Armenian Genocide Museum of America
Encyclopedia
Armenian Genocide Museum of America (AGMA) is a proposed Armenian
museum in Washington, D.C.
, United States
, run by the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial Inc. (AGM&M). The project was launched in 2000 and is yet to be finalized.
was launched by Hirair Hovnanian and Anoush Mathevosian.
The project was run by the Armenian Assembly of America
(AAA) from 2000 to 2003. In November 2003, the project was transferred to the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial Inc. (AGM&M), with the Armenian Assembly of America given a trusteeship position.
and G Streets, N.W., in downtown Washington, D.C. The building was purchased for $7.25 million, in addition to four adjacent properties, costing a total of $20 million. The site is two blocks from the White House
and three blocks north of the National Mall
.
The official website of the museum sets the opening date as 2011. The project however has been marred by disagreements and a litigation between Cafesjian and the Cafesjian Family Foundation on the one side, and the other trustees on the other side. A trial was held in Washington, D.C. between March 9 and 29, 2011 before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. After hearing witnesses and evidence, she issued a 190-page opinion and an order to the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial (AGM&M), Inc. to transfer the grant property back to the Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF).
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
museum in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, run by the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial Inc. (AGM&M). The project was launched in 2000 and is yet to be finalized.
Concept and organization
The idea to dedicate a building for commemorating the Armenian GenocideArmenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
was launched by Hirair Hovnanian and Anoush Mathevosian.
The project was run by the Armenian Assembly of America
Armenian Assembly of America
The Armenian Assembly of America aims to "strengthen U.S./Armenia and U.S. relations, promotes Armenia's democratic development and economic prosperity and seeks universal affirmation of the Armenian Genocide" via "research, education and advocacy."...
(AAA) from 2000 to 2003. In November 2003, the project was transferred to the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial Inc. (AGM&M), with the Armenian Assembly of America given a trusteeship position.
Location
The Armenian Genocide Museum will be housed in the former National Bank of Washington building, located on the southeast corner of 14th14th Street Northwest and Southwest (Washington, D.C.)
Fourteenth Street is a street in Northwest and Southwest Washington, D.C., located 1¼ mi. west of the U.S. Capitol. It runs from the 14th Street Bridge north to Eastern Avenue....
and G Streets, N.W., in downtown Washington, D.C. The building was purchased for $7.25 million, in addition to four adjacent properties, costing a total of $20 million. The site is two blocks from the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
and three blocks north of the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
.
Funding
The main contributors as of September 2006 were:- Armenian American philanthropist Gerard CafesjianGerard CafesjianGerard Cafesjian is an Armenian-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Cafesjian Family Foundation and has contributed considerable sums to many philanthropic causes.He earned a degree in Economics from Hunter College...
and the Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF) - 14.4 million in funds and properties. - Anoush Mathevosian - $3.5 million
- Hirair Hovnanian - $1.5 million
The official website of the museum sets the opening date as 2011. The project however has been marred by disagreements and a litigation between Cafesjian and the Cafesjian Family Foundation on the one side, and the other trustees on the other side. A trial was held in Washington, D.C. between March 9 and 29, 2011 before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. After hearing witnesses and evidence, she issued a 190-page opinion and an order to the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial (AGM&M), Inc. to transfer the grant property back to the Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF).
External links
- Armenian Genocide Museum of America official website
- "From National Bank to National Museum", video tour by The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...