District of Columbia War Memorial
The DC War Memorial was built to remember the lives of residents of Washington DC who served the Armed Forces during the First World War.
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DC War Memorial
Put up in 1931, the District of Columbia War Memorial is a 47-foot-tall monument consists of 499 names of D.C. citizens who lost their lives in World War I. In the memorial’s foundation, there is a list of the 26,000 D.C. residents who served the United Armed Forces in the war. The names are arranged alphabetically, regardless of their rank in the military.
The structure is supported by 12 22-foot Doric marble columns forming a domed peristyle temple. The memorial is located in West Potomac Park near Independence Avenue surrounded by a grove of trees. It is the only local monument built within the grounds of the National Mall, recognizing the service of DC residents to their country.
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Interesting Facts on the DC War Memorial
- The memorial has an overall height of 47 feet and a diameter of 44 feet, large enough to accommodate the entire U.S. Marine Band or an 80-piece orchestra.
- Concerts did use to play in the memorial, the first of which was lead by John Philip Sousa, a noted composer, and Washington DC native. The memorial used to be a favorite place and gathering spot for Washington DC residents and visitors to listen to music.
- Construction was finished in 1931 and the memorial was dedicated by President Herbert Hoover on the national observance of Armistice Day, November 11, 1931.
- The memorial was designed by Washington architect Frederick H. Brooked, with Horace W. Peaslee and Nathan C. Wyeth as associate architects. All three men involved in the planning of the memorial were veterans of the First World War.