FOUNDATION STATEMENT FOR THE NATIONAL MALL AND PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK CONTENTS must be consistent with and contribute to ful- filling the park’s purpose, significance, and Foundations for Planning and Management .... 1 mandates. The National Mall & Memorial Parks ............... 2 • Purpose: The park purpose is the specific Purpose .......................................................... 2 reason that a particular park was estab- Significance.................................................... 4 lished by Congress or the president. State- Fundamental Resources .............................. 5 ments of the park’s purpose are grounded Fundamental Values..................................... 5 in a thorough analysis of the park’s estab- Primary Interpretive Themes...................... 5 lishing legislation (or executive order) and Other Important Resources and Values .... 6 legislative history, including studies prior to authorization. Purpose statements may The National Mall................................................. 6 go beyond a restatement of the law to Purpose .......................................................... 6 document shared assumptions about what Significance.................................................... 7 the law means in terms specific to the park. Fundamental Resources .............................. 7 Fundamental Values..................................... 8 • Significance: Park significance statements Primary Interpretive Themes...................... 9 express why the park’s resources and Other Important Resources ........................ 9 values are important enough to warrant national park designation. Significance Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Park... 9 statements capture the essence of the Purpose ........................................................10 park’s importance to our nation’s heritage. Significance..................................................10 Statements of the park’s significance Fundamental Resources ............................11 describe why an area is important within a Fundamental Values...................................11 global, national, regional, and systemwide Primary Interpretive Themes....................11 context, and they are directly linked to the Other Important Resources ......................11 purpose of the park. These statements are substantiated by data or consensus, and they reflect the most current scientific or FOUNDATIONS FOR PLANNING AND scholarly inquiry and cultural perceptions, MANAGEMENT which may have changed since the park’s establishment. Defining the park’s signifi- As parks begin planning for their future, it is cance helps to identify the foundations for imperative that everyone has a shared under- planning and values so that managers can standing of what is most important about the make decisions that preserve the resources park, as identified in its purpose, significance, and values for which the park was estab- fundamental resources and values, and primary lished or that are necessary to accomplish interpretive themes. It is also important to the park’s mission. identify the constraints of special mandates on • Fundamental Resources and Values: planning and management. The foundation These are the most important ideas, tangible statement is the first step of the National Park resources, or intangible values to be com- Service’s planning process, and its purpose is to municated to the public about a park and help ensure that planning and management stay that warrant primary consideration during focused on what is most important. All alterna- planning and management because they tives to be considered in the planning process contribute to significance and are critical to 1 FOUNDATION STATEMENT achieving the park’s purpose. For the Na- this planning effort, such as Ford’s Theater tional Mall plan and other NPS planning, a National Historic Site and numerous circles and fundamental resource and value is one that squares throughout the city containing monu- was specifically sanctioned by Congress in ments, memorials, and fountains, such as those legislation (such as for a memorial or monu- at DuPont, Logan, and Washington circles. ment), an important element or remnant of one of the comprehensive plans (such as the Purpose L’Enfant plan), or an element without which the National Mall or Pennsylvania The purposes of the National Mall & Memorial Avenue National Historic Park would be Parks are to greatly diminished. • Preserve, interpret, and manage federal • Primary Interpretive Themes: These are park lands in the national capital on the the major messages that visitors to a park land delineated by the L’Enfant plan and should receive during their visit, and they the 1902 Senate Park Improvement Plan connect park resources to relevant ideas, (commonly referred to as the McMillan meanings, concepts, contexts, beliefs, and plan), including green spaces, vistas, values. They support the desired interpre- monuments, memorials, statues, historic tive outcome of increasing visitor under- sites, cultural landscapes, and natural and standing and appreciation of the signifi- recreation areas. (Source: L’Enfant and cance of the park’s resources. Primary inter- McMillan plans, Potomac Park 1897 legis- pretive themes are based on the park’s lation, NPS Organic Act, 1933 act trans- purpose and significance. ferring D.C. parks to NPS administration, and other implementing legislation.) • Other Important Resources and Values: Additional resources and values may have • Preserve places where important events in particular importance and warrant special U.S. history occurred (e.g., Ford’s Theater, consideration during general management the Petersen House, Pennsylvania Avenue). planning, even though they do not con- • Provide opportunities for visitor contem- tribute directly to the purpose and plation, celebration, commemoration, citi- significance of the park. zen participation, recreation, and demon- The above five foundational elements for the stration, where the full expression of the National Mall plan were developed as part of a constitutional rights of speech and peaceful Foundation Workshop for the larger National assembly occur. (Source: DC Circuit Court, Mall & Memorial Parks held in July 2006. Only U.S. Code, and Code of Federal Regulations.) those foundation elements related to the • Maintain space for the symbols and icons National Mall plan are contained in this report. of our nation and its ideals (e.g., equality, freedom, and democracy). (Source: Com- THE NATIONAL MALL & MEMORIAL memorative Works Act as amended, DC PARKS Circuit Court.) • “Washington, D.C. is more than the seat of The first step in developing foundation ele- government and residence of nearly one ments for the National Mall plan is to under- million citizens. It is a second home to stand the purpose and significance of the Na- every American, and the symbol of this tional Mall & Memorial Parks (the area man- nation to the world.” (Source: House aged by the National Mall & Memorial Parks is Congressional Record October 14, 1972, shown on the accompanying map). The Na- p. 36439 related to 1972 Pennsylvania tional Mall & Memorial Parks includes the Avenue Development Corporation Act, National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue Na- Public Law 92-578.) tional Historic Park, as well as sites unrelated to 2 The National Mall & Memorial Parks: Significance 3 FOUNDATION STATEMENT Significance sewer system and created West Potomac Park The National Mall & Memorial Parks are significant because • The National Mall & Memorial Parks preserve the stage upon which historic • The areas under NPS stewardship are events of national significance occurred, some of the oldest public lands in our such as the assassination of Lincoln at nation, dating from 1791 when the District Ford’s Theater and the “I Have a Dream” was established; the L’Enfant plan guided speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the the creation and development of park Lincoln Memorial. areas. • The iconography, architecture, and open • Much of the area managed by the Na- spaces within the National Mall & tional Mall & Memorial Parks reflects the Memorial Parks are a source of national physical expression of historic L’Enfant pride and symbolize our cherished values and McMillan plans for the federal city. and ideals, and they commemorate indi- ◦ The L’Enfant plan of the capital viduals and events that symbolize our represents the states as bound together cherished values and ideals: democracy, by the constitutional authority. freedom, justice, compassion, equality, unity, diversity, service, healing, • The areas managed by the National Mall citizenship, civil rights, liberty, service, & Memorial Parks are vital components of dedication, courage, sacrifice, innovation, the historic federal city — the singular unity, and diversity, as well as struggles of designed urban core that from inception the international community for freedom has physically expressed its political role and democracy. A visit to the park sites is as the American national capital city and a pilgrimage to find inspiration among the seat of government. principal symbols of America’s heritage. ◦ The park retains the major design fea- • The National Mall & Memorial Parks are tures of the historic plan of Washing- the setting for national celebrations, ton, the sole American example of a parades, festivals, ceremonies, and rallies, comprehensive baroque city plan with a as well as local and regional events. coordinated system