Last 'Tempos' Fall in Style: Wrecker's Ball Set to Music

Item

Title

Last 'Tempos' Fall in Style: Wrecker's Ball Set to Music

Description

Although most of the office buildings constructed on the Mall to house war department offices during World War I and II had been removed by the 1960s, a row of buildings from 1918 still stood in the space between Constitution Avenue and the Reflecting Pool. In 1969 President Nixon ordered these buildings demolished, to be replaced with parkland more in keeping with the rest of the Mall. On July 15, 1970, Naval officers and government officials held a demolition ceremony, watching as the wrecking ball took its first swing at the walls. By December, the buildings were gone.

Source

The Washington Post

Date

07/16/1970

Coverage

1950-1979
1890-1919

topic

design & monuments
ghost mall

Item sets