THE TAYLORS: Washington, DC

Today we took the metro into Washington, DC and visited the Federal Triangle. The Federal Triangle is a triangular area in Washington, DC and is occupied by 10 large city and federal office buildings, all of which are part of the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. Seven of the buildings in Federal Triangle were built by the U.S. federal government in the early and mid-1930s as part of a coordinated construction plan that has been called "one of the greatest building projects ever undertaken" and all seven buildings are now designated as architecturally historic.

The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington. George Washington's military and political leadership were indispensable to the founding of the United States. As commander of the Continental Army, he rallied Americans from thirteen divergent states and outlasted Britain's superior military force. As the first president, Washington's superb leadership set the standard for each president that has succeeded him. The Washington Monument towers above the city that bears his name, serving as an awe-inspiring reminder of George Washington's greatness. The monument, made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet 5 inches tall. Taller monumental columns exist, but they are neither all stone nor true obelisks. Construction of the monument began in 1848, was halted from 1854 to 1877, and was finally completed in 1884. The monument stands due east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial is an American national monument built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The exterior of the Memorial echoes a classic Greek temple and features marble from Colorado. The structure is surrounded by 36 fluted columns, one for each of the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death, and two columns at the entrance. The interior of the Memorial is divided into three chambers by two rows of columns. The north and south side chambers contain carved inscriptions of Lincoln's second inaugural address and his Gettysburg Address.

Lying between the north and south chambers is the central hall containing the solitary figure of Lincoln sitting in contemplation. The carved statue took 4 years to complete and had to be shipped in 28 separate pieces. The Memorial has become a symbolically sacred venue especially for the Civil Rights movement. On August 28, 1963, the memorial grounds were the site of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which proved to be a high point of the American Civil Rights Movement. It is estimated that approximately 250,000 people came to the event, where they heard Martin Luther King, Jr., deliver his historic speech, "I Have a Dream". Twenty years later, on August 28, 1983, crowds gathered again to mark the 20th Anniversary Mobilization for Jobs, Peace and Freedom, to reflect on progress in gaining civil rights for African Americans and to commit to correcting continuing injustices. The "I Have a Dream" speech is such a part of the Lincoln Memorial story, that the spot on which King stood, on the landing eighteen steps below Lincoln's statue, was engraved in 2003 in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the event. Approximately 6 million people visit the memorial annually.

The First Division Monument commemorates those who died while serving the 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. The monument was conceived

by the Society of the First Division, the veteran's organization of the U.S. Army's First Division, to honor the valiant efforts of the soldiers who fought in World War I. Later additions to the monument commemorate the lives of First Division soldiers who fought in subsequent wars. The 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army is the oldest continuously serving division in the regular United States Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917. It was officially nicknamed the "The Big Red One" after its shoulder patch.

The Department of the Treasury (DoT) is an

executive department and the treasury of the

United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue. The Department is administered by the Secretary of the Treasury, who is a member of the Cabinet. The first Secretary of the Treasury was Alexander Hamilton, who was sworn into office on September 11, 1789. Hamilton almost single-handedly worked out the nation's early financial system, and for several years was a major presence in Washington's administration as well. His portrait is on the obverse of the U.S. ten-dollar bill while the Treasury Department building is shown on the reverse. The Treasury prints and mints all paper currency and coins in circulation through the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the United States Mint. The Department also collects all federal taxes through the Internal Revenue Service, and manages U.S. government debt instruments.

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. It has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. Construction started in 1792. Today, the White House Complex includes the Executive Residence, West Wing, East Wing, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building the former State Department, which now houses offices for the President's staff and the Vice President and Blair House, a guest residence.

The White House includes: six stories and 55,000 ft² of floor space, 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, twenty-eight fireplaces, eight staircases, three elevators, five full-time chefs, a tennis court, a (single-lane) bowling alley (officially called the Harry S. Truman Bowling Alley), a movie theater (officially called the White House Family Theater), a jogging track, a swimming pool, and a putting green. In 2013 President Barack Obama installed a set of solar panels on the roof of the White House, making it the first time in history solar power would be used for a president's living quarters. The president usually travels to and from the White House grounds via official motorcade or helicopter. The White House Complex is protected by the United States Secret Service and the United States Park Police. NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) were used to guard air space over Washington, D.C. during the 2005 presidential inauguration. The same NASAMS units have since been used to protect the president and all air space around the White House, which is strictly prohibited to aircraft.

The United States Capitol, atop Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. is the seat of the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government, completed in the year 1800.

Underground tunnels and a private subway connect the main Capitol building with each of the Congressional office buildings in the surrounding complex. Before the August 2012 recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to spend $61 million to repair the exterior of the dome, which has at least 1,300 cracks that have led to rusting inside. The House wanted to spend less on government operations, but late in 2013 it was announced that renovation will take place over two years starting in spring 2014.

The Smithsonian "Castle" (1847), the Institution's first building and still its headquarters.

The Smithsonian Institution established in 1846 "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge," is a group of museums and research centers administered by the United States government. Termed "the nation's attic" for its eclectic holdings of 137 million items, the Institution's Washington, D.C. nucleus of nineteen museums, nine research centers, and zoo many of them historical or architectural landmarks is the largest such complex in the world. The Institution's thirty million annual visitors are admitted without charge; funding comes from the Institution's own endowment, private and corporate contributions, membership dues, government support, and retail, concession and licensing revenues. More than two-thirds of the Smithsonian's workforce of some 6,300 persons are employees of the federal government. The President’s 2011 budget proposed just under $800 million in support for the Smithsonian, slightly increased from previous years. Among the Smithsonian's most famous items are the Hope Diamond and the ruby slippers.