The Thomas Jefferson Memorial

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a man-made landmark in Washington, D.C. It was built in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. It is located on the east side of the Tidal Basin. The circular, colonnaded structure is composed of circular, marble steps, portico, and is surrounded by columns covered by a shallow dome. John Russell Pope designed the structure. Pope also designed the National Gallery of Art in the National Mall. Pope did not see the completed memorial because he died unexpectedly in 1937. The total weight of the memorial is 32,000 tons and is 129 feet tall. In the middle of the structure is a statue of Jefferson that is 19 feet tall. Rudolph Evans sculpted the statue. He is also famous for the Robert E. Lee statue in the Virginia State Capital Building. The statue was originally made of plaster because of restrictions on metal during WWII. The statue was changed to bronze after the war ended. Inside the memorial are inscriptions of Jefferson's writings including the preamble of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was an admirer of the Pantheon in Rome so his memorial was built to look like this. You should visit the memorial because it is one of the last things built in the U.S. in the classic Roman architecture.

There is an interesting history to the memorial. By the 1930s there were already memorials for George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Many in the country felt that it was important for Jefferson to have a memorial as well. Jefferson was one of our country's founding fathers, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and he oversaw the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. President Roosevelt commissioned the memorial for Jefferson. It was built between 1939 - 1943 and cost over $3 million. The memorial was dedicated in 1943. This was the 200^th Anniversary of Jefferson's birth. The memorial is surrounded by Cherry trees, which were donated to the U.S. by Japan in 1912. The prettiest time of the year is in the spring when the trees are in bloom. The busiest time of the year is when the memorial hosts the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The memorial is one of the most photographed sights in Washington, D.C. It is a symbol of liberty and an inspiration to all citizens.