Pennsylvania Avenue street sign, 2004.

Pennsylvania Avenue is an important street in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The street runs for seven miles inside Washington, but the stretch from the White House to the United States Capitol building is considered the most important as effectively the 'heart' of the city. It continues on the other side of the Capitol for many miles, through the Capitol Hill neighborhood, over the Anacostia River on the John Philip Sousa Bridge, and well into Prince George's County, Maryland, where, in addition to its street name, it is designated Maryland State Highway 4. Similarly the street continues northwest past the White House ending in Georgetown. Called "America's Main Street," it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches and civilian protests. Moreover, Pennsylvania Avenue is an important commuter route and is part of the National Highway System. Download high resolution version (576x768, 131 KB)Photo of the street sign for Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Picture taken on 8/7/04 by Nick Scribner (my gallery). ... Download high resolution version (576x768, 131 KB)Photo of the street sign for Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Picture taken on 8/7/04 by Nick Scribner (my gallery). ... Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. ... The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. ... United States Capitol . The United States Capitol is the building which serves as home for the legislative branch of the United States government. ... Capitol Hill, aside from being the common nickname for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, DC, stretching easterly behind the U.S. Capitol along wide avenues. ... The Anacostia River is a river that flows about 8. ... The John Philip Sousa Bridge is a bridge that carries Pennsylvania Avenue across the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. It has partial interchanges with Interstate 695 at its western terminus and with District of Columbia Route 295 at its eastern terminus. ... Location in the state of Maryland Formed 1696 Seat Upper Marlboro Area  - Total  - Water 1,291 km² (498 mi²) 34 km² (13 mi²) 2. ... A street name is an identifying name given to a street or road. ... Maryland State Highway 4 is a long highway that runs Northwest to Southeast in Maryland. ... There are numerous places around the world named Georgetown. ... The National Highway System includes many significant roads besides Interstate Highways Note: This article was adapted from public domain Federal Highway Administration web sites. ...

Laid out by Pierre L'Enfant, Pennsylvania Avenue was one of the earliest streets constructed in the federal city. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson considered the Avenue an important feature of the new Capital. After inspecting L'Enfant's plan, President Washington referred to the thoroughfare as a "Grand Avenue." Jefferson concurred, and while the "grand avenue" was little more than a wide dirt road, he planted it with rows of fast growing Lombardy poplars. The symbolically important street was named for Pennsylvania as consolation for moving the capital from Philadelphia. Pierre Charles LEnfant ( 2 August 1754 – 14 June 1825) designed the street plan of the Federal City in the United States, now known as Washington, DC. Born in France, he came to the American colonies as a military engineer with General Lafayette and became closely identified with the United... George Washington (February 22, 1732–December 14, 1799) was an American planter, political figure, and military leader. ... Thomas Jefferson (April 13 (April 2 O.S.), 1743 – July 4, 1826) was the third (1801–1809) President of the United States, second (1797–1801) Vice President, first (1789–1785) United States Secretary of State, and an American statesman, ambassador to France, political philosopher, revolutionary, agriculturalist, horticulturist, land owner, architect... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Senators Arlen Specter (R) Rick Santorum (R) Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ...

Pennsylvania Avenue and the Capitol seen from the Old Post Office building

Although Pennsylvania Avenue extends seven miles, the expanse between the White House and the Capitol constitutes the ceremonial heart of the nation. Washington called this stretch "most magnificent & most convenient" and it has served the country well. At one time, Pennsylvania Avenue provided an unobstructed view between the White House and the Capitol. The construction of an expansion to the Treasury Building blocked this view and supposedly President Andrew Jackson did this on purpose. Relations between the president and Congress were strained and Jackson did not want to see the Capitol out his window. View from the Old Post Office tower in Washington, DC, 1998, by Rick Dikeman File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... View from the Old Post Office tower in Washington, DC, 1998, by Rick Dikeman File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Old Post Office Pavilion is located the intersection of 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC. When completed in 1899, it was thought that the Post Office Building would stimulate revitalization of one of the worst neighborhoods in Washington, DC. It became evident that the hoped-for... Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767–June 8, 1845), one of the founders of the Democratic Party, was the seventh President of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. ...

Ever since an impromptu procession formed around Jefferson's second inauguration, each United States president, except Ronald Reagan has paraded down the Avenue after taking the oath of office (Reagan paraded down the first time, in 1981, but didn't do so the second time, in 1985, because of freezing cold temperatures, which high winds made dangerous). From William Henry Harrison to Lyndon Johnson the funeral corteges of seven of the eight presidents who died in office and a former president followed this route. Franklin Roosevelt was the only president who died in office whose cortege didn't follow this route. Lyndon Johnson was the only former president whose funeral cortege followed this route because it was along the route from the Capitol to the National City Christian Church, where he worshipped often, because the funeral was held there. Abraham Lincoln's funeral cortege solemnly proceeded down Pennsylvania Avenue in 1865, and only weeks later the end of the American Civil War was celebrated when the Army of the Potomac paraded more joyously down the street. Ronald Wilson Reagan, GCB, (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before officially assuming an office. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773 – April 4, 1841) was an American military leader, politician, and the ninth President of the United States. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th President of the United States (1861 to 1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ... The American Civil War was fought in North America from 1861 until 1865 between the United States of America – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... Generals Burnside, Hancock, Couch, Ferro, Patrick, Wilcox, Cochrane, Buford and others. ... United States Marines on parade. ...

Not just the scene of official functions, Pennsylvania Avenue is the traditional parade and protest route of ordinary citizens. During the depression of the 1890s, for example, Jacob Coxey marched 500 supporters down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol to demand Federal aid for the unemployed. Similarly, on the eve of Woodrow Wilson's 1913 inauguration, Alice Paul masterminded a parade highlighting the women's suffrage movement. In July 1932, a contingent of the Bonus Expeditionary Force carried flags down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House where they planned to form picket lines. Pennsylvania Avenue also has served as a background for more lighthearted celebrations, including a series of day and nighttime Shriner's parades in the 1920s and 1930s. Demonstrators march through the intersection of 18th and M Streets NW in Washington DC at the A16 demonstration against the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on April 16, 2005. ... The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkins aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion, and also as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no... Jacob Sechler Coxey Sr. ... Dr. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924) was the 28th President of the United States (1913–1921). ... Link title1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Alice Paul Alice Paul (January 11, 1885 – July 9, 1977) was an American suffragist leader. ... The movement for womens suffrage, led by suffragists (commonly called suffragettes), was a social, economic and political reform movement aimed at extending the suffrage (the right to vote) to women, advocating equal suffrage (abolition of graded votes) rather than universal suffrage (abolition of all discrimination, for example due to... Federal troops destroy the encampments The Bonus Army or Bonus March or Bonus Expeditionary Force was a collection of 15,000 World War I veterans, their families, and other affiliated groups, who demonstrated in Washington, DC during June, 1932 seeking immediate payment of a bonus that had been promised by... A member of the Syrian Corvettes group of Shriners participates in a Memorial Day parade The Shriners, or Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, are an Order appendant to Freemasonry. ... Sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America as the Roaring Twenties. // Events and trends Since the closing of the 20th Century, the 1920s has drawn close associations with the 1990s, and particularly in the United States. ... // Events and trends The 1930s were spent struggling for a solution to the global depression. ...

Security measures

After the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, the Secret Service closed the portion of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House to vehicular traffic. Pedestrian traffic, however, was still permitted. After the September 11, 2001 attacks this policy was made permanent. Near the White House traffic is redirected to H Street or Constitution Avenue both of which eventually link back with Pennsylvania Avenue. Plans drafted by District officials after the September 11th attacks call for Pennsylvania Avenue downtown being used as a dividing line for any mass evacuation of the city. People north of the avenue would be directed north while those south of the avenue would directed south. No vehicles would be allowed to cross the avenue. Damage to the Murrah building before cleanup began. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... United States Secret Service Secret Service Categories: Disambiguation ... The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of suicide attacks against civilians of the United States conducted on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. ... In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the citys Northwest and Northeast quadrants. ...

Sites of interest (east to west)

Postcard of Pennsylvania Avenue circa 1900

• National Gallery of Art East Building
• Canadian Embassy
• Federal Trade Commission
• National Archives
• J. Edgar Hoover Building (FBI headquarters)
• Department of Justice
• Old Post Office Pavilion
• Ronald Reagan Building
• Treasury Department
• The White House
• Renwick Gallery
• The George Washington University

The National Theatre and Warner Theatre use Pennsylvania Avenue mailing addresses, although the theaters are nearby on E Street and 13th Street respectively. Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C., c. ... Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C., c. ... The East Building of the National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum owned and managed by the government of the United States. ... Arthur Ericksons combination of modernism and neoclassicism evokes I.M. Peis design for the East Building of the National Gallery of Art accross Pennsylvania Avenue. ... FTC headquarters, Washington, DC The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an Independent Agency of the United States Government, established in 1914. ... The United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records. ... The J. Edgar Hoover Building is the headquarters for the FBI. It is named after the agencys long-time director, John Edgar Hoover. ... Official FBI Seal The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... Justice Department redirects here. ... The Old Post Office Pavilion is located the intersection of 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC. When completed in 1899, it was thought that the Post Office Building would stimulate revitalization of one of the worst neighborhoods in Washington, DC. It became evident that the hoped-for... The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, named after the 40th president of the United States, is the first federal building in Washington, D.C. designed for both governmental and private sector purposes. ... The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department, a treasury, of the United States government established by an Act of U.S. Congress in 1789 to manage the revenue of the United States government. ... The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. ... The Smithsonian American Art Museum is a museum in Washington, D.C. with an extensive collection of American art. ... The George Washington University (GWU) is a private university in Washington, D.C., founded in 1821 as The Columbian College. ... The National Theatre is located in Washington, D.C. and is a venue for a variety of live stage productions with seating for 1,676. ...

Portions of this article are from the Library of Congress's American Memory project. [1]

Library of Congress, Jefferson building The Library of Congress is the unofficial national library of the United States. ...

External link

• Pennsylvania Avenue restoration project