10 Fun Facts About the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a prominent structure on the National Mall, probably one of D.C.'s most recognized landmarks. 

Jefferson Memorial with cherry blossom reflections

 
Surprisingly, this monument is not as old as you might think. The memorial was commissioned by Congress in 1934. One unique aspect of this monument is that its design is influenced by Thomas Jefferson's personal tastes. (Fun fact: Jefferson was passionate about design and was an architect in his own right.)

The Jefferson Memorial's style is Classical Revival and is based on the Pantheon in Rome. According to the National Park Service (NPS), the structure "echoes" Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville and the University of Virginia Rotunda (also in Charlottesville). 

Want to know more? Read on!

10 Fun Facts About the Thomas Jefferson Memorial

1. The Jefferson Memorial was built by John Russell Pope. In 1937, mid-project, Pope passed away, and the monument was finished by Daniel P. Higgins and Otto R. Eggers. During the transition, the duo made a few modifications in the Jefferson monument's design, notes NPS. The memorial's cornerstone was laid in 1939. 

View of the Jefferson Memorial from atop the Washington Monument with Virginia in the background

2. The statue of Jefferson found in the center of the memorial stands 19 feet tall and weighs 5 tons. It was designed by Rudolph Evans. 

The statue of Thomas Jefferson inside of the memorial is impressive

3. The original statue of Jefferson was made of plaster, but this was updated after the end of World War II. At that time, the statue was renovated and reconstructed in bronze. 

4. The Jefferson Memorial was dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on a very fitting April 13, 1943. Why this date? On this day, Jefferson would have been 200 years old.

5. The Jefferson Memorial stands on the southern end of the National Mall and is placed in a direct line of the White House.
 
6. The dome of the Jefferson Memorial is 165 feet in diameter and contains 26 pillars.

7. There were a couple of controversies surrounding the building of the Jefferson monument. One was the actual design being criticized which resulted in some modifications as noted in fact #1. The second was the removal of some of the iconic cherry blossom trees, which were gifted to the United States in 1912. 

Today there are still many cherry trees to be found all around the Tidal Basin, but at the time of build, the removal of some trees was a big controversy.

8. Overall, the cost for the Jefferson Memorial construction and build turned out to be more than $3 million.

9. Marble from four different states was used in the Jefferson Memorial's construction. The marble came from Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee, and Vermont. 

10. About 2 million visitors stop by the Jefferson Memorial each year. This memorial is open 24 hours a day, with a Park Ranger available to answer questions from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

While well-known, the Jefferson Memorial does physically stand a bit away from many of the other monuments. Because this memorial is situated along a very busy road, it's not the easiest of areas to walk to like those in the center of the mall, but there are a couple of good routes to get you there. (The path along the Tidal Basin is a really nice walk.) Additionally, there are a few parking lots (A,B, and C) along the Potomac River which make it a shorter walk to the Jefferson monument.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed these fun facts about the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Of all the monuments in Washington DC, this is one of my favorites. If you are looking for more interesting facts about the many Washington D.C. landmarks, such as the White House, I invite you to use the search feature to the right of this blog post. 

Also, if you have any other suggestions for fun facts about any other landmarks in the D.C. Metro region, please let me know in the comments below!

Jefferson Memorial at sunrise (March 2017)