National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission - Precursors To The Commission

Precursors To The Commission

No federal agency had authority over the placement or construction of memorials in and around Washington, D.C., until 1910. That year, the United States Congress enacted legislation creating the United States Commission of Fine Arts, and giving it the power to provide advice on the siting of monuments and memorials. On November 28, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson issued Executive Order 1862, which expanded the CFA's advisory authority to cover any "new structures...which affect in any important way the appearance of the City, or whenever questions involving matters of art and with which the federal government is concerned..." Executive Order 3524, issued by President Warren G. Harding on July 28, 1921, further expanded the CFA's review to the design of coins, fountains, insignia, medals, monuments, parks, and statues, whether constructed or issued by the federal government or the government of the District of Columbia.

In 1924, Congress created the National Capital Planning Commission and gave it authority over public planning in the D.C. metropolitan area. This new body, too, had authority over the siting and design of memorials and monuments.

However, by the early 1970s, pressure was mounting to place more and more memorials, monuments, and statues on the National Mall. In 1973, the Secretary of the Interior established the National Capital Memorial Advisory Committee. This committee, which was advisory only, was charged with drafting and updating criteria on which memorials and monuments should be approved, and how they should be sited. Members of the advisory committee consisted of representatives from the Architect of the Capitol, American Battle Monuments Commission, Commission of Fine Arts, District of Columbia Government and Public Building Services office, National Park Service, and the National Capital Planning Commission.