Honoring Our Presidents
Mini Fact: Dwight D. Eisenhower served in the U.S. Army and was our nation’s 34th president.
Have you seen pictures of the most popular presidential monuments in Washington, D.C.? Maybe you’ve visited these sites in our nation’s capital.
The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial have long been symbols of America. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial is the newest presidential monument, dedicated in 2020.
Presidents Day is on Feb. 20 this year. To celebrate, The Mini Page takes a tour of these famous monuments.
Monument to Washington
When French-American architect Pierre L’Enfant designed Washington, D.C., he included plans for a monument to America’s first president.
The design was chosen through a contest, as were most capital memorials. The winning designer was Robert Mills.
In 1848, workers began building the monument, but money ran out after six years. By the time work began again, 25 years later, workers had to get rock from a different quarry. As a result, the stone is a different color starting about one-third of the way up.
Lincoln Memorial
Abraham Lincoln is one of our most honored presidents. He took the first big steps toward ending slavery. He held the United States together during the Civil War.
As a result, the memorial to him has become one of the most inspirational sites in the world. Many world-changing events have been held there.
In 1939, a group would not allow singer Marian Anderson to perform in their hall because she was Black. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt helped arrange for her to sing at the Lincoln Memorial instead. Millions heard her concert on the radio.
In 1963, at a march for civil rights, Martin
Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech there. The speech continues to inspire people throughout the world.
When Lincoln was president in the 1860s, the Potomac River came almost to the Washington Monument, about three-fourths of a mile away.
The Lincoln Memorial is built on former swampland that was filled in by the U.S. Army in the late 1800s. Work began on the memorial in 1914.
The 19-foot-tall statue of Lincoln inside is made up of 28 pieces of marble put together like a giant jigsaw puzzle.