Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with the Washington Monument reflected in and rising above it in July 2005.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool seen from the Washington Monument in September 2006.

Ice covering the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after the First North American blizzard of 2010.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool undergoing reconstruction in 2011.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the largest of the many reflecting pools in Washington, D.C., U.S.. It is a long and large rectangular pool located on the National Mall, directly east of the Lincoln Memorial, with the Washington Monument to the east of the reflecting pool. Part of the iconic image of Washington, the reflecting pool hosts many of the 24 million visitors a year who visit the National Mall. It is lined by walking paths and shade trees on both sides. Depending on the viewer's vantage point, it dramatically reflects the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Mall's trees, and/or the expansive sky.

Description

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was designed by Henry Bacon, constructed in 1922 and 1923, following the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. It is approximately 2,029 feet (618 m) long (over a third of a mile) and 167 feet (51 m) wide. It has a depth of approximately 18 inches (46 cm) on the sides and 30 inches (76 cm) in the center. It holds approximately 6,750,000 U.S. gallons (25,500,000 L) of water.

Restoration

Using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the National Park Service is reconstructing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The pool's water supply system is being updated to eliminate stagnant water by circulating water from the Tidal Basin; the pool was formerly filled using potable water from the city. Paved walking paths will be added to the north and south sides of the pool to replace worn grass and to prevent further erosion. Construction on the 18-month, $30.7 million project began in November 2010. In May 2011, workers began sinking the first of 2,113 wood pilings into a 40-foot deep layer of soft, marshy river clay and some dredged material atop bedrock to support a new pool.

Events

Located at the base of the Lincoln Memorial's steps, the Reflecting Pool area has been the site of many historic events, including:

• In 1939, singer Marian Anderson was denied permission to perform in Constitution Hall in Washington, because she was African American. An open air concert was arranged on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, with a crowd of over 75,000 people around the Reflecting Pool area.
• In 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom used the area for its Civil Rights rally. It was there that Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered to a crowd of a quarter million people standing around (and in) the Reflecting Pool.
• In 2009, We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial was held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. An estimated 400,000 attendees watched from around the pool.
• In 2010 the Restoring Honor rally was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Citizens from all across the United States travelled to attend the August 28th rally organized by Glenn Beck. The event attracted as many as 300,000 attendees stretching from the behind the Lincoln Memorial, across the Reflection Pool and all the way to the Washington Monument.

External links

• Photos of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
• NBC Washington: Changes Planned for Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool