Meridian Hill Park

The site takes its name from an 1819 mansion placed directly on the longitude of the original District of Columbia milestone marker—a property that later housed departing President John Quincy Adams and sheltered Union troops during the Civil War. Acquired by the federal government in 1910, the grounds were designed by landscape architects George Burnap and Horace Peaslee using innovative concrete aggregate construction. Beyond the stepped water features, the layout integrates a reflecting pool and notable monuments, including the Joan of Arc Statue.