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Renwick's Smithsonian building was also sacrificed on the altar of order,
clarity, and geometric precision.The ungainly hill at the base of the Wash-
ington Monument—one of the last relics of the Mall's original topogra-
phy—would be replaced by an architectonic extravaganza of terraces, steps,
pools, and fountains. On the newly filled land at the Potomac end of the
Mall, a grand neoclassical temple surrounded by rigidly geometric plantings
would honor the memory of Abraham Lincoln and provide a dramatic
punctuation to the monumentally formal space envisioned by the commis-
sion (figure 7). 37
The Senate Park Commission plan would eventually play a prominent
role in guiding the development of Washington's public spaces. Yet it was
neither universally endorsed nor comprehensively adopted. Many politi-
cians (including Speaker of the House Joseph Cannon) objected to its
extravagant price tag. Funding shortages plagued every aspect of the plan's
development and many elements of the original vision were cast aside to
cut costs or placate politicians. Local opposition arose to the commission's
proposals to eliminate the Botanical Gardens and strip the Mall of its exist-
ing plantings, which were prized by many people for their picturesque
charm, cooling shade, and seemingly natural appearance. The Washington
FIGURE 7
“General View of the Monument Garden and Mall, Looking Toward the Capital.”
Illustration from William Howard Taft and James Bryce, Washington: The Nation's
Capital, 1913 and 1915.
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