While it’s currently the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Old Patent Office reflects an era when scientific invention propelled the American economy and began to mold the national character. Although more than a half million patents were issued here, the building was designed not just to house patent examiners, but also to display the models required for patent applications. Throughout the nineteenth century, the Patent Office was an important public attraction, exhibiting the Declaration of Independence, art collections of the National Institute, and other historical artifacts as well. During the Civil War, the building served as a temporary barracks and hospital; Walt Whitman’s nursing here gave inspiration to his poetry. It was also the site of Lincoln’s second inaugural ball. A century later, the building’s rescue contributed significantly to the development of the historic preservation movement and the assumption of federal responsibility for stewardship of historic landmarks. The General Services Administration contemplated demolition of the building for a parking garage in the late 1950s, but President Eisenhower intervened, and in 1962, Congress turned the building over to the Smithsonian for museum use. It was renovated in between 1964 and 1967 and reopened to the public in 1968. Although most of the interior has been altered for use as a museum, parts of the Old Patent Office interior are still visible on the building’s third floor in the National Portrait Gallery’s Great Hall. DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)

The original National Observatory was authorized by President Tyler in 1842 and completed in 1844 according to plans prepared by Lieutenant James Melville Gilliss. The observatory was the site of notable advances in astronomy and mathematics, and is associated with its first superintendent, Matthew Fontaine Maury, who supervised the publication of numerous volumes of oceanographical charts, and was the author of the first oceanographical textbook. The observatory installed a new transit circle instrument by the end of the Civil War. The domed south wing housed the 26-inch Great Equatorial telescope, the largest of its day, installed in 1873. In 1877, astronomer Asaph Hall discovered the moons of Mars with this instrument.

From its inception, the observatory was authorized to calculate and keep official time, which was indicated by the dropping of a time ball from the flagstaff each day at noon. By 1878, poor atmospheric conditions in Foggy Bottom led Congress to authorize relocation to a new site, and in 1893, the observatory moved to its new home on Massachusetts Avenue. After its relocation, the property was transferred to the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery to serve as a Museum of Hygiene, and later the Naval Medical School.

DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)

National Register: October 15, 1966

National Historic Landmark: January 12, 1965

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The first building constructed by the federal government for Washington, DC, the Old City Hall began construction in 1820, after designs by architect George Hadfield. Construction proceeded fitfully due to the chronic underfunding of the local government—a financial situation represented in the building's economical brick-and-stucco construction, which contrasts with the major federal buildings nearby, which were made of stone. The central section was complete and occupied by the mayor and registrar by 1822, and the east wing followed in 1826, but the west wing was not complete until 1849.

While construction continued, parts of the building were leased out to various tenants, including the U.S. Circuit Court and the Recorder of Deeds office, which at the time was led by noted African American abolitionist and social reformer Frederick Douglass. Prior to the Civil War, trials of abolitionists and Underground Railroad workers occurred in this building.

In 1863, the federal government purchased the building from the DC government for use by the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. The building was occupied for several decades by federal courts before being abandoned in 1910, with renovations taking place between 1916 and 1918. From 1922 and 1952, the building became the U.S. Courthouse; when the federal courts moved out, the building became the headquarters of the Selective Service System.

Shortly after being named a National Historic Landmark in 1960, the building was returned to the DC government. It currently houses the DC Court of Appeals.

DC Inventory: November 8, 1964 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)

National Register: October 15, 1966

National Historic Landmark: December 19, 1960

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First conceived by Union Admiral David D. Porter in 1865, the 44-foot-high, ornately detailed Peace Monument stands as a memorial to the naval deaths at sea during the Civil War. It was completed in 1878 and stands in the circle to the west of the U.S. Capitol at Pennsylvania Avenue and First Street, N.W. Two classically robed figures representing History and Grief stand atop the monument, facing west. History holds a tablet that reads, “They died that their country might live,” while Grief weeps in mourning against her shoulder. Below them, Victory holds a laurel wreath high above her head with one hand while carrying an oak branch in the other, signifying strength. At Victory’s feet are the infant Mars, the god of war, and the infant Neptune, god of the sea. Peace is depicted on the east side of the monument, facing the Capitol, with an olive branch in her right hand. Below her are symbols of industry, which signify the progress of civilization that peace makes possible. Porter raised funds from private contributors, including many Navy veterans, and in 1871, commissioned Franklin Simmons to create the monument. The Carrara marble from which the monument is sculpted was carved in Rome, Italy. Admiral Porter worked directly with Simmons on many changes to the designs, including the addition of other figures. The marble pieces were shipped to Washington in 1876 and erected over a two-year period between in 1877-1878. The monument sits on a base made of Maine Blue Granite.

Part of Civil War Monuments

DC Inventory: March 3, 1979

National Register: September 20, 1978

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The development of the National Mall Historic District reflects two seminal historic plans for the federal city: the plan designed by Pierre Charles L’Enfant in 1791 and the 1901-1902 McMillan (Senate Park) Commission Plan. As such, the Mall represents significant contributions to the design heritage of our national capital.

As the nation’s foremost commemorative landscape, the National Mall’s monuments and memorials symbolize the country’s collective values and ideals. Its open spaces define the setting of the executive and legislative branches of our federal government and provide essential civic space for historic events of national significance.

DC Inventory: November 8, 1964

DC Inventory: December 15, 2016 (Boundary Increase/Additional Documentation)

National Register: October 15, 1966

National Register: November 29, 2016 (Boundary Increase/Additional Documentation)

This site is included in the Capital City Slavery Tour for its role as a site of auction for enslaved persons and a common place for "slave depots" which housed enslaved persons before sale. For further information on slavery in the District, view DC Preservation League's Capital City Slavery Digital Exhibit.

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This impressive memorial to George Gordon Meade stands along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW in front of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse. Meade was a career U.S. Army officer who led forces during several major battles, including Antietam and Fredericksburg, but is best known for defeating General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg. Unlike many Civil War generals, there were no calls to erect a memorial to Meade after his death in 1872 because he was deeply unpopular with Lincoln, Grant, and his fellow officers. He did remain a hero, however, in his home state of Pennsylvania which on October 18, 1913, commissioned a statute of him that would be given as a gift to the United States and placed in Washington, D.C. The total cost of the memorial and its installation was $400,000 with the sculptor, Charles Grafly, receiving $85,000. The memorial was formally dedicated on October 19, 1927, and was one of the last Civil War monuments erected in Washington, D.C. By the time of the dedication, only a few Civil War veterans were able to attend the ceremony. In 1969, the monument was removed from its original location at Union Square and placed in storage to make room for the construction of the Capitol Reflecting Pool. The memorial was repaired and placed in a new plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW in 1983. A formal rededication took place on October 3, 1984.  The Major General George Meade Statue stands 18 feet tall. The sculptor has conceived a circle of figures carved in marble and allegorically embodying qualities essential to the character of a great general. General Meade, in the uniform of a Civil War officer, stands in the focal point of the circle. Behind him is the figure of War whose broad wings surmount the sculpture. Around the circle are figures representing Energy, Military Courage, Fame, Progress, Chivalry, and Loyalty outlined against the sweep of War’s long wings. Chivalry and Loyalty to the left and right of Meade hold his cloak and standard of his achievements. The marble and granite sculpture rests on a granite base and is surrounded by a small plaza and public park.

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Erected in 1876, this equestrian statue of Major General James B. McPherson serves as the centerpiece of McPherson Square along Vermont Avenue between K and I Streets N.W. General McPherson commanded the Army of the Tennessee and distinguished himself at the Battle of Atlanta where he was tragically killed on July 22, 1864, making him the second-highest-ranking Union officer to be killed during the Civil War. This statue of General McPherson was sculpted by the Italian-born artist, Louis Rebisso and paid for by the Society of the Army of the Tennessee at a cost of $32,000. It is also notable for the fact that it was cast from bronze Confederate cannons captured during the Battle of Atlanta: the same conflict at which McPherson was killed. The General is depicted atop his horse, surveying a battlefield with field glasses in hand. His uniform is wrinkled, with his coat and trousers blown back by the wind.

This equestrian statue honors John A. Logan, a politician and veteran of the Mexican–American War and Civil War. The monument is located in the center of Logan Circle, a small public park and traffic circle at the intersection of 13th Street, P Street, Rhode Island Avenue and Vermont Avenue, N.W.  Originally a member of the Democratic Party, John Logan was elected to the Illinois State Senate and later the U.S. House of Representatives. On April 2, 1862, he resigned from Congress and entered the U.S. Army as a Colonel. Despite entering the army from civilian life, Logan was regarded as a competent officer and outstanding field commander. After the war, Logan returned to Washington and resumed his career in politics. He was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican and later to the U.S. Senate. Shortly after Logan's death in 1886, the Society of the Army of the Tennessee (SAT) began working on plans to erect a monument in his honor. Congress agreed to help provide funding for the project, and approved plans for the monument on March 2, 1889. Franklin Simmons, an American artist working in Rome, was chosen to be the sculptor. The monument was installed in what was then known as Iowa Circle and formally dedicated on April 9, 1901.  General Logan is depicted as a man of dignity and determination. He sits erect on his horse with his sword drawn. Allegorical figures on the north and south ends represent War and Peace, and the statue’s long sides contain bas-reliefs of important scenes from the general’s life. The panel on the west shows Logan presiding over a council of war. The eastern panel depicts the General receiving the senatorial oath of office. Except for the sub-base of pink granite, this elaborate memorial is made entirely of bronze.

Part of Civil War Monuments

DC Inventory: March 3, 1979

National Register: September 20, 1978

Within Logan Circle Historic District and Fourteenth Street Historic District

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This memorial commemorates the Marquis Gilbert de Lafayette, a French nobleman who at the age of twenty crossed the Atlantic to fight for American Independence, despite a royal decree prohibiting French officers from joining the Continental Army. Lafayette was commissioned as a Major General and he became a member of General George Washington's staff. During his return to France in 1779, Lafayette helped secure 6,000 French troops for the American cause. Lafayette returned to the colonies in 1780, and in 1781, Lafayette and his men fought in the Battle of Yorktown, which led eventually to the British surrender and the end of the Revolutionary War.

Created by sculptors Jean Alexandre Joseph Falquière and Marius Jean Antonin Merci and architect Paul Pujol, this elaborate monument is composed of a statue of Lafayette surrounded by four additional bronze figural groups placed lower down on the marble pedestal. The standing portrait statue of Lafayette depicts him civilian dress, but carrying a sword, petitioning the French National Assembly for assistance for the Americans. On the south pedestal face, a draped nude bronze figure, symbolizing America, turns toward him and imploringly lifts up a sword. The standing figures on the east and west faces of the pedestal represent French military leaders, including Comte d'Estaing and Comte de Grasse who commmanded the French naval forces, and the Comte de Rochambeau and the Chevalier du Portail who led the French Army in America. On the north face of the pedestal, two bronze cherubs point to a cartouche bearing the inscription of commemoration.

The monument was erected by Congress at the cost of $50,000 under an Act approved March 3, 1885 (23 Stat. 508). Work on the memorial finished in April 1891. Now owned by the National Park Service, the monument is located in Lafayette Park at the corner of Pennsylvania Ave. and Madison Place, N.W.

Part of American Revolution Statuary

National Register July 14, 1978

Within Lafayette Square Historic District

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John Paul Jones was a British merchant marine turned fugitive who took refuge in Virginia in 1773. At the outset of the Revolutionary War, he entered the Continental Navy as a lieutenant. Swiftly promoted to captain, Jones was given command of his first ship in 1776. His aggressive tactics led to his promotion to commodore and earned him a reputation as a pirate among the British. 

Created by sculptor Charles Henry Niehaus and architect Thomas Hastings, this memorial to John Paul Jones consists of a bronze portrait statue mounted against a marble pylon. The statue itself depicts Jones in a naval officer's uniform, holding the pommel of his sword in his left hand. On the rear of the pylon, a relief shows Jones hoisting the American flag on a war vessel. Tradition says that he was the first to raise the new flag on a foreign war vessel. 

Congress authorized the statue on June 8, 1906 (34 Stat., 224) with an appropriation of $50,000. It was dedicated April 17, 1912. The statue is located at 17th St. and Independence Ave., N.W. and currently owned by the National Park Service.

Part of American Revolution Statuary

National Register: July 14, 1978

Within East and West Potomac Parks Historic District

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