Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac
Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac is located on Columbia Island (renamed Lady Bird Johnson Park in 1968), in Washington, D.C. The memorial honors the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson.
- For more detailed information, see: Columbia Island (District of Columbia) § Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac | |
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![]() LBJ Memorial Grove Monolith | |
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Location | Washington, D.C., USA |
Coordinates | 38°52′43″N 77°3′5″W |
Area | 17 acres (0.07 km2) |
Established | December 28, 1973 |
Governing body | National Park Service |
Website | LBJ Memorial Grove on the Potomac |
The grove consists of two parts. The first area, commemorative in nature, is a Texas granite monolith surrounded by a serpentine pattern of walks and trails. The second area is a grass meadow and provides a tranquil refuge for reflection and rejuvenation of the spirit. The trails are shaded by a grove of hundreds of white pine and dogwood trees, and framed by azaleas and rhododendron. The memorial overlooks the Potomac River with a vista of the city of Washington.
Visitors may listen to a recording made by Lady Bird Johnson at the entrance to the park facing The Pentagon. In the recording, the former First Lady talks about the creation of the park, the trees, and the views of major Washington D.C. landmarks.
The park also contains the Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial, dedicated to the all those who were lost at sea.
Administrative history
The national memorial was authorized by Congress on December 28, 1973 (eleven months after Johnson's death on January 22) and administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places the same day. The memorial was dedicated on April 6, 1976.[1] It is administered by the National Park Service, as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
A $500,000 footbridge between the memorial and a 30-car parking lot along Boundary Channel was constructed to make it easier to visit the Grove. The bridge was designed by landscape architect Meade Palmer and dedicated by Lady Bird Johnson on Oct 12, 1977.[2][3]
References
- Smith, J. Y. (April 7, 1976). "A Budding Grove". The Washington Post.
- "A Bridge to LBJ Memorial". The Washington Post. September 27, 1977.
- "Correction". The Washington Post. September 30, 1977.
- The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.
External links
Media related to Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac at Wikimedia Commons
- NPS.gov: Official Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac websiteEntrance to the memorial groveFootbridge across Boundary Channel connecting the Grove to the Pentagon grounds