In May 1995 Pennsylvania Avenue between 15th
and 17th Streets was closed by the Department of the
Treasury to public vehicular traffic. Following the
closure, the National Park Service was asked to
coordinate the development of long-term plans for this
area. Some interim improvements will be in place later
this year.
Many people are vitally interested in how this
section of Pennsylvania Avenue -- once a seven-lane
thoroughfare over 80 feet wide and used daily by
thousands of vehicles and pedestrians - will be used in
the future. Now, you are invited to become involved in
this process.
This pamphlet briefly describes the history of
Pennsylvania Avenue, its current uses, and design
principles for President's Park, which includes Lafayette
Park, the White House grounds, and the Ellipse. It also
includes a response sheet for you to tell us what you
think this section of Pennsylvania Avenue should look
like in the future.
There are a number of ways for you to share your
thoughts, ideas, and concerns about Pennsylvania Avenue
at the White House.
* You may complete and return the enclosed postage
paid response sheet by October 25. Tell us what
qualities you would like to see as part of any future
design for this area.
* You are invited to attend one of the public open
houses scheduled Tuesday, October 17, and
Wednesday, October 18, 1995, at the. White House
Visitor Center. You will have an opportunity to talk
with others who have an interest in Pennsylvania
Avenue's future. National Park Service planners will
be on hand to talk with you, and to listen and
record your ideas. Maps, photographs, and
information will be available about past and current
site uses.
* Throughout the remainder of the project the
National Park Service will provide information
about the status of the project and encoutage you
to stay actively involved.
To ensure the broadest range of ideas are gathered,
the National Park Service is also contacting designers
through professional organizations and working with
universities for additional ideas about how this portion
of Pennsylvania Avenue may look and be used in the
future.
A Historical Overview of Pennsylvania Avenue
In 1791 President George Washington and Pierre
Charles L'Enfant envisioned Pennsylvania Avenue as a
ceremonial way and grand approach linking the White
House and the Capitol., In the earliest days of the capital
city the portion of Pennsylvania Avenue on the north
side of the White House between 15th and 17th Streets
was used as an informal access route, but between 1797
and 1824 it was developed as a formal thoroughfare.
The effect of this change was to bring the public closer
to the presidency, and the house became more oriented
to its urban surroundings than to its southern
ceremonial landscape. The address of the White House
became 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Lithographs from as early as 1848 show this
section of Pennsylvania Avenue as a broad expanse of
street, and early on it was used for ceremonial
purposes. In 1861 President Abraham Lincoln and
General Winfield Scott reviewed troops in front of the
White House. By the last half of the 19th century,
when the custom of inaugural Parades became established,
temporary reviewing stands were erected on the
street.
In the 20th century, as automobile traffic replaced
the crush of horse-drawn vehicles on Pennsylvania
Avenue, the north side of the White House increasingly
became a place for the public to assemble and to petition
the president of the United States. Suffragettes
demonstrated for the right to vote, and over the years
others have gathered here both to celebrate and protest
various causes and wars and to be close to the seat of
power during times of national crisis. In addition,
Pennsylvania Avenue and Lafayette Park are also
landmack resources in the history of the historic
preservation movement in the United States, as
evidenced by the redesign of Lafayette Park in the 1960s.
Present Uses of Pennsylvonia Avenue at the White House
This portion of pennsylvania Avenue has diverse and
sometimes simultaneos uses. Accommodating these uses
often requires decisions affecting efficiency, security,
history, preservation, and aesthetic value's. Some of the
more important uses are listed below.
* A Link with the Presidency -- Because
Pennsylvania Avenue runs right in front of the
White Mouse, it is seen as a place for citizens to
show an emotional connection with the presidency,
to gather in times of crisis, and to petition the
President to redress grievances, in accordance with
the First Amendment. The fact that the White
House -- America's house - is surrounded by a
fence, not a wall, symbolizes the openness between
the presiaent and the people.
* Focal Point - This section of Pennsylvania Avenue
provides visual access to the front door of the president's
home, a view that is known around the
world. The address 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is
perhaps the most recognized address in our nation,
providing for all U.S. citizens a sense of being home
and welcome..
* A Connection with the City - Pennsy!vania Avenue was designed
to link the Capitol and the
White House. The section between 15th and 17th
Streets also links Lafayette Park and its historic
neighborhood with the White House, the Treasury
Building, and the Old Executive Office Building.
* Access - Pennsylvania Airenue provides access to
and from the White House for the president and his
family, official guests, and tourists. As such, acccss
must be safe and secure for all, whether their are
inside the White House, part of a diplomatic
motorcade, viewing the White House from outside
the fence, demonstrating in Lafayette Park, or
Passing by. The area in front of the White House is
open to pedestrians, bicyclers, and skaters. Local
transit buses provide access to the east side of
Lafayette Park.
* A Stage and Setting -In addition to its daily use,
Pennsylvania Avenue is a setting for national
ceremonies and events, including inaugural parades,
national marches, official functions, and state
funerals. The importance of this area is underscored
by its use by the national and international media
as a backdrop for reporting world events. It is also a
setting for visitor activities and local urban activities.
Design Principles for Pennrylvania Avenue at the White House
Future designs for Pennsylvania Avenue at the White
House will be consistent with design principles developed
for President's Park in a project known as the
Comprehensive Design Plan for the white House. The
intent of these principles is to ensure that all designs used
within the area are consistent. The principles may be
summarized as follows:
* The design should be nonintrusive.
* Past building traditions ana practices should be
respected.
* The design should be timeless.
* The quality of the pedestrian experience should
remain a high priority in all designs.
* The design should accommodate service, security,
and ceremonial functions in a manner that is
consistent with the dignity and importance of the
site.
There can be many different approaches to
redesigning Pennsylvania Avenue to accommodate its
various uses while still meeting the intent of these
design principles.
How Will Your ldeals Be Used?
All the information from the open houses, the
response sheets, and universities will be compiled and
used as a starting point for a one-week design
workshop to be held in December., A small group of
prominent planning and design professionals from
around the country will be invited to explore and
develop various design ideas for Pennsylvania Avenue at
the White House and the perimrter-of Lafayette rark.
The product of the wotkshop will be a portfolio of ideas
and concepts that will be submitted to the National
Park Service and refined into conceptual design
alternatives.
The National Park Service will then analyze the
social and environmental impacts of all the alternatives
so that people understand the advantages and disadvantages of
each alternative. These alternatives will be
available for public comment, after which a preferred
alternative will be selected and implemented.
Your ideas are important to us and to how Pennsylvania Avenue
at the White House will look in the future.
Please share your thoughts with us through, words or
sketches on the response sheet or come to one of the public
open houses. Return your response sheet hy October 25,
1995.