Thomas Jefferson Memorial: 1943 - Ben's Guide

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Thomas Jefferson Memorial: 1943

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is located in Washington, DC, on the banks of the Potomac Tidal Basin and next to the Potomac River. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was our third President (1801-1809) and one of our Nation’s Founding Fathers. Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence and served as the first Secretary of State under President George Washington and served as Vice President under President John Adams. The memorial was dedicated on April 13, 1943, the two-hundredth anniversary of Jefferson’s birth.

The architecture of the memorial is similar to buildings designed by Jefferson; the low dome is like those found at the University of Virginia rotunda and Jefferson’s home of Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. The white marble memorial can also be seen in images of the famous cherry blossoms in bloom that line the edge of the Tidal Basin.

In the center of the memorial is a large bronze statue of Jefferson, and on the walls are selections from Jefferson’s writings. Under the dome is one of his quotes:

I HAVE SWORN UPON THE ALTAR OF GOD ETERNAL HOSTILITY AGAINST EVERY FORM OF TYRANNY OVER THE MIND OF MAN

Thomas Jefferson Memorial facts and figures:

• The memorial was designed by John Russell Pope, who also designed the National Archives and National Gallery of Art buildings in Washington, DC.
• When the memorial was finished in 1943, the bronze statue was not ready, so a painted plaster statue was set up temporarily; the bronze statue was completed and installed in 1947.
• The statue of Jefferson inside the memorial, sculpted by Rudolph Evans, is 19 feet tall and weighs 10,000 pounds.
• Jefferson’s face is on the 2-dollar bill.
• Jefferson’s face is on the front of the nickel coin; Monticello, his Virginia home, is on the back.

To learn more, see the Thomas Jefferson Memorial site.