South Lawn of the White House

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Marine One lands on the South Lawn
Reception ceremony for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines

The South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC is south of the building. It is bounded to the east by East Executive Drive and the United States Treasury Department and to the west by West Executive Drive and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building . South Executive Drive runs along its southern edge and behind it is a large circular public park, The Ellipse .

Description and use

The South Lawn offers a beautiful view from the White House over the Ellipse, the National Mall , the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial . The South Lawn is part of the cordoned-off area of ​​the White House grounds after being open to the public until World War II . It provides the setting for official events such as the reception ceremony for foreign heads of state or government. Casual events are also held here, such as the White House's annual egg rolling or the employee barbecue. The President's helicopter, Marine One , takes off and lands on the South Lawn.

Design and horticulture

Sheep grazed on the South Lawn during Woodrow Wilson's tenure .

When the White House was first occupied in 1800, the area of ​​the South Lawn was an open meadow that sloped down to a large bog, Tiber Creek. Beyond the moor was the Potomac River . Thomas Jefferson completed the gradation of the south lawn, he made hills on both sides of the lawn. Jefferson, in collaboration with the architect Benjamin Latrobe, built a triumphal arch in the southeast of the building as the main entrance to the site. The 1793 plan for the city of Washington by Pierre-Charles L'Enfants showed a terraced garden sloping down to Tiber Creek. In 1850 the landscaper Andrew Jackson Davis tried to round off the geometry of the L'Enfant plan by creating the semicircular southern border and curved paths. Andrew Jackson Davis's changes included expanding the South Lawn, creating a large circular lawn, which he referred to as "Parade or Presidential Park," and delimiting it with densely planted shrubs and trees. During the tenure of Ulysses S. Grant , the moor in the south was drained and the south lawn received further gradations and a filling of 2.5 to 3 meters so that it sloped more gently towards the Potomac.

During Rutherford B. Hayes and Grover Cleveland's first terms in office , the US Army Corps of Engineers was used to remodel the South Lawn. The size of Downing's circular parade ground has been reduced and the boundaries have been set as they are today. Theodore Roosevelt , who had hired the architects McKim, Mead, and White to convert and extend parts of the White House, was persuaded to demolish the Victorian-style greenhouses. These were located in the area of ​​the western walkway and on the site of today's west wing. In 1934, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt hired Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. to assess the outdoor facilities and suggest changes. Olmsted saw the need to offer the President and his family as much privacy as possible without unnecessarily restricting the view of the White House. The Olmsted plan shows the landscape predominantly in its current state: large sample trees and bushes were preserved or replanted to restrict the view of the private area, but a generous view of the building from the north and south was created. Tall fescue is used as a type of lawn .

Pattern trees

Snow-covered Lebanon cedar

The trees on the South Lawn, also the oldest surviving trees, were planted by American presidents:

Seasonal plantings

The pool with the fountain is framed by seasonally changing plants:

Other areas

The White House's two ceremonial gardens , the White House Rose Garden and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden border the South Lawn. The outdoor facilities also include a swimming pool , putting green, tennis court and garden for the children. In the old days there was a basketball field and a horse shoe pit. Marine One's landing pad is also located on the South Lawn, in close proximity to the Executive Building and the Oval Office. For aesthetic reasons, there is no full-fledged helipad, just three small squares for the helicopter's wheels.

Safety precautions

The White House and the surrounding area is a high-security zone that is equipped with the most modern security systems. The area is one of the best guarded in the world. The following measures and facilities protect the site:

  • Overflight ban: No aircraft may enter the airspace above the White House without a permit. This zone spans the US Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial . Every aircraft approaching the prohibited zone is tracked and monitored by the National Airport's radar . In an emergency, interception jets are launched to intercept the aircraft. The National Guard also has anti-aircraft missiles ready on site.
  • Snipers: On the roof of the White House, agents observe the area with binoculars.
  • Cameras and sensors: There are surveillance cameras and sensors on the entire site .
  • Security forces: The Secret Service and the Park Police guard the area.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ William Seale: The White House Garden . White House Historical Association, 1996, ISBN 0-912308-69-9 , p. 22.
  2. ↑ Barbara McEwan: White House Landscapes . Walker and Company, 1992, ISBN 0-98027-1192-8 , pp. 142-143.
  3. ^ William Seale: The White House Garden . White House Historical Association, 1996, ISBN 0-912308-69-9 , pp. 101-102.
  4. ↑ Barbara McEwan: White House Landscapes . Walker and Company, 1992, ISBN 0-98027-1192-8 , pp. 151, 162.
  5. ^ A b Barbara McEwan: White House Landscapes . Walker and Company, 1992, ISBN 0-98027-1192-8 , pp. 181-183.
  6. ↑ Barbara McEwan: White House Landscapes . Walker and Company, 1992, ISBN 0-98027-1192-8 , pp. 151-158.
  7. ↑ Barbara McEwan: White House Landscapes . Walker and Company, 1992, ISBN 0-98027-1192-8 , p. 107.
  8. ^ Whitehouse.gov
  9. ^ William Seale: The White House Garden . White House Historical Association, 1996, ISBN 0-912308-69-9 , pp. 74-75, 92-93.
  10. ^ William Seale: The White House Garden . White House Historical Association, 1996, ISBN 0-912308-69-9 , pp. 104-109.

Coordinates: 38 ° 53 '47.8 "  N , 77 ° 2' 11.8"  W.