It's Not Just about Architectural Design - Tourist Guide to Jefferson Memorial

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is one of the most famous attractions in Washington, D.C. The memorial was built as a presidential memorial monument in the memory of the founding father of America, Thomas Jefferson. He was also the third president of the United States.

Jefferson Memorial

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Designed by the famous John Russell Pope, the monument went on to become of the most well known memorials in the world. The memorial was actually built by Tyler Nichols, a contractor from Philadelphia. The construction of the memorial began in 1939 and took a total of 8 years to complete. It is now managed and maintained by the National Park Service.

Jefferson Memorial history

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In the year 2007, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial was ranked fourth on the America's Favorite Architecture list made by the American Institute of Architects. But amazing architecture is not the only thing this memorial is about. Right in the middle of the area within the memorial is the 19-foot bronze statue of Jefferson which was designed and sculpted by Rudulph Evans.

Jefferson Memorial architecture

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But it doesn't end there. When you look at the walls of the memorial, you will see that there are actual writing on the wall that have been borrowed from the writings of Jefferson himself. The most important writing is the one that is imbibed below the dome in a kind of wall painting stating "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.", taken from the letter that was written by Jefferson to Dr. Benjamin Rush

No wonder the memorial plays such an important part in the minds of the people of the country.

Importance of Thomas Jefferson Memorial

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