Thomas Jefferson Memorial

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father and the third president of the United States.

The neoclassical building was designed by John Russell Pope. It was built by Philadelphia contractor John McShain and was completed in 1943. Composed of marble steps, a dome and a portico, it is an open-air building in West Potomac Park, on the shore of the Tidal Basin of the Potomac River. It is one of the main anchor points in the area of the National Mall in D.C., and is slightly to the east of the axis created by the Washington Monument and the White House. The Jefferson Memorial is managed by the National Park Service under its National Mall and Memorial Parks division.

By 1930, there were monuments in Washington D.C. commemorating great United States presidents, including Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. President Franklin Roosevelt thought that Thomas Jefferson also deserved a monument. On June 26, 1934, following his initiative, Congress passed a resolution to create a monument commemorating Jefferson.

The memorial was designed by John Russell Pope — also the architect of the original (west) building of the National Gallery of Art. The memorial's design reflects characteristics of buildings designed by Jefferson such as Monticello and the Rotunda, which reflect his fascination with Roman architecture. The Jefferson Memorial bears some resemblance to the Pantheon of Rome.

Interesting facts about the Thomas Jefferson Memorial

• Construction on the Jefferson memorial began on November 15, 1939
• The Jefferson memorial was completed on April 13, 1943
• The design of the Jefferson memorial is similar to Monticello - Thomas Jefferson's home, which was modeled partially after the Pantheon in Rome.
• The statue of Thomas Jefferson was created by Rudolph Evans
• The nineteen foot tall statue of Thomas Jefferson inside the monument was originally cast in plaster, due to metal being rationed because of World War II when the monument was built. Shortly after the war ended, the plaster statue was replaced with the bronze one that stands today.
• The pedestal for the statue was made from granite from Minnesota, who gave the pedestal as a gift.
• Marble from Vermont, Missouri, Georgia and Tennessee was used in the construction of the Jefferson memorial.
• The Jefferson memorial is in danger of sinking, because the timber pilings that were used to support the wall were probably not long enough to reach bedrock when the memorial was built. Repairs are currently underway to repair the sea wall.
• The memorial was dedicated in 1943 on the 200th anniversary of Jefferson's birth.
• The total cost of the Jefferson monument was a little over $3 million.
• The Jefferson memorial sits on 2.5 acres in the National Mall.
• The distance to the top of the dome is over 129 feet
• The thickness of the dome is four feet.
• In 2005, 2,312,726 people visited the Jefferson memorial.
• The Jefferson memorial is one of the few memorials still open 24 hours a day. Admission is free.
• The monument has 26 pillars, which represents the number of states at the time of Jefferson's death.