District of Columbia War Memorial, West Potomac Park, Washington, District of Columbia, DC

Significance: The District of Columbia War Memorial was built to commemorate the citizens of the District of Columbia who served in World War I. Authorized by an Act of Congress in 1924, funds to construct the Memorial were provided by the contributions of both organizations and individual citizens of the District. Construction of the Memorial began in the spring of 1931, and the Memorial was dedicated by President Herbert Hoover on Armistice Day of that year. It was the first war memorial to be erected in West Potomac Park, and remains the only local D.C. memorial on the National Mall.

Designed by Washington architect Frederick H. Brooke, with the assistance of Washington architects Horace W. Peaslee and Nathan C. Wyeth, the district of Columbia War Memorial is a 47-foot tall circular, domed, Doric temple. Resting on concrete foundations, the four-foot high marble base defines a platform, 43'-5" in diameter, intended for use as a bandstand. Inscribed on the base are the names of the 499 District of Columbia citizens who lost their lives in the war, together with medallions representing the branches of the armed forces. Twelve 22'-tall fluted Doric marble columns support the entablature and dome.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N994
Survey number: HABS DC-857
Building/structure dates: 1931 Initial Construction