Japanese pagoda on the Potomac River Tidal Basin (Library of Congress)
The Washington Monument is one of the District of Columbia’s most recognizable and iconic structures. Towering 555 feet above the city, this massive marble obelisk was once the tallest structure in the world. But sitting in its long shadow is one of the oddest and most obscure little landmarks on the National Mall.
The Jefferson Pier, a 3-foot-tall stone marker, stands due west of the Washington Monument in the middle of a grassy field. This diminutive structure, more a monument to Thomas Jefferson’s ego than anything else, marks what our third president hoped would be the center of the world.
Just to the south, nestled among Washington's world-famous cherry trees, is a small 170-year-old Japanese stone pagoda. And hidden among the grand neoclassical buildings and government offices along Pennsylvania Avenue is a long-neglected fountain, a testament to the sordid past of a neighborhood once known as "Murder Bay."
Carolyn Muraskin examines the capital’s most distinctive and little-known monuments, memorials, and landmarks. She is the founder of DC Design Tours, which offers historical tours of Washington focused on architecture, urban planning, and design.
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