Category: Architecture

Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial – Arlington, Virginia

Architecture, Cemetery, Historic Sites, Memorials, National Parks Service, North America, United States, Virginia

Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, formerly named the Custis-Lee Mansion, is a Greek Revival style mansion located in Arlington County, Virginia that was once the home of Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee. It overlooks the Potomac River and the National Mall in Washington, D.C. During the American Civil War, the grounds of the mansion were selected as the site of Arlington National Cemetery, in part to ensure that Lee would never again be able to return to his home. The United States has since designated the mansion as a National Memorial. Although the United States Department of the Army controls Arlington National Cemetery, the National Park Service, a component of the United States Department of the Interior, administers Arlington House.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon – Fairfax County, Virginia

Architecture, Botanical Garden, Cemetery, Farms/Zoos/Aquariums, Historic Sites, Museums, North America, Rivers, United States, Virginia

Mount Vernon is the plantation home of the first president of the United States George Washington. The Washington family acquired land in the area in 1674. Around 1734, the family embarked on an expansion of its estate that continued under George Washington, who began leasing the estate in 1754 before becoming its sole owner in 1761. The mansion was built of wood in a loose Palladian style; the original house was built by George Washington’s father Augustine, around 1734. George Washington expanded the house twice, once in the late 1750s and again in the 1770s. It remained Washington’s home for the rest of his life. Following his death in 1799, under the ownership of several successive generations of the family, the estate progressively declined as revenues were insufficient to maintain it adequately. In 1858, the house’s historical importance was recognized and it was saved from ruin by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association; this philanthropic organization acquired it together with part of the Washington property estate. Escaping the damage suffered by many plantation houses during the American Civil War, Mount Vernon was restored.

The estate is on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia

Visitor Center

Beautiful grounds leading up to the main house

Ample signage and information panels explaining every aspect of the house and grounds

Interiors of the main house

Bedrooms

Kitchens

Beautiful view of the river

Out buildings

Working farm

Tomb

Slavery is not glossed over

Grounds and surrounding woodlands with signage

Nationals Park – Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium (Washington, D.C.)

Architecture, North America, United States, Washington DC

Nationals Park is located in Southeast Washington, south of the Capitol, along the fast-developing Capitol Riverfront adjacent to the Navy Yard. The park is the home field for the Washington Nationals baseball team. Designed by HOK Sport and Devrouax & Purnell Architects and Planners, the ballpark cost $693 million to build. An additional $84.2 million was spent on transportation, art, and infrastructure upgrades, bringing the total cost to $783.9 million. The stadium has a capacity of 41,339. The Washington Monument and the Capitol building are visible from the upper decks on the first base side of the field. An unusual stop for a school field trip and not Alex’s favorite stop of the trip.

Jefferson Memorial – Washington, D.C.

Architecture, Memorials, National Parks Service, North America, Statue / Sculpture, United States, Washington DC

The Jefferson Memorial in Washington’s West Potomac Park is in memory of Thomas Jefferson the principle author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States. The Jefferson Memorial features multiple Jefferson quotes designed to capture Jefferson’s ideology and philosophy, known as Jeffersonian democracy, The building is of neo-classical style reminiscent of his own Monticello. The bronze statue statue of Jefferson was developed by sculptor Rudulph Evans.

First glimpse of the memorial from Alex’s tour bus

Statue of Jefferson with the dome

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial – (Washington, D.C.)

Architecture, Memorials, National Parks Service, North America, Statue / Sculpture, United States, Washington DC

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is located in the West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. The memorial’s design and development represents the capstone of a distinguished career for the memorial’s designer, landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. The memorial’s design concept of four outdoor “rooms” and gardens is animated by water, stone, and sculpture. The “rooms” represent Roosevelt’s four terms of office. Sculptures of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and scenes of the great depression are part of the memorial.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt

Fireside chat