garden is a model for how people like you can grow nutritious food at home. Although the White House Kitchen Garden is a recent addition, there is a long tradition of produce-growing at the White House.
(171 words) <br />The White House Kitchen Garden is located on the west side of the White House South Lawn and is visible from the south side of E Street NW between 15th street and 17th street. <br />Facing north from this location on E street near the Zero Milestone marker, the White House is due north and the garden is northwest, past about 100 yards of lawn and to the right of a thirty-foot tall, forty-foot wide bush about six feet beyond the thirteen-foot tall spiked black iron gate that surrounds the White House. <br />E street is closed to all traffic and pedestrians and the garden can only be viewed from the south side of the street. Behind you to the south will be the National Christmas Tree, the Ellipse, and the Washington Monument beyond. <br />The most easily visible element of the garden is a brown, wooden trellis that serves as a gateway for a walkway through the garden to the left. <br />END OF DESCRIPTION <br />
Rainbow colors lit up the White House on the evening of June 26, 2015, in celebration of the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision. The decision, which was announced that same day, legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. On December 13, 2022, the White House was lit up in rainbow colors again, this time the south portico to celebrate the Respect for Marriage Act being signed into law by President Biden.
Rainbow colors illuminate the White House at dusk.
Public tour requests must be submitted through your Member of Congress. These self-guided tours are generally available Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted). Tours are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. Requests can be submitted up to three months in advance and no less than 21 days in advance. You are encouraged to submit your request as early as possible as a limited number of spaces are available. The White House tour
The entrance to White House tours is the corner of a busy downtown city street, 15th Street and Hamilton Place. Surrounded by concrete sidewalk and road asphalt, the street corner is right in front of the neoclassical stone US Treasury Building and Sherman Park, a small pocket park with mature trees and a large stone pedestal topped with a bronze statue of General Sherman on horseback.
This four-foot-high shaft of pink granite stands on the north and south meridian of the District of Columbia. It is symbolically the official starting point for measurement of highway distances from Washington, DC. On July 7, 1919, the first transcontinental military motor convoy, destined for San Francisco, California, started from this spot.
(235 words) The Zero Milestone is located on the north edge of The Ellipse, on the south side of E Street, NW between 15th and 17th streets, just west of the National Christmas Tree, and just south of the White House. The monolith is about 2 feet square and about 4 feet high. It sits on the sidewalk and is accessible to passersby. It is made of a light pinkish to greenish gray granite with spots of black. On the flat top of the milestone is an about one-foot wide bronze disk with directional compass points extending outward. An inner ring is marked with directional symbols: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW in clockwise direction. The monolith has inscriptions on each side: The north side reads: Zero Marker. A circled faded out image about three-inches wide is below. The east side reads: Starting Point of First Transcontinental Motor Convoy Over the Lincoln Highway VII JVL MCMXIX. The south side reads: Point for the Measurement of Distances from Washington on Highways of the United States. The west side reads: Starting Point of Second Transcontinental Motor Convoy Over the Bankhead Highway. A six by one-inch brass plate placed on the ground at the north base, contains the following inscription: The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Determined the Latitude, Longitude and Elevation of the Zero Milestone Authorized by Act of Congress June 5, 1920 Dedicated June 4, 1923 END OF DESCRIPTION
Visitors can explore an interactive touchscreen tour of the White House, view over 90 artifacts from the White House collection, shop at the White House Historical Association retail store, and view the 14 minute film, "White House: Reflections From Within." Visit the information desk to inquire about special ranger programs and events at President's Park.
Embrace the outdoors, explore interactive exhbits and stand where history happened by taking the Red Line to visit some of DC's National Park Sites. Each of the parks listed here are 1 mile or less from each metro stop (about a 20 minute walk) or a 10 minute bus ride away.
Silver Line - DC Metro
Step off the Silver Line to take a walk on Theodore Roosevelt Island, or sight see from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Each of the parks listed here are 1 mile or less from each metro stop (about a 20 minute walk) or a 10 minute bus ride away.
Blue Line - DC Metro
From the National Mall and Memorial Parks to the Mount Vernon Trail, travel the Blue Line to see what the southern portion of Washington, DC has to offer. Each of the parks listed here are 1 mile or less from each metro stop (about a 20 minute walk) or a 10 minute bus ride away.
Go sightseeing at President's Park
Every president except George Washington has called the White House and its surrounding grounds his place of work, rest, and solitude. Recognizable around the world, the White House stands as a symbol of democracy. The White House and its park grounds serve not only as the seat of the executive branch of government of the United States of America, but also as an iconic place for civil discourse.
Explore the White House Visitor Center
Explore interactive exhibits, discover historic White House treasures, watch a free film, and get to know the White House as a home, office, symbol, and stage.
Tours
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Military Monument Tour
Before there was President's Park, Lafayette Park and the Ellipse were managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. They controled the land between the end of the Civil War and the 1930s. During this time all of the park's current military monuments were erected. Learn more about the landscape of our park by exploring the sites below.
Tour President's Park
Take a walk through history on this tour around the White House through Lafayette Park and the Ellipse. Please be aware that temporary area closures may impact your visit.
