WASHINGTON, D.C. is the capital city of the US. "DC"
stands for the "District of Columbia". The city
is named after George Washington, the first President of the
United States. Washington is surrounded by the states of Virginia
(on its western side) and Maryland (on its southeast, northeast,
and northwest sides); it interrupts those states' common border,
which is the Potomac River's southern shore both upstream
and downstream from the district. The Potomac River as it
passes Washington is virtually entirely within the District
of Columbia border.
US CAPITOL: The Capitol is the center of the US government
and also of Washington. Designed by William Thornton, a physician
and amateur architect, the Capitol began construction in 1793
with George Washington laying the cornerstone. The cornerstone
was promptly lost, and its whereabouts are yet to be known.
Then the British marched into DC in 1814 and burnt the half-finished
construction. The government finally rebuilt the Capitol under
the direction of another architect, Charles Bulfinch. In 1855
the 9-million-pound iron dome was designed, replacing a smaller
one; the House and Senate wings were added in 1857. The House
of Representatives meets in the south wing, the Senate in
the north wing. The dome's fresco, Constantino Brumidi's Apotheosis
of Washington, depicts the president greeted in heaven by
13 angels representing the 13 original states.
WHITE HOUSE: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is the most famous
address in the nation. The White House is a neoclassical manor
customized by successive presidents over time: Jefferson added
toilets, FDR put in a pool, Truman installed a second-story
porch, Bush added a horseshoe-throwing lane and Clinton put
in a jogging track and a seven-seat hot tub. Some residents
never leave: it's said that Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry Truman
both sighted the ghost of Abe Lincoln in Lincoln's old study.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS is the largest library in the
world. It has 26 million books, 36 million manuscripts and
maps, photographs, sheet music and musical instruments. The
best part of the library is the 1897 Jefferson Building, with
its vaulted ceilings and ornate decoration.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Officially named
the J Edgar Hoover FBI Building, the FBI tour takes you though
crime laboratories, DNA testing and a treasure trove of confiscated
items before winding up with a live machine-gun demonstration.
LINCOLN MEMORIAL: The Memorial is much more than a
monument to the 16th US President. Designed to resemble a
Greek temple, the monument's 36 columns represent the 36 states
in Lincoln's union. Completed in 1922, it quickly became a
symbol of America's commitment to civil rights. From its steps
in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr preached, 'I have a dream...'
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL: A stark, powerful structure
designed by Maya Ying Lin, the memorial is a V-shaped structure
inscribed with the names of 58,202 veterans killed or missing
as a result of the Vietnam War. N
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION: The Smithsonian is among
the world's finest research centers, and has 13 phenomenal
museums and galleries as well as a zoo. Its collection is
so immense that only 1% of it is ever on display.
THE US HOLOCAUST MUSEUM isn't part of the Smithsonian, but
it's one of the city's best museums. It's a haunting memorial
to victims of Nazi tyranny, covering the period 1933 to 1945.
WASHINGTON MONUMENT: This white obelisk rising from
the center of the Mall was begun in 1848 but completed only
after 37 years. There's an elevator ride to the top, and you
can walk back down a staircase lined with plaques from all
the states, plus one from the Cherokee Nation.
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST IN THE DISTRICT INCLUDE:
Arena Stage, Chinatown, Basilica of the National Shrine of
the Immaculate Conception, Blair House, Cathedral of St. Matthew
the Apostle, Folger Shakespeare Library, Ford's Theatre, Frederick
Douglass National Historic Site, International Spy Museum,
National Building Museum, the Awakening at Haines Point, Old
Post Office Building, Theodore Roosevelt Island, United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Washington National Cathedral.
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