We were able to visit several monuments and memorials during our time in Washington DC. The first memorial below is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It lies on two acres and actually consists of three different monuments. The “Wall” is certainly the most famous and can be seen in the first two pictures below. There are 140 panels made of black granite. Additional panels were purchased in case a panel is damaged and needs to be replaced (two were damaged during…
The National Cathedral in Washington DC is an Episcopalian cathedral. While it is commonly known as the National Cathedral, its actual name is the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The idea of a national church dates back to 1792 but it wasn’t until 1893 that Congress approved incorporation papers, authorizing a cathedral and institutions of higher learning in the District of Columbia. The charter was signed by President Benjamin Harrison. The Cathedral’s website indicates that the church does…
The pictures below are of the Library of Congress. Its history dates back to 1800 when Congress authorized the expenditure of $5,000 for books that could be used by Congress for reference purposes. Initially the library was located in the Capitol building, but during the War of 1812, British troops set fire to the Capitol and the library was lost. President Thomas Jefferson, at that time retired from office, offered his personal library as a replacement. Congress authorized almost $24,000…
This blog will feature the United States Capitol, the building where the House of Representatives and the Senate do their work. Both are part of the legislative branch of the government, responsible for enacting legislation. We arranged for a tour of the Capitol building through our Congressman. In 1792, a competition was held for the design of the U.S. Capitol, however none of the submitted plans were selected. Dr. William Thornton asked to present plans even though the competition was…
We went to a wedding in Virginia and on our way, stopped in Mount Vernon to see the family home of George Washington. His estate was along the Potomac River. The house has 21 rooms and was built by his father. There were several outbuildings including slave quarters, barns and a blacksmith shop. He had gardens that provided fruits and vegetables. We couldn’t take pictures inside his home, but these are pictures taken from outside. While President Washington could have…