Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Encyclopedia
The memorial's design concept of four outdoor "rooms" and gardens is animated by water, stone, and sculpture.
The 1974 design competition was won by Lawrence Halprin; but for more than 20 years Congress failed to appropriate the funds to move beyond this conceptual stage. The national memorial
includes sculptures and works by Leonard Baskin
, Neil Estern, Robert Graham
, Thomas Hardy, and George Segal
. The site is part of National Mall and Memorial Parks
. As an historic area managed by the National Park Service
, the memorial was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on date of its establishment, May 2, 1997.
, "If they are to put up any memorial to me, I should like it to be placed in the center of that green plot in front of the Archives Building
. I should like it to consist of a block about the size [of this desk]." In accordance with FDR's wishes, a small, simple memorial to him was placed on the lawn near the corner of 9th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
. This small memorial predates the larger one by some 30 years.
The 1974 design competition was won by Lawrence Halprin; but for more than 20 years Congress failed to appropriate the funds to move beyond this conceptual stage. The national memorial
National Memorial
National Memorial is a designation in the United States for a protected area that memorializes a historic person or event. National memorials are authorized by the United States Congress...
includes sculptures and works by Leonard Baskin
Leonard Baskin
Leonard Baskin was an American sculptor, book-illustrator, wood-engraver, printmaker, graphic artist, writer and teacher.-Life and work:...
, Neil Estern, Robert Graham
Robert Graham (sculptor)
Robert Graham was a sculptor based in the state of California in the United States. His monumental bronzes commemorate the human figure and are featured in public places across America.-Biography:...
, Thomas Hardy, and George Segal
George Segal (artist)
George Segal was an American painter and sculptor associated with the Pop Art movement. He was presented with a National Medal of Arts in 1999.-Works:...
. The site is part of National Mall and Memorial Parks
National Mall and Memorial Parks
National Mall and Memorial Parks is an administrative unit of the National Park Service encompassing many national memorials and other areas in Washington, D.C...
. As an historic area managed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, the memorial was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on date of its establishment, May 2, 1997.
Visitors
The architecture critic of the Washington Post stated that the memorial was designed "to give people as many options as possible to go this way or that, to reverse directions, to pause, to start over, to be alone, to meet others, and to experience as many different sights, smells and sounds as the site permits."FDR's feelings about a memorial
FDR had told his friend Supreme Court Justice Felix FrankfurterFelix Frankfurter
Felix Frankfurter was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.-Early life:Frankfurter was born into a Jewish family on November 15, 1882, in Vienna, Austria, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Europe. He was the third of six children of Leopold and Emma Frankfurter...
, "If they are to put up any memorial to me, I should like it to be placed in the center of that green plot in front of the Archives Building
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
. I should like it to consist of a block about the size [of this desk]." In accordance with FDR's wishes, a small, simple memorial to him was placed on the lawn near the corner of 9th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. that joins the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches...
. This small memorial predates the larger one by some 30 years.
See also
- Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms ParkFranklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms ParkThe Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park is a memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Four Freedoms, located at the southernmost point of Roosevelt Island, in the East River between Manhattan Island and Queens in New York City...
, New York City; site of another memorial park, currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2012.
External links
- Trust for the National Mall: FDR Memorial
- Official NPS website: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
- FDR Wheelchair Statue Campaign: NOD.org