In 1791, Pierre Charles L'Enfant envisioned a plan for what became the great city of Washington, DC. In that plan he envisioned a grand avenue, approximately a mile long, lined with gardens and ending with an equestrian statue of George Washington. Rather than an equestrian statue we got the much grander Washington Monument (upgrade) so needless to say, this part of the L'Enfant plan never came to fruitation and due to the McMillan Plan of 1901 we got much of the National Mall that we see today.
Each year approximately 24 million people visit the National Mall for several reasons. Whether they're marveling at the monuments or attending a protest, the mall still serves its planned purpose as a grand avenue. Unfortunately, it's much less grand than it should be. The National Mall is something that we should be proud of. It truly is "America's Front Yard" and it deserves to look its finest.
The Trust for the National Mall is a non-profit partner of the National Park Service and is dedicated to "restoring and improving the National Mall while providing new educational opportunities to connect visitors to the Mall's rich history." They also helped saved the much loved HBO Screen on the Green last year and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind surrounded by monuments. The L'Enfant Society is their young leader’s society and I encourage anyone who harbors a love for the National Mall to consider joining this society. There are several giving levels and 75% of your membership is tax deductible.
Go to the website to find out more and if you're interested join me and the L'Enfant Society for their kick-off Happy Hour next Thursday, January 15th at K Street Lounge. Registration is now open online.
By the way, if you really have your heart set on a George Washington equestrian statue, you can see one on the Capitol Grounds, just northwest of the Capitol building.
For further reading about the National Mall:
The New McMillan Plan
L'Enfant Society Membership
This History of the National Mall
The New National Park Service Plan for the Mall
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