BY JULIETTE GARCIA
As my time in Washington D.C. comes to an end, I am saddened by the thought that I won’t start and end my days walking through the National Mall. Every morning and evening I am enchanted immediately before getting on the metro and when I get off it with the view of the Washington Monument to my left, and the U.S. Capitol to my right. Nearly every street, neighborhood and plaza that I have encountered during my time in DC has been gifted with a monument, plaque, memorial, or some indication of history. I am still in awe of the immense presence of history that is constantly surrounding me everywhere I go. For anyone who has not visited Washington D.C., or even those who are not from the U.S. are able to get a sense of American history almost anywhere they go. Being able to walk the lands of our forefathers and visits parks, monuments, memorials, museums, and areas filled with history has been an incredible experience.
When first visiting the National Mall, you have to be sure to visit the monuments and take some time to embrace their beauty and rich history. According to Mark Savage, in his book “Monument Wars,” “monuments stand apart from everyday and seem to promise something eternal, akin to the sacred (6).” I for one, agree with that statement completely. I did have an extremely humbling and semi sacred experience while visiting the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. This is most likely because both the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials can be considered temples in a sense, being that they were based off Greek and Roman architecture. Savage suggests that “the geometric order of the landscape and the “timeless” architecture of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman building types within it reinforce the impression of antiquity (7).”
For the Lincoln Memorial, you arrive to a monument that closely resembles the Parthenon in Greece. It is grand, pearly white, and breathtakingly beautiful. There is a grand set of stairs that lead up to the memorial. Once at the top you are welcome by pillars that give you a sense preview of large scale carving of Abraham Lincoln sitting down. Once you’re inside the memorial you are embraced by the memorial entirely in marble. The walls are carved with the Gettysburg Address and each visitor is overwhelmed with the intensity of the experience. Savage, states that due to the fact that visitors need to take a step back when reading the walls and admiring the carving of Lincoln, this experience becomes “extraordinary and authoritative (5).” This landscape of the memorial is the best way for visitors to interact with their perceptions of Lincoln and the significance he made in our history. You are immediately humbled and feel a great deal of respect.
In the case of the Jefferson Memorial, similarly to the Lincoln memorial there is a grand set of stairs leading up to the memorial. The memorial is a neo-classic design, shaped like a dome with hints of the Parthenon. When reaching the top of the stairs, you are invited into the memorial with a few more steps that lead you to an enlarged statue of Jefferson. Jefferson seems as if he has been waiting to greet you and inspire you with his wisdom. The white columned structure and marbled walls are also enchanting and engaging. The walls are carved with words from many of his various texts, along the lines on his ideas on the right to religious freedom, while state the importance of changing laws to represent the changing times. This memorial specifically feels like a Greek or Roman temple. As you stare up at Jefferson, and make a 360 turn to read all his texts, you feel enticed to converse with him. You feel as if he expects something from you, and you are immediately inspired.
Both these memorials were equally incredible, and rightfully so, should receive nothing but high praise.