West Potomac Park | |
 View of West Potomac Park from theWashington Monument | |
   | |
| Location | Bounded by Constitution Ave., 17th St., Independence Ave., Washington Channel, Potomac River, and Rock Creek Park,N.W. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°53′9.6″N77°2′49.2″W / 38.886000°N 77.047000°W /38.886000; -77.047000 |
| Area | 394.9 acres (159.8 ha) |
| Built | 1881-1912 |
| Part of | East and West Potomac Parks Historic District (ID73000217[1]) |
| Designated CP | November 30, 1973[2] |
West Potomac Park is aU.S. national park inWashington, D.C., adjacent to theNational Mall. It includes the parkland that extends south of theLincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, from theLincoln Memorial to the grounds of theWashington Monument. The park is the site of several national landmarks including theKorean War Veterans Memorial,Jefferson Memorial,Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial,George Mason Memorial, and theMartin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
The park includes the surrounding land on the shore of theTidal Basin, an artificialinlet of thePotomac River which was created in the 19th century, an inlet that links the Potomac with the northern end of theWashington Channel.
West Potomac Park is administered byNational Mall and Memorial Parks, an administrative unit of theNational Park Service'sNational Capital Parks.[3][4]
Almost none of the National Mall west of theWashington Monument grounds and belowConstitution Avenue NW existed prior to 1882.[5] After terrible flooding inundated much of downtown Washington, D.C., in 1881,Congress ordered theArmy Corps of Engineers todredge a deep channel in the Potomac and use the material to fill in the Potomac (creating the currentbanks of the river) and raise much of the land near theWhite House and alongPennsylvania Avenue NW by nearly 6 feet (1.8 m).[6] In the process, the nearbyBabcock Lakes, a series of small ponds, were filled in.[7][8] This "reclaimed land" — which included West Potomac Park,East Potomac Park, theTidal Basin — was largely complete by 1890, and designated Potomac Park by Congress in 1897.[9] Congress first appropriated money for the beautification of the reclaimed land in 1902, which led to the planting of sod, bushes, and trees; grading and paving of sidewalks, bridle paths, and driveways; and the installation of water, drainage, and sewage pipes.[10]
The famoussakura Japanese cherry trees of Washington, D.C., line theTidal Basin and are the main attraction at theNational Cherry Blossom Festival in early spring, when the cherry blossoms bloom.Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, upon returning toWashington, D.C., from a visit toJapan, initiated the idea of cherry trees in Washington, D.C., She approached the Superintendent of Public Building and Grounds, then Colonel Spencer Cosby, about the idea in 1885. Her idea was rejected; over the next 24 years, Scidmore approached every new superintendent, but the idea was never authorized.
In 1906, Dr.David Fairchild, abotanist who worked for theU.S. Department of Agriculture, imported 75 flowering cherry trees and 25 single-flowered weeping types from the Yokohama Nursery Company inJapan. Fairchild planted these trees on a hillside on his own property inChevy Chase, Maryland, testing their hardiness in the Washington area. In 1907, pleased with the success of the trees, Fairchild and his wife began to promote Japanese flowering cherry trees as the ideal type of tree to plant along avenues in the Washington area. Friends of family also became interested, and on September 26, arrangements were completed with the Chevy Chase Land Company to order 300 Oriental cherry trees for the Chevy Chase area.
In 1908, Fairchild gave cherry saplings to boys from each school in the District to plant in schoolyards onArbor Day. In closing his Arbor Day speech, Fairchild expressed a vision that the "Speedway" (the present day corridor of Independence Avenue in West Potomac Park) be transformed into a Field of Cherries. In attendance was Eliza Scidmore, who afterwards he referred to as a great authority on Japan. In 1909, Scidmore decided to try to raise the money required to purchase the cherry trees and then donate the trees to the city. Scidmore sent a note outlining her new plan to the newFirst Lady,Helen Herron Taft—the wife ofPresidentWilliam Howard Taft— who had once lived in Japan and was familiar with the beauty of the flowering cherry trees. Two days later, the First Lady responded:
On April 8, the day after Taft's letter, Dr.Jōkichi Takamine, the Japanese chemist famous as the discoverer ofadrenaline andtakadiastase, was in Washington, D.C., with Midzuno, the Japaneseconsul inNew York City. When told Washington was to have Japanese cherry trees planted along the Speedway, he asked whether the First Lady would accept a donation of an additional 2,000 trees. Midzuno thought it was a fine idea and suggested the trees be given in the name ofTokyo, the capital ofJapan. Takamine and Midzuno met with the Helen Taft, who accepted the offer.
On April 13, five days after the First Lady's request, the Superintendent of Public Building and Grounds ordered the purchase of 90 cherry trees (Prunus serrulata) of the Fugenzovariety from Hoopes Brothers and Thomas Company inWest Chester,Pennsylvania. The trees were planted along the Potomac River from the present site of the Lincoln Memorial south towardEast Potomac Park. After planting, it was discovered that the trees were not correctly named, and were not of the Fugenzo variety, but instead of the Shirofugencultivar (cultivated variety). These trees have since disappeared.
Four months later, on August 30, the Japanese embassy informed theU.S. Department of State that Tokyo intended to donate 2,000 cherry trees to the United States to be planted along thePotomac River. On December 10, the trees arrived inSeattle, and on January 6, 1910 arrived in the capital. However, an inspection team for the Department of Agriculture discovered to everyone's dismay that the trees were infested withinsects,roundworms, andplant diseases. To protect American growers, the department concluded that the trees must be destroyed. On January 28, Taft gave permission to destroy the trees, and they were burned. This diplomatic setback resulted in letters fromSecretary of State and the representatives to the Japanese ambassador, expressing deep regret of all concerned. Dr. Takamine, meeting the bad news with goodwill, again donated the costs for the trees in 1912, whose number he now increased to 3,020. The seeds for these trees were taken in December 1910 from the famous collection on the bank of theArakawa River inAdachi Ward, asuburb of Tokyo, and grafted on specially selected understock produced inItami City inHyōgo Prefecture.
The National Park Service cut 158 of the nearly 3,700 trees in 2024 to rebuild a seawall around the Tidal Basin to strengthen it to withstand sea level rise and more extreme rain events.[11]
TheWest Potomac Rugby Football Club's match and practice pitch is located in the park.
Also in the park are theDistrict of Columbia War Memorial,George Mason Memorial,John Paul Jones Memorial,John Ericsson Memorial,The Arts of War andThe Arts of Peace sculptures, theJapanese Pagoda andLantern statues, theFirst Air Mail Marker, and theCuban Friendship Urn.
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