D.C. Official Urges 2 Columns Over Trump’s 250-Foot Arch Near Arlington
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 18
D.C. Official Urges 2 Columns Over Trump’s 250-Foot Arch Near Arlington
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 18
Summary
C. Andrew Lewis, a D.C. preservation official, asked the Trump administration to study two columns instead of the planned 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle near Arlington National Cemetery.
Lewis said columns would better match the 1924 McKim Mead & White design and the 1925 Act of Congress, undercutting the administration’s argument that century-old authorization for a monument covers Trump’s arch.
The push comes as the administration aims to start construction in November, even after acknowledging the arch would harm historic sites; Park Service officials said they had considered only different sizes of the same structure, not columns.
Opposition remains broad: Lewis said about 93% of roughly 11,000 comments from D.C. opposed the proposal, while critics argue the arch would overwhelm cemetery views and alter sightlines to the Lincoln Memorial.
One federal commission has already approved the project, and a second could give final clearance as soon as Nov. 5, keeping Trump’s preferred design on track despite the latest preservation challenge.
How will the construction of a massive 250-foot arch permanently alter the solemn ceremonial sightlines of Arlington National Cemetery?
Can a century-old congressional authorization legally justify building a towering monument that completely contradicts the original architect's framing design?