Federal Triangle Heritage Trail Historical Markers

By Craig Swain, June 9, 2012

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1 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 5 — Appointed Rounds — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

The imposing Ariel Rios Building opened in 1934 to house the U.S. Post Office Department. Architect William A. Delano, of the New York firm Delano and Aldrich, drew inspiration from Paris and other European cities to design the building's . . . — — Map (db m57207) HM

2 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 6 — Arts and Artists — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

Woodrow Wilson Plaza honors President Woodrow Wilson, noted scholar and former president of Princeton University. Located just inside the Ronald Reagan building ahead is the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the nation's . . . — — Map (db m57208) HM

3 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 9 — Completing the Triangle — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center honoring the 40th president, filled the last open space in the Federal Triangle. When former First Lady Nancy Reagan dedicated it in 1998, the redevelopment of this area of . . . — — Map (db m57205) HM

4 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 14 — Equal Justice Under the Law — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

The roots of America's top law enforcement agency, the Department of Justice, reach back to 1789. That year the first Congress created the Office of the Attorney General to prosecute lawsuits in the Supreme Court and advise the President and . . . — — Map (db m57214) HM

5 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 11 — From Workers to Environment — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, whose mission is to protect human health and the environment, has occupied the majority of offices in this block since 2001. EPA West (this building), the adjacent Mellon Auditorium, . . . — — Map (db m57210) HM

6 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 3 — G-Men and G-Women — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is headquartered across Pennsylvania Avenue from this spot. Thanks to popular media, it may be one of the better-known government agencies. Since the 1930s Hollywood has found great stories among the . . . — — Map (db m57218) HM

7 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 2 — Grandeur for the People — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

The National Archives, keeper of the nation's founding documents and most important federal government records, occupies this important spot halfway between the Capitol and the White House. Before the Archives building was constructed, federal . . . — — Map (db m57217) HM

8 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 12 — Keeping It Green — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is the youngest agency housed here in the Federal Triangle. Established as an independent agency in 1970, EPA protects human health and the environment through science, transparency, and the rule of . . . — — Map (db m57211) HM

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9 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 8 — Open For Business — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

Across the street the Department of Commerce's Herbert C. Hoover Building anchors the Federal Triangle, just as the department - with its mission of promoting trade, supporting economic development, and strengthening the competitiveness of . . . — — Map (db m57204) HM

10 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 13 — Our Tax Dollars — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

While only Congress — the people's elected representatives — can impose taxes and decide how they are spent, the Internal Revenue Service, a bureau of the U.S. Treasury, ensures those taxes are collected fairly and efficiently. The IRS . . . — — Map (db m57212) HM

11 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 4 — Preserving the Past — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

This massive granite building was completed in 1899 to house the U.S. Post Office Department and the busy city post office. Designed by the U.S. Treasury Department architects under Willoughby J. Edbrooke, it was Washington’s first . . . — — Map (db m65355) HM

12 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 16 — Protecting Consumers and Competition — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

This is the Federal Trade Commission Building, home of the agency that defends the public against unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices. One of the older independent Federal agencies, the FTC was created in . . . — — Map (db m59219) HM

13 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 15 — Temple for Our History — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

You’re standing at the National Archives Building, the first permanent repository for the original records of the federal government. They include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, displayed inside . . . — — Map (db m130755) HM

14 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 10 — The Division — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

Soon after the Federal government moved to Washington in 1800, this area attracted shops and stables to serve the new residents. But where Constitution Avenue runs today, just south of this sign, Tiber Creek flowed - and often flooded. In . . . — — Map (db m57209) HM

15 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Federal Triangle — 7 — Washington, DC: Capital and City — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

This is the John A. Wilson Building, Washington, DC's city hall, home to DC's mayor and city council. When completed in 1908, it was known as the District Building (for District of Columbia). Cope and Stewardson of Philadelphia won the . . . — — Map (db m57141) HM

16 ► District of Columbia, Washington, Northwest Washington, Penn Quarter — 1 — America's Main Street — Make No Little Plans — Federal Triangle Heritage Trail —

The broadest and most important street in Pierre L'Enfant's Plan of 1791 for the nation's capital connects to the Capitol and the White House. Pennsylvania Avenue. Almost every American knows its name. Almost every visitor to the Washington . . . — — Map (db m57215) HM