Washington Monument Grounds

Washington Monument Grounds

As part of a larger Capital Parks improvement program assisted by the PWA, WPA, and CCC, New Deal workers did significant work in the grounds immediately surrounding the Washington Monument: “New entrance roads from 14th-st constructed; 15th-st widened and repaved thru the grounds; 16th-st closed thru the grounds and street area replaced by lawn; swimming pools removed and areas graded and landscaped” (Washington Daily News). WPA crews also shored up the north and south ends of the monument grounds to protect the Federal Triangle from floods. Crews may have done flood control work on multiple occasions; the WPA’s Work: A Journal of Progress noted flood control work on the site in 1936, while the Washington Post reported the building of a dike in 1938.

Heather Dietz

https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/monument-grounds-washington-dc/

Construction started: 1848
Visited: 2019

Project originally submitted by Brent McKee - New Deal of the Day http://nddaily.blogspot.com on June 5, 2013.

https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/monument-grounds-washington-dc/

Sept. 27, 2019

Audio recording done through voice memos

A picture of me in front of the site

A short written narrative of the site (see narrative)

I believe the stories that can be told throguh this site are the experiences of the workers. Diving deeper into that you can also learn their stories such as how they ended up rebuilding the grounds for one of the greatest monuments in our history.This is significant to the history of the 1930s due to the fact that this was part of the Capitol Parks Improvement Program. I decided to use an iPhone camera to document my experience at the site. I believe modern technology provides a faster way of sharing and communicating images that the 1930s did not. For instance, the instant I took my picture I could have instantly shared it with my friend, but in the 1930s I would have been restricted and would not have been able to immediately share my experience.