Review of The National Mall History

The National Mall has a rich and very interesting, complex history with many monuments to important events, fun attractions and museums. It also very old, dating back to when the capital was moved to Washington D.C. (Aaron Steckelberg, et al.) It is also quite interesting how the various monuments and attractions are ranked for popularity.Based on an article by Steckelberg, et al and also “The National Mall.” by the national Parks service, The National Mall is owned and managed by the National Park service. “The Mall” refers to the actual green space that forms a sort of roadway. “The National Mall” also includes the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials.

The “Reserve” also includes a few other government buildings, such as the white house and capitol building (Steckelberg, Kennicott, Berkowitz & Lu, 2016). It contains lots of history, however the early days of it were muddled by disagreements and confusion. L'Enfant designed the original mall as “a grand avenue” to connect the capitol to the white house in 1791. It would be 400 ft in breadth and 1 mile long, bordered by gardens. Unfortunately, by the 19th century, his ideas were much forgotten. The mall was even used for military purposes and in 1872 the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad built a track across part of the mall and given an area to build a depot near it.

According to “The National Mall.”, “In 1851, President Millard Fillmore hired New York architect Andrew J. Downing to design a landscape plan for the Mall and the President's Park. This landscape was to provide a wild, natural disposition of trees, shrubbery and open lawns, but it was never fully carried out.” In 1880, the Auditors Main Building (Bureau of Printing and Engraving) was built. The 1990’s brought actual development to the mall. For instance the McMillan Commission, in a 1902 report to Congress, called for restoration as well as new ideas be added to L’Enfant’s plan.

However, it would only be 300 feet in breath and would be boarded by four rows of american elms. Separate from the elms by narrow walkways, the entire area would be enclosed with public buildings and museums, as well as two entrances for underground ones and the department of agriculture. The railway was removed in 1909. By this time the basic layout, as well as some building had been designed and built, so the Mall was ready for improvements and many more museums and buildings.There are many museums in the National Mall. They are from various times and eras, ranging from 1865 all the way to the latest being in 2004.

According to “The National Mall.”, and Steckelberg, et al., the first building to be built was the Smithsonian or “Castle” Building. It was renovated in 1865 after after a fire. After the Department of agriculture was built, in 1905, Charles A. Platt designed the Freer Gallery of Art in 1923. Previously, in 1911, the national Museum of Natural History was built. The National Gallery of Art (West Building) was constructed in 1941. It is not part of the Smithsonian Institution. In 1964 the National Museum of American History was designed, and in 1976 The National Air and Space Museum was opened to the public. Previously, in 1974, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill devised the Joseph Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, a concrete building 231 feet in diameter that houses contemporary collections of art. It houses the Apollo II capsule, and the Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk, as well as other experts. It even got a restaurant in 1988 on the east side. It was designed by Class and Schulze, with Montgomery C. Meigs.

The Quadrangle Museums Project in 1987 opened the Sackler Gallery of Asian Art, the S. Dillon Ripley Center entrance, and the National Museum of African Art. The National Museum of the American Indian was built in 2004, completing the mall for the most part as we know it today. The National Mall also includes many fun and interesting attractions. According to a combination of Google Maps User Reviews (The general public’s opinion) and washington.org (leans heavily to monuments), the best places to visit are (#1) the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, (#2) the Korean War Veterans Memorial, (#3) the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, (#4) the Martin Luther King Junior Memorial, (#5) the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, (#6) the Lincoln Memorial, and the National Museum of Natural History (4.6 on Google), the National Air and Space Museum (4.6 on Google), the National Gallery of Art (4.6 on Google), and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (4.6 on Google).

So, if you are traveling to Washington D.C., you might want to visit those attractions first. In conclusion, the national mall has a rich history, having been originally designed in the 1791. Later, many museums, monuments, and attractions were added. Additionally, some of the best museums and attractions are the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial and the Korean War Veterans memorial. These all contribute to the National Mall’s continuously growing rich and interesting history.