Jefferson Memorial

About Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was a man of many talents. He was a farmer, an architect, a master gardener, a clever inventor, and an accomplished art collector, among other things. He is best known as the author of the Declaration of Independence, which he penned in 1776. After the American Revolution, Jefferson served as the United States’ first Secretary of State, the country’s second Vice President (under John Adams), ambassador to France, and Governor of Virginia. In his free time he amassed a huge library (which he later sold to the Library of Congress after the British burned the Library’s books during the War of 1812 and which formed the core of the present collection), constructed a lovely home at Monticello, near Charlottesville, and designed many of the early buildings that make up the University of Virginia.

History of the Jefferson Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial was designed by John Russell Pope, who also designed the west building of the National Gallery of Art. Pope was chosen in 1934 from a group of 100 hopeful architects. His design for the Memorial reflects the classic elements favored by Jefferson and which Mr. Jefferson used in his plans for Monticello and the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. The Memorial was constructed of Vermont marble for the exterior walls and columns, Tennessee pink marble for the interior floor, Georgia white marble for the interior walls, and Missouri gray marble for the pedestal. Indiana limestone was used for the ceiling. The Jefferson Memorial cost slightly more than $3 million dollars to construct and was dedicated in 1943, on the 200th anniversary of Mr. Jefferson’s birth.

Visiting the Jefferson Memorial

Inside the Memorial is a 19-foot tall bronze statue of Jefferson by sculptor Rudolph Evans. The interior walls are engraved with excerpts from Jefferson’s writings, including the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. The Memorial is open to visitors year round except Christmas Day. It is administered by the National Park Service and is free to all. Park Rangers give twenty-minute presentations throughout the day. The site plays host to many events each year, including an Easter sunrise church service. The Tidal Basin surrounding the Jefferson Memorial erupts with cherry blossoms each spring around the first week of April and the Memorial hosts the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Related Washington DC and Virginia Travel Sites

• Alexandria VA
• Arlington National Cemetery
• Monticello
• Smithsonian
• Williamsburg VA