National Archives Building Receives Historic Landmark Designation and Plaque
Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan (right) and Brian Joyner, acting superintendent of Rock Creek Park (left), stand in front of the National Archives Building Historic Landmark plaque.
The National Archives Building's National Historic Landmarks designation - held by only 2,600 structures across the country - has been finalised with an official plaque unveiling ceremony in Washington D. C.
“When architect John Russell Pope designed the National Archives Building, he not only intended for it to be the first permanent home for historically valuable records of the federal government, but he also wanted it to be an inspiring structure to rival the great monuments of the nation’s capital,” said National Archives Historian Jessie Kratz. “This ceremony is recognition that he achieved his goal. This building’s art and architecture are unparalleled.”
Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan added: “The National Archives is equidistant between the White House and the Capitol, signifying that the National Archives is the repository of the records from both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue, representing all of the people, preserving the history of the United States. I'm very thankful that Pope thought of things in that way because it is functionally important that we are situated where we are, but it also is, of course, symbolically important for where we are."
Brian Joyner, acting superintendent of Rock Creek Park, served at the ceremony as a representative from the National Park Service, the federal agency that oversees the Landmark program. “This historic location physically represents the origins of this nation by both contributing to a more perfect union through access and education, by reminding us to look backwards and learn from our past while we look forward to a more perfect union,” he said.
The application process to gain National Historic Landmark status began in 2014. On August 16, 2023, the National Park Service Advisory Board voted to recommend their approval on the National Historic Landmark nomination for the National Archives Building, moving the building another step closer to the status fully achieved later that year in December.
