History
See also: History of Washington, D.C., List of circles in Washington, D.C., and Lieutenant General George WashingtonWashington Circle became the first traffic circle in Washington, D.C., when Reservation 26 was enclosed and landscaped in 1856.
A bronze equestrian statue, sculpted by Clark Mills and depicting George Washington riding his horse during the Battle of Princeton, was installed in the center of the circle on February 22, 1860, at a total cost of $60,000. The National Park Service now maintains Washington Circle's park, the public space surrounding Washington's statue.
In 1862, streetcars tracks were laid around Washington Circle, but were not properly maintained during the turbulent years of the Civil War. Track improvements were made during the 1870s and the park was redesigned in 1885. To ease traffic congestion, Washington Circle was redesigned in 1932, followed by construction of the K Street underpass in 1961–1962.
Read more about this topic: Washington Circle
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