National Capital Parks A History

The McMillan Park Commission

By the end of the nineteenth century the city had grown outside the limits of the original plan. Moreover, there were certain major deviations from the original design. The Mall area was far from the formal park envisioned by L'Enfant. Since 1872, the Pennsylvania railroad had occupied the Mall. At times, the area was a common pasture with herds of cattle roaming about.

The presence of the railroad on the Mall was a complete deviation from the original L'Enfant plan. The members of the McMillan Commission met with representatives of the Pennsylvania railroad and discussed the proposed development of the Mall. President Casatt of the railroad agreed to withdraw completely from the Mall and to unite with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad in the construction of a union station. The McMillan commission proposed a site for a union station fronting Massachusetts avenue and the railroad officials agreed. The Commission was then free to proceed with its plans for the Mall.

A second deviation from the L'Enfant plan was the erection of the Treasury building next to the White House — thus completely blocking the view from the White House to the Capitol. This vista was envisioned by L'Enfant as a "splendid avenue without obstruction." There was no chance of changing the location of the Treasury building; but perhaps, similar deviations could be avoided in the future.

The Capital needed a comprehensive plan to prevent deviations from the original plan and to prepare for future developments. Just such a plan came forth under the guiding hand of the McMillan Park Commission, which formulated the master plan for the development of the Nation's Capital for the past 50 years.

The year 1900 marked the one hundredth anniversary of the removal of the seat of government to Washington. The keynote of the celebration was the improvement of the city. The American Institute of Architects enthusiastically took up the cause of the National Capital, and the centennial celebration was made the occasion of a book by Glenn Brown. [31] President Theodore Roosevelt and others were convinced that something should be done about the condition of the Nation's Capital. Senator McMillan, Chairman of the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia secured authority to appoint a special commission of experts to study and make recommendations on the beautification and development of Washington. [32] The experts selected included Architect Daniel H. Burnham of Chicago, Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., of Brookline, Massachusetts, Architect Charles F. McKim and Sculptor Augustus Saint Gaudens of New York City. Each of these men was outstanding in his field. Under the chairmanship of Daniel Burnham these men formulated a comprehensive plan for the future development of the National Capital. It was not intended to have this plan adopted; it was simply a project for the development of the city along lines of convenience, order, and beauty. [33] The inherent excellence of the McMillan plan has been proven over and over again. Since the time of its publication many important improvements have been made in accordance with it. [34]

The McMillan Plan

The McMillan plan of 1901 called for no appropriations. It stipulated that as Congress should see fit to provide for new public buildings and additional parks or parkways, or for improvement of existing public spaces, that the work should be done in accordance with a well-considered general plan covering the entire District of Columbia. [35] After careful study, the Commission came to the conclusion that the original plan of L'Enfant should be followed as closely as possible. Two immediate accomplishments of the Commission were the removal of the railroad tracks and station from the Mall area and the selection of a site for a monument to Abraham Lincoln. In accomplishing the latter, the Commission extended the Mall Axis one mile directly west of the Washington Monument on the lands dredged from the Potomac river. At the western-most terminus of this extension, a site for a monument to Lincoln was selected. The builders of the Washington Monument, fearing inadequate foundations, had located the Monument a short distance from the exact point fixed in the L'Enfant plan, which called for the Monument to be located at a point where a line drawn due west from the center of the Capitol would intersect a line drawn due south from the center of the White House. [36] Other important features of the McMillan Commission's work that materially aided the beautification of Washington, consisted in the suggestions for connections between various park areas, and the acquisition of new park areas with increased emphasis on securing those lands needed to preserve the best landscape effects. [37] Many of these suggestions were later followed by park officials. By adhering to the broad outline of the McMillan plan, park officials effected numerous improvements which helped to make Washington one of the most beautifully designed cities of the World.

East and West Potomac Parks

In accordance with the McMillan plan, two beautiful parks were established on the lands dredged from the Potomac river. These two parks were established for the enjoyment of the people of the United States, An area of 327 acres was reclaimed through the dredging of the Washington Channel, and came to be known as East Potomac Park. The hydraulic dredging of the swampy regions southwest of the Washington Monument resulted in the creation of West Potomac Park, comprising 394 acres. East Potomac Park was transferred from U. S. Engineers to the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds in 1907, becoming an integral part of the National Capital Parks. West Potomac Park was transferred to the same office in 1913. Both of these parks have added immeasurable beauty to the National Capital. West Potomac Park affords a charming approach to the Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington Memorial Bridge. One of the picturesque features of this park is the presence of the Oriental cherry trees, which surround the Tidal Basin. Thousands are attracted to Washington each year to view the blossoms and participate in the traditional Cherry Blossom Festival. East Potomac Park, one of the important island parks of the World, has become an area of intense park use in the National Capital.

Congressional Action in the Development of the National Capital

The years 1867-1925 were extremely rich in park development. The Officer in Charge of Public Buildings and Grounds was aided in the work of long—range planning and design by numerous Commissions, some of which are still in existence today. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the Congress of the United States has become increasingly aware of its responsibilities for the development and beautification of the National Capital for the enjoyment of the whole Nation. In carrying out these responsibilities Congress established numerous commissions, delegating to each a specific task in the over—all development of the city. In this manner, Congress has played a significant role in the development of the park system. The office of Public Buildings and Grounds was intimately connected with each of the commissions. The Officer in Charge of Public Buildings and Grounds was the Executive Officer and handled all of the administrative work of the various commissions. The most significant of all these commissions with respect to park development was the McMillan Park Commission of 1901. It laid out the basic plan upon which other commissions took action.

In addition to the McMillan Commission, other significant commissions were established for certain tasks. On May 17, 1910, Congress established a Commission of Fine Arts. [38] Subsequently, the Officer in charge of Public Buildings and Grounds was made Secretary and Executive Officer of that Commission. [39] The Lincoln Memorial Commission was organized in connection with the erection of the Monument to Lincoln. The Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Commission was established in 1913. [40] The National Capital Park Commission was authorized by Congress on June 6, 1924. [41] The Officer in Charge was the executive officer of all these commissions and a member of all except the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and the Fine Arts Commissions.

Cherry Blossom Time

Lincoln Memorial National Monument

On February 9, 1911, an act of Congress creating a Lincoln Memorial Commission was approved by the President of the United States. The Officer in Charge of Public Buildings and Grounds was appointed executive and disbursing officer of this commission. Considerable care and judgment was given to the selection of the site for the Monument and the architectural design of the building. On February 1, 1913, the Lincoln Memorial Commission selected Henry Bacon as the architect for the Monument. Subsequently, Daniel Chester French was chosen as the sculptor to execute the statue of Lincoln for the interior of the Monument. Jules Guerin was named the artist to design the murals on the south and north walls. The dedication of the Lincoln Memorial took place on the afternoon of Decoration Day, May 30, 1922.

The exterior of the Lincoln Memorial symbolizes the Union of the United States of America. Surrounding the walls of the Memorial Hall is a colonnade of the States of the Union. On the frieze above are the names of the 36 States existing at the time of Lincoln's death. On the walls above the colonnade are inscribed the names of the 48 States existing today. Within the walls are three principal memorials to Lincoln — the marble Statue of Lincoln and the inscriptions of the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural.

The Lincoln Memorial

Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway

Visitors to Washington are impressed with the beautiful Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway. By the act approved March 4, 1913, the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Commission was created. The commission consisted of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of Agriculture. The purpose of the act was the prevention of the pollution and obstruction of Rock Creek and the connection of West Potomac Park with the Zoological Park and Rock Creek Park. The Officer in Charge of Public Buildings and Grounds was appointed executive and disbursing officer of the commission. Of the area acquired, 66.14 acres were owned by the United States. An additional 93.76 acres were acquired by purchase and condemnation, which included areas which the Washington Gas Light Company was required to vacate. The parkway was completed by sections and there was no formal dedication ceremony. It has become one of the most heavily used drives in the National Capital Parks.

Arlington Memorial Amphitheater

Although presently the National Capital Parks office does not have jurisdiction over the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater and Chapel, they were constructed under the supervision of the Officer in Charge of Public Buildings and Grounds. Ground was broken at the site March 1, 1915, the first earth being turned by the Secretary of the Navy. The dedication of the Amphitheater took place with appropriate ceremonies on May 15, 1920. On July 1, 1920, the care and maintenance of the structure was turned over to the Quartermaster Department of the United States Army.

United States Park Police

During the administration of the Officer in Charge of Public Buildings and Grounds, one of the finest park protection forces in the World was organized. By an act approved August 5, 1882, Congress conferred upon the watchmen employed by the Federal Government in the public parks of Washington the same powers and duties as the Metropolitan police. [42] The members of this relatively small force were first uniformed in 1900. They were authorized to make arrests not only inside the parks but also outside their limits, and to pursue fugitives, who may have escaped from the parks. [43] The park watchmen were formally called "United States Park Police" by act of Congress approved December 5, 1919. [44] The United States Park Police were under the exclusive control of the Officer in Charge of Public Buildings and Grounds. Unlike the park police of other large cities, they were Federal police. Today the park police are under the control of the Superintendent of National Capital Parks.

There was a careful and consistent development of the National Capital Parks during the years, 1867-1925. The growth of the park system in extent alone was a notable achievement. During this time, numerous park areas were acquired and developed, among the more important being Rock Creek Park, East and West Potomac Parks, Montrose, Meridian Hill, Fort Dupont and Fort Davis Parks, Union Station Plaza, and Columbia island. [45] In addition, the Rock Creek and Potomac Park way was begun.

Meridian Hill Park