Day 3-Friday June 3, 2011

World War II memorial

One of Washington D.C.'s newest monuments, the National World War II Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces during the war and the 400,000 Americans that died in a war that worldwide claimed more than 70 million casualties.
 The National World War II Memorial was dedicated in May 2004. Operated by the National Park Service, it was designed to be "a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace The Memorial seen from Washington Monument and freedom from tyranny throughout the world".

Compared to many of the other memorials located in the nation's capital, the World War II Memorial seems massive. It sits on a 7.4 acre (3 ha) site and measures approximately 337 feet long by 240 feet wide (103 x 73 meter).

The memorial, which sits about 6 feet or approx 2 meter below grade, includes 56 identical white pillars arranged in 2 semi-circles surrounding a central plaza, each pillar bearing the name of the 48 states that were part of the U.S. during World War II. There's also one for the territories of Alaska and Hawaii as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The pillars feature bronze and granite wreaths designed by Kaskey.
On the northern side is an arch dedicated to the Atlantic theater and on the other side is an arch inscribed with the word "Pacific", paying tribute to the battles staged there. Kaskey also designed the wreaths and brass eagles under those arches. In addition, he created 24 bas-relief panels

Rainbow Pool depicting not only specific battles but also the war effort at home, with titles such as "shipbuilding" and "women in military".

In the center of the plaza is the "Rainbow Pool" with its attractive circle of fountains. Flagpoles frame the entrance to the memorial and bases of granite and bronze are adorned with the military service seals of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Army Air Forces, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. Ramps emerge from the entrance and lead around the plaza, accommodating handicapped visitors.
The 9-foot-high (3m) Freedom Wall, decorated with 4,043 gold stars, completes the picture and commemorates those who lost their lives in the war, with one star for each 100 soldiers who died

Capitol Building

The US Capitol houses the legislative branch of the American government. The Senate occupies the building's north wing and the House of representatives is housed in the south wing.

Construction of the Capitol started in 1793, two years after an area ceded by Maryland was selected as the District of Columbia, site of the new capital. The original design was created by Dr. William Thornton, a Scottish physician. His design called for a domed building flanked by a southern and northern wing. The construction of the sandstone building was supervised by James Hoban, the architect of the White House.  He would be followed by many more architects over the next 200 years.

Construction progressed slowly and in 1800 Congress met in the new - unfinished - Capitol for the first time. Until then they had met in eight different cities, the last one being Philadelphia. In 1814, when construction was still going on, the Capitol was set on fire by British troops. A rainstorm prevented the complete destruction of the building and construction resumed the next year. The building was finally completed in 1826 by Charles Bulfinch, a Boston architect known for his design of the Massachusetts State House.

The addition of new states soon made the Capitol too small for the increasing number of senators and representatives. In 1851 the Capitol was extended after a design by the Philadelphia architect Thomas U. Walter. He added new wings and used marble instead of the already deteriorating sandstone for the extensions. The existing dome had become too small in comparison to the wings and in 1856 the dome was removed. A new, large cast-iron dome was constructed. In 1863 the bronze 'statue of freedom' was installed on top of the majestic dome. The Capitol continued to be modified and extended. In 1881 construction of the terraces started. Designed by the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted - also known for his design of Central Park in New York City - the terraces added more than 100 rooms to the already large building.







 













The next major expansion of the building was the east front extension constructed between 1958 and 1962 under the supervision of architect J. George Stewart. During the second half of the 20th century several renovation projects were undertaken, the last one was completed in 1993.

Despite the large number of architects and modifications, the US Capitol's architecture is surprisingly homogenous. An enormous building The neo-classical building's size is impressive: it is 751ft/229m long and 350ft/107m wide. The dome including the 19ft tall statue reaches a height of 188ft or 57m. The building contains some 540 rooms spread out over five floors. Some of the most notable of these rooms are the rotunda, a large domed room in the center of the capitol and the National Statuary Hall, where statues of prominent citizens are displayed.

Library of congress

One of the largest and best-equipped libraries in the world, The Library of Congress houses 90 million items on 540 miles (869 km) of shelves. of members of Congress dates all the way back to 1800, when it was decided to create a library in the Capitol  The library was destroyed when the Capitol was set on fire by British troops, but Thomas Jefferson donated his own personal library as a replacement. For nearly a century, the library did not have a dedicated location.

In 1886, however, the first separate Library of Congress building was authorized. At that time, the then Librarian of the Congress, Ainsworth Rand Spofford, drew up plans and presented them for approval. However, it wasn't Spofford's plans that were ultimately used for the construction of what was to become known as The Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress.

The architects chosen for the task were John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz who designed an impressive Italian Renaissance building. The two architects were later dismissed and replaced with architect Edward Pearce Casey and civil engineer Bernard R. Green. An additional forty-two sculptors and painters were also part of the construction and their works grace the elaborate interior of the library.

The new Library of Congress opened in 1897. Its interior design was based on the Paris Opera House and was constructed of marble, granite, iron, and bronze. It has many classical characteristics, such as Ionic columns and relief sculptures, and features a large number of statues.

In the main reading room, eight large marble columns support 10-foot-high (3m) allegorical female figures, made of plaster and representing commerce, history, art, philosophy, poetry, religion, law and science. In addition, another 16 bronze allegorical statues sit on the balustrades of the galleries.

The main entrance hall - known as the Great Hall - is just as impressive. It is decorated with beautiful mosaics and murals. Monumental marble staircases lead to a colonnaded hall on the upper floor.

In 1930, an Annex Building was constructed on land directly east of the main building. It is best described as a classical building with Art Deco details, typical of the era during which it was built. It was designed by Washington architectural firm Pierson & Wilson, with Alexander Buel Trowbridge as consulting architect. It opened in 1939 and is now known as the Adams Building. It can accommodate some 10 million volumes.

The most recent building in the Library of Congress complex was completed in 1981 and is dubbed the Madison Building. At more than 2 million square-feet or about 186,000 square meter in size, it is one of the three largest public buildings in the District of Columbia. It houses the library's administrative offices, the Congressional Research Service, the Law Library, the Office of the Librarian, the Copyright Office, and eight reading rooms.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court Building, constructed between 1932--1935, was designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert, who is best known as the architect for the Woolworth Building in New York. The first session of the Supreme Court was convened on February 1, 1790, but it took some 145 years for the Supreme Court to find a permanent residence. During those years the Supreme Court lived a nomadic existence. Initially meeting in the Royal Exchange Building in New York, the Court established chambers in Independence Hall and later in City Hall when the national capitol moved to Philadelphia in 1790. The Court moved again when the Federal government moved in 1800 to the permanent capital in Washington. Since no provision had been made for a Supreme Court building, Congress lent the Court space in the new Capitol building. The Court convened for a short period in a private home after the British had used Supreme Court documents to set fire to the Capitol during the War of 1812. Following this episode, the Court returned to the Capitol and met from 1819 to 1860 in a chamber that has been restored as the Old Supreme Court Chamber. Then from 1860 to 1935, the Court sat in what is now known as the Old Senate Chamber. Finally in 1929, former President William Howard Taft, who was Chief Justice from 1921 to 1930, persuaded Congress to end this arrangement and authorize a permanent home for the Court.

At the laying of the cornerstone for the building on October 13, 1932, Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes stated, "The Republic endures and this is the symbol of its faith." The building was designed on a scale in keeping with the importance and dignity of the Court and the Judiciary as a coequal, independent branch of the Federal government and as a symbol of "the national ideal of justice in the highest sphere of activity." Sixteen marble columns at the main west entrance support the portico and on the architrave above is incised, "Equal Justice Under Law." Capping the entrance is the pediment filled with a sculpture group by Robert Aitken, representing Liberty Enthroned Guarded by Order and Authority. Cast in bronze, the west entrance doors sculpted by John Donnelly, Jr., depict historic scenes in the development of the law. The east entrance's architrave bears the legend, "Justice the Guardian of Liberty." A sculpture group by Herman A. McNeil is located above the east entrance that represents great lawgivers, Moses, Confucius, and Solon, flanked by symbolic groups representing Means of Enforcing the Law, Tempering Justice with Mercy, Carrying on Civilization, and Settlement of Disputes Between States.

Holocaust Museum
The creation of The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum -- America's memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust and our national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history -- began as an idea in 1978 which, transformed into reality, has become an internationally recognized institution visited by 2 million people annually.
On November 1, 1978, President Jimmy Carter established the President's Commission on the Holocaust, and charged it with the responsibility to submit a report on three significant issues: the creation of an appropriate memorial to those who perished in the Holocaust; the feasibility of creating and maintaining a memorial through contributions by the American people; and recommendations for appropriate ways the nation could commemorate 'Days of Remembrance' each year for victims of the Holocaust.
Chaired by author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, the Commission submitted its report to President Carter on September 27, 1979. The Commission's recommendation was to establish a memorial with three main components: a national Holocaust memorial/museum; an educational foundation; and a Committee on Conscience. In 1980, the United States Congress, by unanimous vote, established the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, with its mandate being the creation of a living memorial to the 6 million Jews and millions of other victims who perished during the Holocaust

National Archives
Before the National Archives was created in 1934, individual government agencies were in charge of maintaining their own records. Some took great care of the materials, but many did not.
Congress established the National Archives in 1934 to centralize federal record keeping, with the Archivist of the United States as its chief administrator.
When Archives staff members first began searching for old government files to catalog and store in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, they found many disorganized records that had been put away carelessly. In many cases, fire, insects, heat, water, and sunlight caused quite a bit of damage.
After an extensive survey, the Archivist of the United States reported in 1937 that nearly 1,360,000 cubic feet of records should be transferred to the National Archives. The volume of records continued to grow, as New Deal and then World War II records poured in.
From one building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, the National Archives has grown to 37 facilities nationwide, from Atlanta to Anchorage.
Now called the National Archives and Records Administration, the agency administers regional archives, Federal records centers, Presidential libraries, the Federal Register, and the National Historical and Publications Commmission.
Many people know the National Archives as the keeper of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. But we also hold in trust for the public the records of ordinary citizens—for example, military records of the brave men and women who have fought for our country, naturalization records of the immigrants whose dreams have shaped our nation, and even the canceled check from the purchase of Alaska.
In a democracy, records belong to the people, and for more than seven decades, NARA has preserved and provided access to the records of the United States of America. Records help us claim our rights and entitlements, hold our elected officials accountable for their actions, and document our history as a nation. In short, NARA ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their Government.
 

 

White House

The White House has been the official residence of every President of the United States with the exception of George Washington.

The White House is located on a site near the Mall chosen in 1790 by president George Washington and Pierre l'Enfant, the architect who created the master plan for the new capital. Meanwhile the president resided in the President's House at the temporary capital Philadelphia.

A competition held for the design of the new President's House received nine entries. The winner was James Hoban, an architect of Irish descent. His neo-classical design is presumably based on the Leinster House in Dublin.

Construction started in 1792 and in 1800, when the building was almost completed, president John Adams moved in. Ever since, each President of the United States has lived in the White House. In 1814, British troops invaded the defenseless city and torched several buildings, including the Capitol, the Treasury, the War Department and the White House. President Madison decided to rebuild the public buildings. James Hoban rebuilt the White House, of which only the outer walls were still standing, according to the original plans.

Most people seem to think the building was first painted white after it was rebuilt in 1817, but already in 1798 it was made white by a protective lime-based whitewash. It wasn't named White House from the beginning though: it was originally named the 'President's Palace', 'President's House' or 'Executive Mansion'. It was soon nicknamed 'White House' and in 1901 president Theodore Roosevelt made it the official name.

The White House has been extended and modified many times. The most important extensions were the addition of the East Wing and the West Wing. The latter contains the famous 'Oval Office', the president's main office. The room was modeled on the 'Blue Room', an oval room at the center of the White House. The building contains a total of 132 rooms, some of them can be visited on a tour, including the Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room and State Dining Room.

The garden around the White House was first planted by John Adams. It was later redesigned by many presidents and first ladies. The most famous part of the garden was added in 1913 by Ellen Wilson, wife of president Woodrow Wilson. She created a Rose Garden, which would later be redesigned and used as a venue for official ceremonies by president Kennedy. It is located just outside the Oval Office.






Dinner: at Chipolte

Hotel: Countryard Marriot Gettysburg
115 Presidential Circle
Gettysburg, PA 17325