potomacriverwashingtondistrictofcolumbia

Southwestern View of the District of Columbia from the Washington Monument

from Cornell University Library

• kplifescience said:

  Appears to be taken by leaning out the south window of the Washington Monument (which you could do at that time). The buildings were temporary war offices constructed for WWII. Out of frame to the right are more temporary war buildings still left from WWI. The buildings in the picture were taken down in the mid fifties, if I am remembering correctly. The WWI buildings (not in picture) in what is now Constitution Gardens, were not demolished until the 1970s, when Constitution Gardens was built as part of the Bicentennial celebration. Notice the Rainbow Pool (right foreground) is where the WWII Memorial now stands. The pool (actually just a fountain) was demolished for the WWII Memorial construction, but recreated as a part of the Memorial.

• kplifescience said:

  Contrary to my previous post, I think this was taken from the west window. The barracks in the upper left, in the polo grounds field were demolished in 1965.

• kplifescience said:

  According tp the National Register of Historic Places, the large office buildings along the Reflecting Pool were not taken down until 1965.

• Cornell University Library said:

  kplifescience Thank you for all this useful information