District of Columbia World War Memorial

   

Designed in the form of a circular Greek temple (tholos), the memorial is an open-air, white marble, Doric structure intended to serve as a bandstand.   A peristyle of 12 fluted Doric columns supports (without bases) supports an inscribed six-foot-tall entablature and, above that, a domed roof.  The floor (stylobate) is decorated with white and pink tiles; at the center is a bronze escutcheon featuring an eagle in low relief.  The names of the 499 DC residents who died in service are inscribed around the base.

 

Neo-classical structure

Marble

45' diameter; 47' tall

1931

1931

DC citizens

155000

Frank B. Noyes, an ardent supporter of the construction of a memorial and president of the Associated Press and Evening Star, was elected chairman of the Commission. The other members of the Commission were Joseph E. Berberich, Charles A. Baker, Edward F. Colladay, John Joy Edson, Mrs. William Corcoran Eustis, Robert N. Harper, Isaac Gans, Col. E. Lester Jones, Arthur D. Marks, James F. Oyster, Roland S. Robbins, Edgar D. Shaw, Hubert Suter, W.B. Westlake, Gen. Anton Stephan, J.R. McDonald, and Gist Blair, and Edward B. McLean.

Yes

Yes

Yes

James Baird Co., contractor

The 26,000 DC residents who served in the war.

The names inscribed around the base are done listed alphabetically, without mention of rank, color, or gender. Among the listed is Lt George Seibold. His mother founded the Gold Star Mothers after she had trouble learning of his fate, and then discovered that other mothers were also suffering. The story is mentioned in the Historic Park View Walking Tour: http://www.wdchumanities.org/docs/2012DCCHP/ParkViewFinal.pdf

National Park Service

neo-classical, tholos,