![]() When the Civil War began, the area was used as an army encampment. Navy named David Porter purchased the property in 1816. The area didn't gain its name, "Meridian Hill," until an officer of the U.S. President Thomas Jefferson placed the marker on the hill to establish a longitudinal meridian for the city. In the early 19th century, the 12 acres of land that is currently Meridian Hill Park (otherwise known as Malcolm X Park) were used as a geographic marker. With the Senate Park Commission's approval, the park was designed and constructed between 19. Finally, Henderson decided that a park would be the best choice for the area. ![]() When that plan was turned down, she proposed for the Lincoln Memorial to be built there, which was again passed over. Mary Foote Henderson, the wife of former Senator John Brooks Henderson, originally wanted the hill to house a presidential mansion that would replace the White House. In 1994, Meridian Hill Park was designated a National Historic Landmark.A park wasn't the first idea that came to mind for Meridian Hill. ![]() The park served as a laboratory to experiment with concrete aggregate, a revolutionary medium of construction in the early 1900s. Meridian Hill Park was once home to a mansion, served as a Civil War encampment and was later developed in a French neoclassical (upper level) and Italian Renaissance villa landscape (lower level) design. The rehabilitation of the cascading fountain is proposed as a future project, and the NPS is working to identify funding. This phase of ongoing park restoration will not include repairs to the cascading fountain. The rest of the park will remain open throughout the rehabilitation. In addition, small sections of the upper level of the park will close temporarily for specific parts of the project and to stage equipment. “We look forward to restoring this historic park and ensuring its enjoyment for generations to come.”ĭuring the project, visitors will not have access to the lower level of the park. “Meridian Hill is a unique example of neoclassical park design in the United States and is an important space for community gathering, recreation and relaxation in our city,” Superintendent Julia Washburn said. Meridian hill park update#The NPS will also update storm drains and inlets. This archway, which was part of the original landscape design, will frame the distant view of the Washington Monument. ![]() Meridian hill park install#The park will install a frame that will allow trees to be trained and trimmed to form an archway, known as a pleached allée. The NPS will replace hazardous trees and restore shrubs to reflect the park’s historic landscape plan. The NPS will also install a universally accessible route from 16th Street NW to the lower plaza level of the park. The project includes replacement and repair of damaged historic walls, walkways and stairs to improve safety and preserve historic architectural elements of the park. Meridian Hill Park features one of America’s earliest examples of decorative exposed aggregate concrete. This project focuses primarily on the lower plaza level of the park, near W Street NW, and is expected to be completed in summer 2022. WASHINGTON – The National Park Service (NPS) will start work to improve accessibility and rehabilitate the historic landscape at Meridian Hill Park this month. ![]()
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