Historic Plans

The 1791 L’Enfant Plan and the 1901-1902 McMillan Commission Plan are the blueprints for the National Mall. The best way to understand the visionary ideas that created and expanded the original plan for the Mall is to examine these primary documents first hand.

To better understand L’Enfant’s intentions in laying out the capital city, CLICK on the map and the details showing the “Observations explanatory of the Plan,” the “Breadth of the Streets,” and the “References” section detailed below.

For more on the McMillan Commission planning ideas for the Mall as well as the larger nation’s capital, read also their 1902 report (at the Coalition’s older Third Century Initiative website)  “The Improvement of the Park System of the District of Columbia.”

The 1791 L’Enfant Plan

(CLICK on plan and details to enlarge. The original is preserved in the Library of Congress)LOC L'Enfant Plan facs 1887

 

L'Enfant Plan LOC %22Observations%22 101912   L'Enfant Plan LOC2012 REFERENCES A-E 080914   L'Enfant Plan LOC2012 REFERENCES F-M 080914

The 1901-1902 McMillan Commission Plan (Senate Park Commission Plan)

(Original plan preserved at the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.)  Images courtesy Commission of Fine Arts.

Read the actual 1902 McMillan Commission report, The Improvement of the Park System of the District of Columbia, at our other website, here.

3. CFA McMillan aerialCFA - McMillan PLAN

CFA - McMillan-WashMon copy CFA -McMillan Lincoln

This plan below is courtesy the National Capital Planning Commission:

 

McMillan Plan