Lasting Impressions

In my previous blog post titled “Washington D.C.: The City of Magnificent Intentions or Magnificent Conflictions?” I explored two major subsets of the chapter- the conflicting views of Jefferson and Washington in terms of how they wanted to shape the capitol, and secondly, how the reoccurring theme of beauty pops up. Looking further into this we can see how different influential people have shaped the face of not only the White House but also the city itself. 

 

George Washington

Above is a picture of the plan that L’Enfant, the man Washington commissioned to design the city, had in mind for D.C. This picture shows the intricate plans for city blocks and expansive designs, slightly moving away agronomy and more toward manmade beauty, as opposed to natural.

Thomas Jefferson

 

One can see the stark differences between Thomas Jefferson’s simplistic sketch of the capitol and Washington’s over the top blueprint of what he wanted the capitol to look like. The image above shows that Jefferson was able to leave more space between each building, leaving room for nature to garnish the city. 

Moving past these two founding fathers, we can see how more influential people also furthered the development of the White House and DC.

 

Ellen Axson Wilson

 

In 1913, Woodrow Wilson’s wife created the iconic Rose Garden at the White House. Though this was redone in 1961 under JFK, it is still something that is used today and is known by much of America. Interestingly enough, the first rose garden at the White House done by Ellen Axson Wilson reflected early American gardens, much like what we have read about in “Founding Gardeners”.

 

Andrew Jackson and Theodore Roosevelt

  Above is a photo of the White House Greenhouses, more specifically orangeries, that Andrew Jackson created in 1835. This shows the continual importance that people put on agriculture and gardening as a whole.  However in 1902, these greenhouses were torn down and were replaced with what is known now as the famous West Wing by Theodore Roosevelt. I feel that this is a very blunt visual of how the importance of agronomy, and just beauty overall has been trumped as time has passed. 

 

 

Above is the West Wing, which now stands in place of where Jackson’s short-lived orangeries once were. 

Senator James McMillan

 

The last thing I want to explore is the National Mall in DC. In 1901, Senator James McMillan from Michigan furthered L’Enfant’s plan for a National Mall in a centralized location. The thing that I like most about the Mall is that it is not just an asphalt and cement playground of sorts, like lots of iconic areas in big cities around the United States. This central area is adorned with lush landscaping, meshing natural beauty with grand monuments and intricate architecture making the Mall one of the most visited places in the United States today.

In short, I feel that all of these additions made by these influential people are what really shape and bring together seamlessly what is the White House and Washington D.C. today. I think just as America is a melting pot for the world, Washington D.C. can be seen as a melting pot of ideas and designs that come together into one of the most beautiful, historical, and what I am learning to be one of the most agriculturally inspired cities in the world.