Classical Architecture and Monuments of Washington, D.C.: A History & Guide

by Michael Curtis

Overview

For architecture aficinados and historians, this comprehensive view of the statues, monuments and architectural plans of Washington DC provides an exciting insight into our federal city.

Author Michael Curtis guides this tour of the heart of the District of Columbia's buildings, statues, and monuments. Classical design formed our nation's capital. The soaring Washington Monument, the columns of the Lincoln Memorial and the spectacular dome of the Capitol Building speak to the founders' expansive vision of our federal city. Learn about the L'Enfant and McMillan plans for Washington, D.C., and how those designs are reflected in two hundred years of monuments, museums and representative government. View the statues of our Founding Fathers with the eye of a sculptor and gain insight into the criticism and controversies of modern additions to Washington's monumental structure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781625859716
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	01/15/2018
Series:	History & Guide
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,113,482
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

A classical painter, sculptor, architect and poet, Michael Curtis has been published in over thirty journals. He has taught and lectured at universities, colleges and museums, including the Institute of Classical Architecture, the Center for Creative Studies and the National Gallery of Art. His pictures and statues are housed in over three hundred private and public collections, including the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery and the Supreme Court. Mr. Curtis is currently the curator at Plinth & Portal; vice president of Liberty Fund, D.C.; and director of design and planning for AEGEA.

Table of Contents

Preface. Our Classical Heritage 13

Acknowledgements 17

Introduction. Washington: The Classical City 19

Tour I The National Mall

Classical America 25

Site 1 The National Mall 31

Site 2 The Washington Monument 36

Site 3 The Jefferson Memorial 40

Tour II Capitol Hill

Ancient Roots of Classical Order 45

Site 1 The United States Capitol Building 47

Site 2 The United States Supreme Court 54

Site 3 The library of Congress, Jefferson Building 61

Tour III 'The President's House and Garden

A Republic of Virtue 69

Site 1 The White House 72

Site 2 Lafayette Square 77

Site 3 The United States Treasury 81

Tour IV The Liberty Stroll

National, Political, and Personal liberty 87

The Statue: Virtue in Human Form 90

Site 1 The Statues of Lafayette Park 94

Site 2 The Alexander Hamilton Statue 98

Site 3 The Lafayette Park Neighborhood 102

Tour V Honoring Heroes

Freedom and Sacrifice 107

Site 1 The Lincoln Memorial 110

Site 2 The Vietnam War Veterans Memorial 114

Site 3 The Korean War Veterans Memorial (FDR Memorial and M.L. King Memorial) 117

Site 4 The National World War II Memorial 123

Tour VI The Federal Triangle

Symbols of Empire 131

Site 1 The National Gallery of Art, West Building 135

Site 2 The National Archives 139

Site 3 The Herbert C. Hoover Department of Commerce Building 144

Tour VII Decline of Purpose

Brutal Mistakes 151

Site 1 L'Enfant Plaza 154

Site 2 The Lyndon B. Johnson Department of Education Building 159

Site 3 The Hubert H. Humphrey Department of Health and Human Services Building 161

Tour VIII Capitol Hill Environs

Of the People 167

Site 1 The Capitol Hill 171

Site 2 Capitol Hill East 175

Site 3 Capitol Hill West 179

Site 4 Capitol Hill Borders 183

Tour IX Colonial Alexandria

British America 191

Site 1 Carlyle House and Lower King Street Warehouses 194

Site 2 Lower Prince Street and Local Alexandria 198

Site 3 The Lyceum and the Appomattox Statue 201

Site 4 George Washington Masonic National Memorial 206

Epilogue. Contemporary Memorials

Contemporary Memorials 211

Site 1 The Eisenhower Memorial 214

Site 2 The National liberty Memorial 216

Appendix I The Greek Architectural Orders 221

Appendix II Washington, D.C. Site Map 223

Appendix III Historic Documents Declaration of Independence, Abridged Declaration of Independence, Redaction 225

Bibliography 227

Index 231

About the Author 237