NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION

DRAFT SUMMARY

MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN
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PIERRE L’ENFANT CONCEIVED OF WASHINGTON AS A SYMBOLIC LANDSCAPE THAT WOULD

SERVE SIMULTANEOUSLY AS “THE CAPITAL OF THIS VAST EMPIRE” AND AN EMBLEM OF

THE NEW DEMOCRATIC EXPERIMENT UNDERWAY IN AMERICA. SO OVER A NETWORK OF

SWEEPING CEREMONIAL BOULEVARDS, EXPRESSIONS OF THE NATION’S OPENNESS AND

GRAND ASPIRATIONS, HE LAID A GRID OF NARROWER NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS REPRESENTING THE CONVERGENCE OF FEDERAL AND LOCAL INTERESTS. AND WHERE THE TWO

INTERSECTED HE PROPOSED CIRCLES, SQUARES AND OTHER PUBLIC SPACES TO SERVE AS

FOCAL POINTS OF CIVIC AND COMMUNITY LIFE.

INTRODUCTION
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THE MCMILLAN PLAN, THE LEGACY PLAN AND NOW THE MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS

MASTER PLAN ALL REPRESENT EXTENSIONS AND REFINEMENTS OF L’ENFANT’S IDEAS.

THE MCMILLAN PLAN OF 1901 INSPIRED THE MALL AS WE KNOW IT TODAY, EXTENDING IT

AS FAR AS THE POTOMAC RIVER AND SURROUNDING IT WITH A SUPERB SYSTEM OF PARKS

AND GARDENS THAT EXTEND BEYOND THE ORIGINAL CITY.

THE LEGACY PLAN OF 1997 CALLED FOR RECENTERING WASHINGTON ON THE CAPITOL AND

ENCOURAGED THE DISTRIBUTION OF NEW MUSEUMS AND MEMORIALS TO ALL QUADRANTS

OF THE CITY.

THE MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN SUPPLIES A NEW RATIONALE FOR THIS

DISTRIBUTION SO THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS OF AMERICANS WILL HAVE AN ABUNDANT

SUPPLY OF SITES FOR THEIR OWN COMMEMORATIVE AND CULTURAL PURPOSES.

CURRENTLY, MEMORIAL SITES ARE CONSIDERED TO BE MORE SIGNIFICANT IF THEY ARE

IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE MALL. THE MASTER PLAN EXPANDS THE DEFINITION OF

SIGNIFICANT SITES TO INCLUDE THOSE THAT HAVE IMPORTANT VISUAL AND SYMBOLIC

CONNECTIONS TO THE CAPITOL, THE WHITE HOUSE AND OTHER NATIONAL LANDMARKS.
IT ENCOURAGES THE CREATION OF NEW TYPES OF MONUMENTS AND MEMORIALS—PLAZAS,

GARDENS, WATERWORKS, RENOVATED BUILDINGS—THAT GO BEYOND EQUESTRIAN STATUES

AND NEO-CLASSICAL TEMPLES. AND IT SEEKS TO ACHIEVE PUBLIC CONSENSUS ON

APPROPRIATE COMMEMORATIVE SITES.

THE MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF THE

NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION, THE COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS AND THE

NATIONAL CAPITAL MEMORIAL COMMISSION. IN 1997 THESE THREE FEDERAL AGENCIES

FORMED A JOINT TASK FORCE TO EXPLORE THE FUTURE OF MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS IN

WASHINGTON, WITH NCPC DIRECTED BY CONGRESS TO DEVELOP A MASTER PLAN. IN THAT

EFFORT THEY HAVE BEEN ASSISTED BY NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PLANNERS AND URBAN

DESIGNERS AS WELL AS LOCAL CIVIC AND COMMUNITY GROUPS. THEY HAVE ALSO DRAWN

EXTENSIVELY ON WORK ALREADY DONE, NOT ONLY IN THIS DECADE BUT DATING BACK TO

THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY. THE DOCUMENT IS NOT AN EXPEDIENT CREATION OF THE

MOMENT, THEREFORE, BUT A PLAN WITH A PEDIGREE THAT STRETCHES BACK MORE

THAN 200 YEARS.

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PLAN HIGHLIGHTS

THE NEW MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN, LIKE THE LEGACY PLAN THAT

PRECEDED IT, RESPONDS CREATIVELY TO PROJECTED OVERBUILDING IN THE MONUMENTAL CORE. IF

HISTORIC TRENDS CONTINUE, AT LEAST 50 MAJOR COMMEMORATIVE WORKS COULD BE

CONSTRUCTED IN THE NEXT 50 YEARS, WHICH IS FAR TOO MANY FOR THE MALL AND THE

MONUMENTAL CORE TO ABSORB. BOTH PLANS RECOMMEND RESTRICTING FUTURE BUILDING ON

THE MALL AND DISTRIBUTING NEW MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.

YET THE MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN TAKES THE RECOMMENDATION

FURTHER IN FOUR SIGNIFICANT WAYS.

ONE It calls for amending the existing Commemorative Works Act to include a Reserve. If approved

by Congress, an area extending from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and the White House to

the Jefferson Memorial would be off limits to new museums and memorials.The three principal

review agencies—the National Capital Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts and the

National Capital Memorial Commission—have already adopted policies that say No to all new

commemorative proposals in this zone.The adjacent federal land, known as Area I, will be enlarged

slightly while continuing to accommodate works of “preeminent historic and national significance.”

Additional museums and memorials will be urged to locate outside these two areas, on riverfronts,

overlooks and major corridors into the District.
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Small memorials, like the one above, will dot the 

Potomac and Anacostia waterfronts. The Reserve, in red (below),

will be off limits to new memorial sites. The adjacent federal

land, in yellow, will be restricted to memorials of preeminent historic and national significance.
TWO The plan creates a new geography of commemoration for Washington, keyed to major

streets, avenues and topographical features.The most important element is a Waterfront Crescent encompassing major open spaces along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. Nearly one-third of the sites in the

plan’s inventory are in this zone.They are complemented by a network of Monumental Corridors—

Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York Avenues and North, South and East Capitol Streets—that provide

important visual and symbolic connections to the Capitol, the White House and other landmarks.

The plan pays special attention to the city’s notable topographical features, including Rock Creek

Park, McMillan Reservoir and Brentwood Park.Through the strategic placement of memorials

and museums, it also connects communities across the Anacostia River and the Florida Avenue

escarpment to the Monumental Core.

THREE The plan identifies and evaluates 102 potential sites, of which 19 are considered Prime

Sites appropriate for a major museum or memorial.These evaluations, included in the Technical

Report, identify the size, location, transit connections, cultural and historical resources and possible

economic benefits of each site. With this information in hand, sponsors and review agencies will be

able to discern quickly whether or not a particular project is suitable for a particular location.

FOUR Like the L’Enfant Plan, the Memorials and Museums Master Plan combines big and

little, grand and ordinary. It identifies urban sites and pastoral ones, those on working waterfronts and

those in quiet neighborhoods, large sites with high visibility and small ones waiting to be discovered. At

the same time, it remains primarily a federal plan developed by the National Capital Planning

Commission and the Joint Task Force on Memorials. Of the 102 proposed sites, only 21 are on

District or private land.Yet because the latter are so integral to the overall commemorative framework,

and potentially so valuable to adjacent communities, federal and District representatives are working

on a joint strategy to include them in the final plan.The District is also developing a review process

for proposed memorials on it own land.

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Improvements to the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues (above right)

offer an opportunity for a major memorial. The redesign of the area around the

Anacostia Metrorail station (below) could become a focus of neighborhood renewal.
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ALTHOUGH 74 OF ITS 102 SITES ARE FEDERAL, THE MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN

BENEFITS ALL OF WASHINGTON—WATERFRONTS, BOULEVARDS, PARKS AND NEIGHBORHOODS.

THE WATERFRONT CRESCENT WILL CONNECT KEY SITES ALONG THE POTOMAC AND ANACOSTIA RIVERS

FROM GEORGETOWN TO KENILWORTH, CREATING A NECKLACE OF COMMEMORATIVE SPACES TO COMPLEMENT THE FORMALITY OF THE MALL AND TO REINFORCE ONGOING EFFORTS

TO LINK WATERFRONT PARCELS. THESE SITES WILL ATTRACT RESIDENTS AND VISITORS BACK

TO THE RIVERS, WASHINGTON’S GREATEST AND MOST NEGLECTED NATURAL RESOURCE.

The enhancement of Washington’s Monumental Corridors will go hand-in-hand with the creation of

new Civic Gateways to make the experience of arrival and departure more memorable. North and

South Capitol Streets, New York, Georgia and Maryland Avenues and the Anacostia Freeway are only

a few of the approaches that can be improved as a result of the master plan.

The 1997 Legacy Plan recommended sweeping transportation improvements to create a more

unified, beautiful and equitable city. In addition to expanding Metro capacity and adding light rail, the

plan recommended a supplementary system of circulators, water taxis and bicycle paths to help

tourists and commuters move easily around the Core. For the new memorial and museum sites to

work, visitors must be able to reach them conveniently, which makes the proposed transportation

improvements even more critical.

THE CITY AND THE PLAN
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A revitalized South Capitol Street, linking the Capitol 

to the Anacostia River, could integrate museums and

memorials with new shops, offices and housing. The 

proposed Circulator (left) could connect key museums and memorials to Metrorail and water taxi stops.
Washington’s museums and memorials attract 21 million visitors annually, producing $4.2 billion

in revenue. Cultural tourism is second only to government as a share of the regional economy. Yet

these benefits are concentrated on the Mall, which is surrounded by official buildings that offer few

opportunities for visitors to spend extra money. One reason for distributing new memorials and

museums throughout the city is to increase opportunities for direct spending on hotels, restaurants,

shops, theaters and transportation. While these attractions are rarely money machines—the average

visitor to the Smithsonian shops spends only $1.24—when strategically integrated with stores,

offices, housing and development they can produce substantial economic benefits.

The U.S. Navy Memorial, for example, was developed as part of the Pennsylvania Avenue Development

Corporation’s restoration of America’s Main Street. It is a lively urban plaza surrounded by restaurants,

shops, galleries and apartments. Visitors come to the memorial for a concert or other special event,

decide to stay around for lunch, then wander past the shops and galleries on neighboring streets. While

the Navy Memorial did not cause the redevelopment of this key area, it has clearly reinforced it.

The popular Newseum plans to relocate from Arlington, Virginia to Pennsylvania Avenue and

6th Street, NW, further strengthening the revitalization of downtown Washington. In addition to

attracting 500,000 visitors a year, the Newseum will be the centerpiece of a major residential and

commercial development.This kind of substantial mixed-use project will help pull visitors off the Mall

into the heart of the city. Instead of being dependent on the seasonal ebb and flow of tourists, it will

be part of a commercial and residential center that is vibrant throughout the year, offering museum

and memorial sponsors the opportunity for year-round visitation.

Beyond their economic and urban design benefits, museums and memorials help to make Washington

America’s gathering place.They shape its character and define its landscape.They bring people to the

city, instruct them, inspire them and keep them here.

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Memorials serve as settings for civic celebration as well 

as solemn commemoration, as at the National Navy

Memorial (right). The historic Pension Building, adjacent to the National Law Enforcement Officers

Memorial,

now houses the National Building Museum (below).

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THE NEW LANDSCAPE OF COMMEMORATION

THE MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN INTEGRATES KEY NATURAL

FEATURES—RIVERS, RIDGES, OVERLOOKS—WITH THE AVENUES, PARKS AND SQUARES

CREATED BY PIERRE L’ENFANT AND SUBSEQUENT PLANNERS. ALTHOUGH IT BUILDS

ON THOSE EARLIER PLANS, IT ALSO INTRODUCES NEW ELEMENTS—CRESCENTS,

CORRIDORS AND SPECIAL FOCUS AREAS—THAT STRENGTHEN WASHINGTON’S

SYMBOLIC AND COMMEMORATIVE CHARACTER.
THE FRAMEWORK

The Waterfront Crescent incorporates public lands and open spaces along the 

Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, including West Potomac Park, the Southeast Federal Center,

Washington Navy Yard and Old Anacostia. These sites have spectacular water views as well as

potentially strong visual connections to the Capitol, the 

Washington Monument and other major landmarks.

Monumental Corridors are the broad streets and avenues that were part of

the original L’Enfant City, and that together with squares, circles and triangles form an internal

network of urban spaces with strong commemorative possibilities. Among the most important are

North, South and East Capitol Streets, Maryland 

and Pennsylvania Avenues and 16th Street, NW.

Three Commemorative Focus Areas mark the intersections of the Waterfront 

Crescent and major streets and corridors, such as the juncture of South Capitol Street and the

Anacostia River. These areas are sufficiently large and prominent 

to accommodate memorials and museums of national significance.

In addition to these three major elements, the plan also contains a number of

Special Sites—some in neighborhoods, others near parks and other scenic areas—

that will help to distribute the city’s vast historic and cultural resources beyond 

the traditional tourist orbit.
memorials and museums 

master plan

framework
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THE FRAMEWORK DIAGRAM CONSISTS OF A WATERFRONT CRESCENT, MONUMENTAL CORRIDORS,

COMMEMORATIVE FOCUS AREAS AND S PECIAL SITES. WHILE EACH HAS ITS OWN ROLE

IN THE OVERALL FRAMEWORK, TOGETHER THEY CREATE A NEW GEOGRAPHY OF COMMEMORATION FOR

THE NATION’S CAPITAL.

WATERFRONT CRESCENT

The Potomac and Anacostia Crescent provides opportunities

for both major memorials and museums and smaller, understated attractions that would draw people to the water without

intruding on adjacent parkland.This modest memorial site in

West Potomac Park has its own identity as well as a clear

visual relationship to the grander Lincoln Memorial.

1 COMMEMORATIVE FOCUS AREAS

South Capitol Street is an extraordinary Commemorative

Focus Area on the Anacostia River and the convergence of

I-295, I-395 and the South Capitol Street Bridge. Along its

entire length are attractive development sites as well as

prominent locations for museums and memorials.

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SPECIAL SITES

Special Sites that reflect the life and culture of a particular

neighborhood or area are an important feature of the

Memorials and Museums Master Plan.This one, at the

intersection of Martin Luther King Avenue and Howard

Road, near the Anacostia Metrorail station, could become

the centerpiece of a new town square that draws the local

community together.

MONUMENTAL CORRIDORS 4

New York Avenue is both a Monumental Corridor and a key

gateway to the District. Its intersection with Florida Avenue

would be an ideal location for a major memorial to mark

the passage into downtown Washington. Redesigning the

intersection might also create a circle or square suitable

for a smaller memorial.

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Proposed Sites With the rush of new museum

and memorial proposals, the heart of the Mall,

known as the Reserve, has been declared off limits. Adjacent sites are restricted to works of “preeminent historic and national significance.”The

remaining sites identified in the master plan are

spread throughout the city, including its rivers,

escarpments and historic neighborhoods.

Existing Sites Of the 228 existing museums

and memorials in Washington, the majority are

clustered in or near the Monumental Core, with

some to the north and across the Potomac River

in Virginia.This has been the pattern for over 100

years, as sponsors have competed to be close to

the symbolic heart of the city.

CANDIDATE MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM SITES
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IMPLEMENTATION IS THE MOST COMPLICATED PART OF ANY PLAN, THE KEY TO ITS SUCCESS AND OFTEN

THE REASON FOR ITS FAILURE. THE MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN CONTAINS SPECIFIC

SITE-SELECTION GUIDELINES THAT HAVE BEEN ENDORSED BY THE REVIEW AGENCIES AND THAT WILL

AID MEMORIAL SPONSORS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS.

The first, and most obvious, is that government officials and review agencies—the National Capital

Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Memorial

Commission—will actively promote the redistribution of new memorials and museums throughout

the city by selecting alternative sites from the 102 listed in the master plan.The plan also proposes

a comprehensive outreach program that encourages individuals, civic groups and professional organizations to participate in and comment on proposals before final decisions are made.This will not only

raise public awareness and support, but also produce a broad consensus about the most appropriate

sites for new memorials and museums. Beyond these general points, the plan contains specific

recommendations for reserving sites, creating necessary infrastructure and funding both.

The master plan outlines strategies for weaving memorials and museums into the urban fabric, and

occasionally for securing key parcels of non-federal land to accommodate them. It also encourages

the National Park Service, the General Services Administration and the District to reserve sites for

commemorative purposes using existing regulations.The District is also developing a review process

for memorials on its own land.

FROM PLAN TO ACTION
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Reusing existing buildings and sites is another part of the implementation package.The successful

conversion of the Pension Building into the National Building Museum and the Hemicycle at

Arlington National Cemetery into the Women in Military Service for America Memorial shows what

can be achieved through enlightened stewardship.

Isolation can be fatal to memorials and museums.The master plan encourages collaboration with

regional transportation agencies to locate new memorials and museums close to existing or planned

Metrorail stations, and in the path of alternative transit, such as water taxis and the future downtown

circulator, a system within a system that will transport visitors to major attractions throughout

central Washington. Given the importance of the Waterfront Crescent to the master plan, federal

and District officials might also consider building riverside landings, possibly as a private franchise.

New sources of funding and new ways of distributing it will also have to be found for the master plan

to succeed. In the 1970s and 1980s, for example, the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation

remade America’s Main Street, including its commemorative spaces, using a combination of public

and private funding.The National Capital Revitalization Corporation, created in 1997, could play a

similar role in developing future memorials and museums. Its mandate is to create jobs, attract

businesses and generally improve the District economy.The federal government has provided an

initial grant of $25 million and Fannie Mae has pledged to invest $75 million in the Revitalization

Corporation’s projects, some of which could support new memorials and museums in areas such as

South Capitol Street.

The Secretary of the Interior should be authorized to seek appropriated funds for grants or loans

to memorial sponsors to defray the cost of site improvements associated with new memorials and

museums.This would balance out the large public subsidies now given to memorial and museum sponsors who locate on public land.
HISTORY TELLS US THAT THERE WILL BE NO SHORTAGE OF NEW MUSEUMS AND MEMORIALS

IN WASHINGTON IN THE 21ST CENTURY. THIS IS AMERICA’S CAPITAL, THE SEAT OF

ITS COLLECTIVE MEMORY, AND COMMEMORATION IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES IT

SPECIAL. PUBLIC DEBATE HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THIS PROCESS, FROM THE DESIGN

OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT IN THE 19TH CENTURY TO THE VIETNAM VETERANS

MEMORIAL IN THE 20TH. THE DEBATE IS ESSENTIAL, IF SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING; YET

THAT ENTIRE PROCESS WOULD BENEFIT IF IT WERE SEEN AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE

PLAN INSTEAD OF AN ISOLATED EVENT.

THAT IS ONE OF THE BROAD GOALS OF THE MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN.

IT CLARIFIES THE SITE SELECTION PROCESS BY DESIGNATING A “NO BUILD” ZONE AT THE CROSS-AXES OF

THE MALL, AND PROVIDING A LIST OF POTENTIAL

SITES THAT ALLOW ANYONE—PLANNER, SPONSOR,

CITIZEN, PUBLIC OFFICIAL—TO KNOW IMMEDIATELY WHETHER A PARTICULAR LOCATION AND

A PARTICULAR PROJECT ARE RIGHT FOR

ONE ANOTHER. SPONSORS WILL STILL HAVE TO

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CONCLUSION

Pershing Park
SECURE CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION AND WIN APPROVAL FROM THE VARIOUS REVIEW AGENCIES;

BUT WITH THE NEW MASTER PLAN THEY WILL KNOW AT THE BEGINNING WHAT’S POSSIBLE AND WHAT’S

NOT. AN INVENTORY OF SITES, COMPLETE WITH COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATIONS, WILL GIVE

CONGRESS, PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND A CONCERNED PUBLIC A CONTEXT FOR

JUDGING SPECIFIC PROPOSALS, AND SPONSORS A BETTER CHANCE OF SECURING AN

APPROPRIATE SITE.

THE MEMORIALS AND MUSEUMS MASTER PLAN DOES NOT PROPOSE TO FREEZE THE

MONUMENTAL CORE. IT OFFERS INSTEAD A PRAGMATIC RESPONSE TO A DAUNTING

PROBLEM: BALANCING THE DESIRES OF SPONSORS TO BE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY WITH

THE NEED TO PROTECT THE BEAUTY AND OPENNESS OF THE MALL. IT GIVES THE PUBLIC

A VOICE WHILE RESERVING FINAL DECISIONS FOR THE REVIEW AGENCIES. IT REAFFIRMS

PIERRE L’ENFANT’S VISION OF WASHINGTON AS A CITY WHERE FEDERAL AND LOCAL,

GRAND AND ORDINARY, CAN COEXIST TO THE BENEFIT OF BOTH. IT IS AN INSTRUMENT, IN

OTHER WORDS, FOR ACHIEVING A DELICATE BALANCE THAT SAFEGUARDS THE QUALITIES

THAT MAKE WASHINGTON UNIQUE.

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The Memorials and Museums Master Plan establishes

policies for the siting and design of new memorials and

museums throughout the District of Columbia. Review

agencies must consult these policies in evaluating proposals

for new commemorative works in the Nation’s Capital.

Sites

1. Preserving the integrity of the Monumental Core, its vistas, open spaces and recreation areas is the primary objective of limiting the number of new museums and memorials.

2. New memorials and museums are to be encouraged in all

quadrants of the city as a way of reinforcing local communities and local revitalization efforts.

3. No new memorial or museum may be located within the

Reserve, as defined in the Comprehensive Plan for the

National Capital.

4. Only museums and memorials of the “highest historical

and national significance” may be located in Area 1;

however, no museums may be located in East Potomac

Park or other park land in Area 1.

5. New memorials proposed for Area 1, as defined in the

Commemorative Works Act, shall be limited to sites identified in the master plan.Those proposed for areas outside

Area 1 should locate on sites identified in the master plan.

6.The U.S. Capitol grounds should be off limits to new

memorials.

7. All new memorial and museum sites should be appropriate to their subject, and respectful of their immediate

surroundings and neighborhoods.

Design

1. Memorials and museums should reinforce key design

features of the L’Enfant and McMillan Plans, including

major streets and avenues, waterfronts and scenic overlooks.

2. Special attention should be paid to locating new memorials and museums along major approaches to the District

and the Monumental Core.

3. Placing new memorials along the Potomac and Anacostia

Rivers will help to reconnect Washington to its most important natural resource.

4. Prominent sites, such as promontories and broad

intersections, should be reserved for significant memorials.

5. New memorials must not encroach on neighboring

memorials and open spaces.

6. Recycling older buildings into new museums and

memorials is sound planning, as shown by the success of

the Pension Building in Judiciary Square and the Hemicycle

at Arlington National Cemetery.

7. Essential visitor support services at memorial sites shall

not detract from the commemorative purpose of the memorial, lessen the visitor’s experience, nor interfere with views

and vistas.

Connections

1. Whenever possible, new museums and memorials should

serve as catalysts for economic development and for public

and private urban design improvements.

2. Museums and memorials should enhance the image and

identity of their surroundings. New museums and memorials

should take advantage of existing infrastructure, especially

public transportation.

3. Locating commemorative works close to other civic projects

will likely increase tourism and educational opportunities.

4. Memorials and museums should support established land

uses and local planning objectives.

5.The District government, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions

and neighborhood groups will be consulted in planning museums

and memorials outside the Monumental Core.

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Policies for New Museums and Memorials
1 Memorial Drive George Washington Memorial Parkway,

west of Memorial Bridge

2 E Street expressway interchange on the east side of the

Kennedy Center, NW

3 Intersection of Maryland and Independence Avenues,

SW (between 4th and 6th Streets)

4 Kingman Island (Anacostia River)

5 Freedom Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW between

13th and 14th Streets, NW

6 Potomac River waterfront on Rock Creek Parkway

south of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge

7 East Capitol Street east of 19th Street (north of the

Armory - current west entrance to RFK)

8 South Capitol Street terminus at the Anacostia River

(Florida Rock ‘amenity’ site), SE/SW

9 10th Street Overlook at south end of L’Enfant

Promenade, SW (10th Street)

10 Constitution Gardens south of Constitution Avenue

11 Walt Whitman Park along E Street between 19th and

20th Streets, NW

12 On the Tidal Basin on Maine Avenue west of 14th

Street, SW (just north of Outlet Bridge)

13 In East Potomac Park on the Potomac River at the

current railroad and/or Metrorail bridges

14 The intersection of New York and Florida Avenues

(and new Metrorail Station)

15 Pennsylvania Avenue and the Anacostia River at

west end of the Sousa Bridge

16 Anacostia River waterfront south shore in Anacostia

Park, SE (just east of the Douglass Bridge)

17 West of North Capitol Street on McMillan Reservoir

Grounds, NW (sand filtration plant)

18 South of Ash Road at the site of the NPS horse stables,

West Potomac Park

19 The intersection of Maryland and Virginia Avenues, SW

between 7th and 9th Streets

20 Along Potomac River shoreline in West Potomac Park,

west of FDR Memorial

21 Maryland Avenue near Anacostia Park and

Langston Golf Course, NE (at 22nd Street)

22 West shore of the Anacostia River at Massachusetts

Avenue, SE

23 Anacostia Park, SE (old Architect of the

Capitol Nursery) south of Anacostia River

24 Woodrow Wilson Plaza (or Benjamin Franklin Circle),

12th or 13th Streets, south of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

25 Northeast corner of Louisiana Ave and 1st Street, NW

26 Washington Avenue (Canal Street) at 2nd Street, SW

27 In East Potomac Park on Washington Channel,

across from 7th Street, SW

28 Daingerfield Island on George Washington Memorial

Parkway, south of National Airport

29 On the grounds of St. Elizabeths Hospital, SE

30 On the north shore of Oxon Cove, SW

31 Fort Davis Park north of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE

(Bowen Road and 38th Street)

32 Northeast corner of Maryland and Constitution

Avenues, NE

33 Northeast corner of Maryland Avenue and D Street, NE

34 Northeast corner of Pennsylvania and Independence

Avenues, SE

35 Intersection of Pennsylvania and South Carolina

Avenues at D Street, SE (near Eastern Market

Metrorail Station)

36 Circle at the intersection of Pennsylvania and Potomac

Avenues, SE (near Potomac Avenue Metrorail Station)

37 Anacostia River waterfront in the Southeast

Federal Center, SE

38 On the north shore of the Anacostia River, immediately

east of the Douglass Bridge, SE

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Candidate Memorial/Museum Sites

Sites 1 through 19 are considered Prime Sites
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Candidate Memorial/Museum Sites

Candidate Site

Prime Candidate Site
39 East Potomac Park on Washington Channel between

golf course and Hains Point, SW

40 East Potomac Park on Potomac River between

golf course and Hains Point, SW

41 East of 14th Street and north of the expressway

(1-395) within the Portals project, SW

42 East side of Washington Channel at Water Street and

7th Street, SW

43 Along Potomac River shoreline in West Potomac Park

south of the Lincoln Memorial

44 Either in Edward Murrow (18th/l9th) or James Monroe

(20th/2lst) Parks on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

45 Either of two existing park triangles on either side of

25th Street on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

46 In Rock Creek Park between M Street and Pennsylvania

Avenue, NW

47 Intersection of Massachusetts and Florida Avenues with

22nd and Q Streets, NW

48 Intersection of Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues,

NW near 3rd Street

49 Intersection of Eastern Avenue and 16th Street, NW

50 D.C. side of Chain Bridge, NW on the Potomac River

(on Canal Road)

51 The intersection of Canal Road and Foxhall Road, NW

on the Potomac River

52 The northern end of Key Bridge at M Street, NW

(and the Whitehurst Freeway)

53 North of Massachusetts Avenue, NW (and Macomb

Street) at Glover Archbold Parkway

54 Tenley Circle Reservations at Wisconsin/Nebraska

Avenues and Yuma Street, NW

55 Potomac River at Rock Creek Parkway at west side of

Kennedy Center

56 East side of Rock Creek at the end of Virginia Avenue,

NW

57 On the Potomac River at the foot of Wisconsin Avenue,

Georgetown Waterfront Park

58 North of the Pentagon North Parking area on Boundary

Channel in Virginia

59 On the Virginia side of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge

60 In East Potomac Park on the west shore of the

Washington Channel at Case Bridge

61 New Washington Convention Center at Mount Vernon

Square (Massachusetts and New York Avenues, NW)

62 Intersection of New York and New Jersey Avenues and

M Street, NW

63 Anacostia River north shoreline east of 11th Street

between the Martin Luther King Memorial and Sousa

Bridges

64 South side of Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge

(11th Street) on the Anacostia River

65 Virginia side of the 14th Street Bridge near the

location of the old Twin Bridges Marriott

66 The intersection of New York, West Virginia, and

Montana Avenues, NE

67 Pennsylvania Avenue Sousa Bridge east intersection

with the Anacostia Freeway (on the Anacostia River)

68 North shore of the Anacostia River in the Washington

Navy Yard, SE

69 North side of Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge

(11th Street) east of Washington Navy Yard, SE

70 Between 16th and W Streets and Florida and New

Hampshire Avenues, NW (south of Meridian Hill Park)

71 Intersection of Maryland and Florida Avenues and

Benning Road, NE

72 Maryland Avenue in the general location of the entrance

to the National Arboretum

73 New Hampshire and Georgia Avenues, NW (Georgia

Avenue-Petworth Metrorail Station)

74 West shoreline of Kingman Lake (Anacostia River),

northeast of RFK Stadium, NE

75 West shoreline of Kingman Lake (Anacostia River),

southeast of RFK Stadium, SE

76 Fort Chaplin Park on East Capitol Street (at approximately Fort Drive), west of Benning Road

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77 Southeast Federal Center at M Street, SE

78 At Anacostia Metrorail Station south of Howard Road,

SE (on either WMATA or federal property)

79 Landscaped deck over 1-66 (between Fort Myer Drive

and Lynn Streets) at Key Bridge, Arlington

80 Circle in front of entrance to historic terminal at

Reagan National Airport

81 Marina on the Potomac River in Bolling Air Force

Base, SW (between Chanute and Edwards Places)

82 Fort Stanton Park north of Suitland Parkway, SE

(20th Street)

83 Rhode Island Avenue Metrorail Station

84 Fort Totten Metrorail Station (or located in

Fort Totten Park)

85 On U.S. Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home grounds, NW

(west of North Capitol Street)

86 Northwest corner of 16th Street and Military Road

(in Rock Creek Park, NW)

87 South of Military Road (at 27th Street) or north of

Military Road, NW (east of Oregon Avenue)

88 Circle at Massachusetts and Western Avenue, NW

(at entrance to Dalecarlia Parkway)

89 South of V Street, west of Half Street, SW

90 Intersection of Georgia and Eastern Avenues, NW

91 On 8th Street, NW on Barry Street (Banneker

Recreation Center)

92 Glenwood Cemetery, just north of Rhode Island Avenue

and east of North Capitol Street

93 Fort Lincoln. On the north side of New York Avenue, NE

west of the Anacostia River

94 On north side of Alabama Avenue, SE immediately

east of St. Elizabeths (near Congress Heights

Metrorail Station)

95 Navy Annex just north of Washington Boulevard

(in Arlington, Virginia)

96 On Eastern Avenue and Barnard Hill Drive, NE between

Rhode Island and Michigan Avenues

97 At the intersection of M Street and Delaware Avenue, SW

98 At the intersection of New Jersey and Massachusetts

Avenues, NW

99 At the intersection of South Capitol Street and

Anacostia Freeway (I-295), east side

100Adjacent to the Brentwood Maintenance Facility on

New York Avenue, NE (east of Florida Avenue)

101Intersection of Massachusetts, South Carolina, and

Independence Avenues, SE

102On the north side of the National Museum of American

History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW

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27

The Memorials and Museums Master Plan is being prepared

by the National Capital Planning Commission as part of

its mission as the central planning agency for the federal

government in the Washington region. NCPC has developed

this draft plan in cooperation with the Commission of Fine

Arts and the National Capital Memorial Commission. Since

1997 these three organizations have been working together

as a Joint Task Force to explore the issues affecting future

memorials and museums. A team of nationally recognized

planning and design professionals has assisted in offering

creative approaches to the master plan work. In addition,

the Joint Task Force has consulted with numerous local business, community, and professional groups in the

preparation of this draft plan.

This document summarizes a more comprehensive draft

master plan.To obtain a copy of the draft technical report

or to comment on the master plan, contact Ronald Wilson,

National Capital Planning Commission, 401 9th Street, NW,

North Lobby, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20576; telephone: 202-482-7200; info@ncpc.gov.

THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION

Harvey B. Gantt, Presidential Appointee, Chairman

Patricia Elwood, Mayoral Appointee, Vice Chairman

Arrington Dixon, Mayoral Appointee

Margaret G. Vanderhye, Presidential Appointee

Robert A. Gaines, Presidential Appointee

The Honorable William S. Cohen, Secretary of Defense

The Honorable Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior

The Honorable David J. Barram, Administrator of

General Services

The Honorable Dan Burton, Chairman, Committee on

Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Fred Thompson, Chairman, Committee on

Government Affairs, U.S. Senate

The Honorable Anthony A. Williams, Mayor,

District of Columbia

The Honorable Linda W. Cropp, Chairman, Council of

the District of Columbia

COOPERATING AGENCIES

Commission of Fine Arts

J.Carter Brown, Chairman

Harry G. Robinson, III, Vice Chairman

Carolyn Brody

Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel

Ann Todd Free

Emily Malino

Eden Rafshoon

National Capital Memorial Commission

John G. Parsons, National Park Service, Chairman

Charles Atherton, Commission of Fine Arts

Jack Finberg, General Services Administration

Herbert Franklin, Architect of the Capitol

Suzanne Ganschinietz, District of Columbia

Historic Preservation Office

Dale F. Means, USA, American Battle Monuments Commission

Jerry Shiplett, Department of Defense

Ronald Wilson, National Capital Planning Commission

JOINT TASK FORCE ON MEMORIALS

Margaret G. Vanderhye, Chairman

Presidential Appointee, National Capital Planning Commission

Charles Atherton

Secretary, Commission of Fine Arts

Member, National Capital Memorial Commission

Arrington Dixon

Mayoral Appointee, National Capital Planning Commission

Patricia S. Elwood

Mayoral Appointee, Vice Chairman,

National Capital Planning Commission

Jack Finberg

Special Assistant to the Assistant Regional Administrator

National Capital Region, General Services Administration

Member, National Capital Memorial Commission

Alternate, National Capital Planning Commission

Herbert Franklin

Administrative Assistant, Architect of the Capitol

Member, National Capital Memorial Commission
Robert A. Gaines

Presidential Appointee, National Capital Planning Commission

Suzanne Ganschinietz

District of Columbia Historic Preservation Office

Member, National Capital Memorial Commission

Harvey B. Gantt

Presidential Appointee, Chairman,

National Capital Planning Commission

Colonel Dale F. Means, USA

Director of Engineering and Maintenance,

American Battle Monuments Commission

Member, National Capital Memorial Commission

John G. Parsons

Associate Regional Director, Lands, Resources, and

Planning, National Capital Region, National Park Service

Chairman, National Capital Memorial Commission

Alternate, National Capital Planning Commission

Jerry Shiplett

Special Assistant to the Director of Real Estate and

Facilities, U.S. Department of Defense

Member, National Capital Memorial Commission

Alternate, National Capital Planning Commission

Melissa Wojciak

Professional Staff Member, Subcommittee on the

District of Columbia, Committee on Government Reform,

U.S. House of Representatives

Alternate, National Capital Planning Commission

MASTER PLAN URBAN DESIGN EXPERTS

Diana Balmori, FASLA, Principal, Balmori Associates, Inc.;

former Principal for Landscape and Urban Design at Cesar

Pelli and Associates

Joseph E. Brown, FASLA, President, EDAW; former

consultant for Legacy

David Childs, FAIA, Partner, Skidmore Owings & Merrill;

former NCPC Chairman; former consultant for Legacy

Elliott Carroll, FAIA, former Executive Assistant to the

Architect of the Capitol; former member of National Capital

Memorial Commission

Charles Graves, Director, City of Baltimore Planning Department

Michael Graves, FAIA, Principal, Michael Graves and Associates

Roger Lewis, FAIA, Principal, Roger K. Lewis & Associates;

Professor of Architecture, University of Maryland;

Washington Post columnist

Elizabeth Meyer, Chairman of the Department of Landscape

Architecture, University of Virginia

Grover Mouton III, Director of the Center for Regional

Design,Tulane University

Witold Rybczynski, FAIA, Meyerson Professor of Urbanism

and Director of the Urban Design Program at the University

of Pennsylvania

Pamela Scott, Historian of Washington architecture; author

of numerous works on L’Enfant and Robert Mills

Sue Sturtevant, Head, Education Programs, Museums of

New Mexico, Santa Fe

Amy Weinstein, FAIA, Principal, Weinstein Associates

Technical Consultants

Leo A Daly, Planning, Architecture, Engineering, Interiors

EDAW, Planning & Urban Design, Landscape Architecture,

Resource Management

ERA, Economic Consultants

Gorove/Slade Associates, Inc.,Transportation,Traffic

and Parking Consultants

The Commission extends its appreciation to David Dillon, the

author of this document, and to Carter Cosgrove &

Company, the graphic designers. Watercolors by Michael

McCann; sketches by James Russell; and photographs by

Carol Highsmith.

28
NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION

401 9TH STREET, NW

N O R T H L O B B Y, S U I T E 5 0 0

WASHINGTON, DC 20576

TEL 202 482-7200

FAX 202 482-7272

www.ncpc.gov

December 2000

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA