Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the largest of Washington, D.C.'s reflecting pools. Located directly east of the Lincoln Memorial, it is a long, rectangular pool visible in many photographs of the Washington Monument. It is lined by walking paths and shade trees on both sides. It reflects both the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.
Located on the west end of the National Mall, the reflecting pool is approximately 2,029 feet (618 m) long and 167 feet (51 m) wide. It has a depth of approximately 18 inches (46 cm) on the sides and 30 inches (76 cm) in the center. It holds approximately 6,750,000 U.S. gallons (25,500,000 L) of water.
[edit] Events
Directly in front of the Lincoln Memorial steps, the Reflecting Pool area has been the site of many historic events.
In 1939, singer Marian Anderson was denied permission to perform in the Constitution Hall in Washington, because of her race. An open air concert was arranged on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, with a crowd of over 75,000 people around the Reflecting Pool area.
In 1963, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom used the area for its Civil Rights rally. It was there that Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered to a crowd of a quarter million people standing around (and in) the Reflecting Pool.
