Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park, National Historic Landmark in Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C.
Meridian Hill Park is a twelve-acre urban park featuring a cascading fountain system arranged in thirteen basins with symmetrical stairways connecting different levels. The lower section contains a large reflecting pool and is bordered by access points from multiple streets.
The site originally held a private mansion built in 1819 that later served as a Civil War encampment before the federal government purchased it in 1910. The grounds then underwent transformation into a public park.
The park carries the name of Malcolm X, a designation that emerged in 1969 following activist Angela Davis's speech, marking the neighborhood's shift in identity. Today it serves as a gathering space where residents and visitors come together for community events.
Multiple entrances along 15th, 16th, W, and Euclid Street NW provide access to the grounds, with extended hours through midnight in summer months. The varying elevation changes require visitors with mobility concerns to plan their routes accordingly.
An equestrian statue of Joan of Arc stands in the upper plaza area as the only monument in all of Washington, D.C. depicting a woman on horseback. This rare sculpture often surprises first-time visitors who encounter it.
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