Jefferson Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial dedicated to Thomas Jefferson who was an American Founding Father and the third President of the United States. Construction on the memorial began in 1939 which was designed by John Russell Pope, the memorial was completed in 1943 with the statue of Jefferson added in 1947. The memorial is managed by the National Park Service.

The Memorial is composed of circular marble steps, a portico, a circular colonnade of Ionic order columns and a shallow dome. There is no roof on the memorial which makes it open to the elements. The memorial is located in West Potomac Park and is one of the main anchor points in the National Mall.

Inside the memorial is a 19-foot tall 10,000lb bronze statue of Jefferson that was created by sculptor Rudolph Evans. The walls feature engravings of passages from Jefferson's writing, the most prominent being, 'I have sworn upon the alter of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.' This was taken from a letter for Dr. Benjamin Rush defending his refusal to recognize a state religion. There are also excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and an excerpt from 'A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom 1777.'

The Jefferson Memorial is open 24 hours a day with park rangers available until 11.30pm to assist visitors with and questions they may have. This memorial is not as popular with visitors due to it being located away from the National Mall and Washington Metro. Many events and ceremonies are held here each year, including memorial exercises, Easter Sunrise Service and the National Cherry Blossom Festival.