By Allie Richmond, M.A. ‘26, Art History
The National Mall is the District’s historical and conceptual heart. Originally part of Peter L’Enfant’s 1791 plan for the capital, the Mall as designed was a central landscape that reflected the logic of American Democracy. Maps, plans and bird’s eye views in the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection reveal how reality fulfilled or deviated from that vision over time.
The Frenchman’s ambitious plans for the National Mall were unrealized in his lifetime, and by the 19th century the space had evolved in unanticipated ways. L’Enfant defined his “Grand Avenue” as the land between the Capitol and the executive office’s grounds, envisioning a public promenade lined with trees and bounded by government buildings and gardens. But wars, limited financial resources and technological developments made and remade the Mall throughout the century.
In 1900, a new initiative sought to redevelop the National Mall by revisiting L’Enfant’s original plan. A committee of senators, led by James McMillan, gathered as the Senate Park Commission — later referred to as the McMillan Commission — to comprehensively advance the structural landscape of central Washington. The commission developed an expansive plan to guide future generations in establishing the Capital’s heart as a work of civic art. Elements of the McMillan Plan were realized by memorials and museums constructed on the Mall over the course of the 20th century. But the plan also disrupted residents’ lives and forever changed Washington.
Today the National Mall is a vibrant hub of tourism and recreation, facilitated by its well-kept green space and the esteemed institutions that surround it. This special blog series will explore the National Mall’s evolution through objects from the collection. The next post will dive deeper into L’Enfant’s vision for the Mall and how his design translated into the city’s landscape by the early 19th century. Stay tuned!
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.