The Prologue RoomThe requested video is no longer available.
Arriving at the west end of the Franklin Delano Memorial from West Basin Drive, one enters the paved entrance plaza. Zelcova trees shade the plaza. Straight ahead is a wall of large stone blocks stacked four rows high. Three lines of inscription on the wall reads: FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT (Note: All inscriptions in the memorial were done by stone carver John Benson) First Term RoomThe requested video is no longer available.
Etched into the pavement at the entry is FIRST TERM 1933-1937. On the wall to the right is a bronze sculpture, “Presidential Seal”, done by Tom Hardy.
“THIS GENERATION OF AMERICANS HAS A RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY.” “I PLEDGE YOU, I PLEDGE MYSELF, TO A NEW DEAL FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.” “NO COUNTRY, HOWEVER RICH, CAN AFFORD THE WASTE OF ITS HUMAN RESOURCES. DEMORALIZATION CAUSED BY VAST UNEMPLOYMENT IS OUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE. MORALLY, IT IS THE GREATEST MENACE TO OUR SOCIAL ORDER.” “MEN AND NATURE MUST WORK HAND IN HAND. THE THROWING OUT OF BALANCE OF THE RESOURCES OF NATURE THROWS OUT OF BALANCE ALSO THE LIVES OF MEN.” “IN THESE DAYS OF DIFFICULTY, WE AMERICANS EVERYWHERE MUST AND SHALL CHOOSE THE PATH OF SOCIAL JUSTICE … THE PATH OF FAITH , THE PATH OF HOPE, AND THE PATH OF LOVE TOWARD OUR FELLOW MAN.” “THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF.” Below this quote is a bronze bas-relief, sculpted by Robert Graham, depicting FDR being driven away from his 1st inauguration. The image appears out of focus, except for FDR, who is the center of attention. A main feature of this room is the large fountain. When the water is turned on, it cascades from the top straight to the bottom, ending in turbulence. When standing a few feet away from the front of the fountain, if one turns 90 degrees to the left, there is a nice view of the Washington Monument, to the north of the Tidal Basin. This room provides access to the Tidal Basin walkway via a set of handrailed stairs and/or a wheelchair accessible paved pathway, marked by signage. There are five granite benches in this room, as well as six wooden benches along the wheelchair accessible path.As visitors leave the 1st term room, via the passageway towards the 2nd term room, there is an inscription on the wall: “AMONG AMERICAN CITIZENS, THERE SHOULD BE NO FORGOTTEN MEN AND NO FORGOTTEN RACES.” At the same time the view of the city on the far side of the Tidal Basin disappears. Ornamental flowering cherry trees combine with other trees and shrubs to form a dense green wall on the left side (north side) of the walkway. Stone walls to the right of the walkway give way to a grassy berm, trees and shrubs. From one end of the memorial to the other, the athletic fields and Potomac River that lie on the south side of the memorial are blocked from view, with one exception, that occurs in Room 2. As throughout the memorial there is ample opportunity for anyone who wishes to stop and sit for a moment or two, because of the 12 stone benches along the passageway. Visitors pass by a small fountain prior to the end of the passageway, just before entering Room 2. If one looks closely, they will notice that the design of the fountain contains elements of both the large fountain in Room 1 and the large fountain seen straight ahead in Room 2. Second Term RoomThe requested video is no longer available.
Visitors entering Room Two are greeted by the inscription SECOND TERM 1937-1941 carved into the pavement. Visitors will discover that Room Two is divided into two halves by a wall. There are two sculptures straight ahead on the wall in the first half. “Appalachian Couple” and “The Breadline”, both created by sculptor George Segal, clearly depict the troubling times faced by both urban and rural communities during the Depression and the Dust Bowl.
INSCRIPTION: Entering the second half of Room 2, visitors see three things. First, in the large fountain straight ahead water flows down over a set of four steps. Halprin uses subliminal messages to reinforce the importance of the only four-term president and the fourth presidential memorial in Washington, DC. Stone walls are four rows high and the four steps of the fountain. INSCRIPTION: Turning around, visitors see the five-panel mural that occupies the back of the wall dividing Room Two into two halves. They also see the five columns that they may deduct tie in somehow with the five panels of the mural. “Social Programs” was created by Robert Graham. Confusing to most visitors are the squares depicting people involved in some kind of activity, the human body parts coming out from the bronze panels, the acronyms, the Braille symbols. The key to unlocking the mystery starts when they discover the list of New Deal programs on the bottom right corner of the left panel and realize that the figures on the columns are reverse of the ones on the mural panels and represent the idea of rolling out programs to create a positive effect on the economy. The third important element is the 30 foot wide section of fence that gives visitors a view to what lies outside the stone walls and berms. The open aspect created by the fence, similar to what a window does, combined with the lack of a tree canopy overhead seems to make this space brighter than anywhere else in the memorial. The actions taken by the administration would hopefully do the same for the country. INSCRIPTION: As visitors leave the space and move forward along the passageway, another green berm replaces stone wall. Before reaching the 3rd term room, another small fountain is encountered, again combining elements of the large fountains in Room 2 and Room 3.
Third Term RoomThe requested video is no longer available.
THIRD TERM 1941-1945 etched into the pavement.
Visitors encounter two separate jumbles of big linear stones. The one to the left consists of 12 stones. The one to the right consists of five stones. On the wall next to the jumble of five:
Each of the jumbles has a stone on which I HAVE is etched and a stone on which WAR is etched.
Fourth Term RoomThe requested video is no longer available.
Inscription FOURTH TERM 1945 etched into the pavement reflects that FDR died on April 12, 1945, shortly into his fourth term. INSCRIPTION “MORE THAN AN END TO WAR, WE WANT AN END TO THE BEGINNINGS OF ALL WARS.” This quote was part of a speech that FDR had prepared to deliver on Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, April 13, 1945. FDR never gave the speech because he died the day before, in Warm Springs, Georgia. Room Four consists of an upper level and a lower level. Entering Room Four, there is a paved ramp off to the right. At the bottom of the ramp, there is a bronze bas-relief entitled “Funeral Cortege.” Created by sculptor Leonard Baskin, it portrays a caisson pulled by horses, with FDR's casket, and a funeral procession. Below is a still pool of water. INSCRIPTION: “UNLESS THE PEACE THAT FOLLOWS RECOGNIZES THAT THE WHOLE WORLD IS ONE NEIGHBORHOOD AND DOES JUSTICE TO THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE, THE GERMS OF ANOTHER WORLD WAR WILL REMAIN AS A CONSTANT THREAT TO MANKIND.” Leaving the “Funeral Cortage” is another ramp to the left and a handrailed stairs to the right. Turn the corner, a statue of Eleanor Roosevelt is standing, behind her head is an emblem of the United Nations with inscription below: “ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, FIRST UNITED STATES DELEGATE TO THE UNITED NATIONS.” To the left of her statue is a quote from her husband, the man who had been the driving force in creating the United Nations: “THE STRUCTURE OF WORLD PEACE CANNOT BE THE WORK OF ONE MAN, OR ONE PARTY, OR ONE NATION … IT MUST BE A PEACE WHICH RESTS ON THE COOPERATIVE EFFORT OF THE WHOLE WORLD.” On the lower level is a very large fountain to contemplate its design. At the end of the fountain is a ramp to the uper level. INSCRIPTION: “THE ONLY LIMIT TO OUR REALIZATION OF TOMORROW WILL BE OUR DOUBTS OF TODAY. LET US MOVE FORWARD WITH STRONG AND ACTIVE FAITH.” There are two opportunities to leave the upper level in Room Four to get to the Tidal Basin walkway. Near the beginning of Room Four, there is a set of handrailed stairs and an accessible paved path. Near the end of Room Four, there is a similar option. Room Four provides views of the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial and the Washington Monument. Walking through the FDR Memorial in an eastward direction, it is noticeable that the path follows the contour of the Tidal Basin and moves to the left. By the time one reaches the end of Room 4, if that movement leftward continued, it would lead straight to the Jefferson Memorial. That, of course, is only in theory, because the Tidal Basin separates the two. Visitors often get so focused on looking at the fountain that they end up missing an interesting feature of Room 4. There is an elongated set of 5 stairs that connects the upper level to the lower level. It gives the look of an amphitheater, where one might sit to watch the big show of the impressive fountain. Etched on the middle three stairs is a biography of important events in FDR’s life: “JANUARY 30, 1882, FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT BORN AT HYDE PARK, NEW YORK. 1905 MARRIES ANNA ELEANOR ROOSEVELT. 1921, STRICKEN WITH POLIOMYELITIS – HE NEVER AGAIN WALKED UNAIDED. 1928-1932, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK." "1932, PLEDGES “A NEW DEAL” FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. 1932, ELECTED THIRTY-SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 1933, DELIVERS FIRST FIRESIDE CHAT. 1936, RE-ELECTED TO SECOND TERM AS PRESIDENT. 1940, RE-ELECTED TO THIRD TERM AS PRESIDENT.” “1941, DELIVERS FOUR FREEDOMS SPEECH. 1941, JAPAN ATTACKS PEARL HARBOR – WAR DECLARED. 1941, GERMANY AND JAPAN DECLARE WAR ON THE UNITED STATES. 1944, RE-ELECTED TO FOURTH TERM AS PRESIDENT. APRIL 12, 1945, DIES AT WARM SPRINGS, GEORGIA.” There are seven stone blocks on the upper level, above the aforementioned steps, acting as a safety feature to help alert visitors of the change of levels of the curved steps. As throughout the memorial, Room 4 provides plenty of places to sit, with 14 stone benches. Before exiting Room 4, there is one last inscription:“FREEDOM OF SPEECH … FREEDOM OF WORSHIP … FREEDOM FROM WANT … FREEDOM OF FEAR” Just beyond is an opportunity to use restrooms, before exiting the memorial completely. |
Last updated: July 26, 2021