By Allie Richmond, M.A. ‘26, Art History
President George Washington enlisted military engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant in 1791 to develop a comprehensive plan for the capital city. The Frenchman, who went by Peter in the fledgling United States, first laid out the city’s streets and public buildings. Although Washington dismissed L’Enfant from his position in 1792, succeeding generations returned to, and adapted, his original plan, including what became the National Mall.
L’Enfant drew inspiration from European avenues and the royal grounds of palaces such as Versailles for his “Grand Avenue”— today’s National Mall. Visitors to The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum can see the park L’Enfant envisioned in Peter Waddell’s painting, The Indispensable Plan. Unlike private European royal estates, L’Enfant intended the Mall to be a common space enjoyed by the public; effectively reflecting a government founded in democratic principles. Lined with cultural institutions, the space would include a statue honoring the city’s namesake and L’Enfant’s patron, George Washington.
Beyond the public park, L’Enfant imbued his entire design with symbolism and meaning. The capital city would be a grid of streets intersected by diagonal boulevards, which radiated from the Capitol and the President’s House. The grounds of both would reside on the city’s highest points, connected by another grand avenue: Pennsylvania Avenue. The design highlighted the functional relationship between different government branches within the public sphere, stressing the people’s essential role in American politics. These concepts grew out of Thomas Jefferson’s 1791 preliminary sketch of the city, which emphasized a connection between Congress’s House and the President’s House.
By the early 19th century, the National Mall had evolved into a rural, open space rather than the picturesque public plaza L’Enfant envisioned. Turbulent events at the turn of the century hindered the city’s ability to fully allocate resources and time for the Mall’s development. After defeating U.S. forces at the Battle of Bladensburg in 1814, a significant battle in the War of 1812, British troops marched into Washington intent on destroying government buildings. The troops burned the Capitol and the White House, further setting back the capital’s construction.
Waddell’s painting The Village Monumental offers a bird’s-eye view of Washington in 1825. His portrayal shows the period’s stunted urban development, with the National Mall appearing as farmland — an expansive green space, covered with native trees and shrubs, extending from the Capitol to the Potomac River.
Ultimately L’Enfant’s vision for the Mall and the city of Washington proved overly ambitious for a young nation facing financial constraints, war and political challenges.
Read more posts in this special series:
The National Mall
A Patchwork National Mall
About the Author
Allie Richmond has a B.A. in art history and history and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in art history with a concentration in museum studies at GW. Interested in art historical research and museum management, she is the digital media editor for the Albert H. Small Center for National Capital Area Studies.
Header image: Peter Waddell, The Indispensable Plan, 2018. Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection AS 2019.78.