The island was designated to be memorial to TR in 1932. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., along with Henry Hubbard, was commissioned to develop a network of paths and to restore the island to a "natural" state with native trees and shrubs.
Previously, the land was owned and cultivated by the grandson of George Mason. All non-native vegetation was removed by Olmsted's team.
The architectural memorial was not built until the 1960s and was designed by Eric Gugler. The massive sculpture of Roosevelt was made by Paul Manship.
Originally, the site for this memorial was to be the southern tip of the island with views of the Lincoln Memorial, but construction of memorial bridge required a new site.
I'm lukewarm on this design, to say the least, but walking through the island's paths is a lovely way to spend an afternoon (even one on a cold autumn day). There are woods as well as swampy areas you can wander past on wooden boardwalks.
No comments:
Post a Comment