| West Potomac Park area. Photographed from an aircraft flying over the Virginia side of the Potomac River. Memorial Bridge is in the lower left, with the Lincoln Memorial at its northern end. The old Navy Hospital is at the extreme middle left. The Munitions and Main Navy buildings are in the upper left center, with many wartime temporary buildings behind them on both sides of the Reflecting Pool. The Tidal Basin is in the upper right, with the Jefferson Memorial at the extreme right. The United Statesgovernment constructed a number of temporary buildings on the National Mall during World War I and II which stood from 1918 until 1971. They were built due to the urgent need for office space during wartime, but they remained in use during peacetime even though they disrupted the intended layout of the mall according to the McMillan Plan for over half a century. In 1918, the Main Navy and Munitions Buildings were constructed alongside the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in West Potomac Park, and a cluster of 6 buildings was built in the center of the Mall in the vicinity of 7th Street. All but 1 of the latter 6 buildings was demolished by 1937. However, 14 new temporary buildings were constructed throughout the Mall in 1942. Most of these stood until the mid-1960s, and the last 1 was demolished in 1971. Constitution Gardens, the National Museum of American History, National Gallery of Art, and National Air and Space Museum were all built at the locations of demolished temporary buildings. Beginning in 1929, and accelerating with the inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, impetus increased for further implementation of the McMillan Plan. In 1930, the Commission of Fine Arts blamed the temporary buildings for “producing a depressing air of slovenliness” on the Mall. The central heating plant was seen as a priority to be demolished, as it sat exactly on the Mall’s central axis. Demolition contracts were issued in May 1935. The D Building had been demolished by 1934, and the C Building by 1935. The F Building was demolished by 1937, leaving only the E Building standing. During World War II, the E Building remained from World War I, but the other letters were reused for different buildings in different locations, some of which were not on the Mall. During World War II, the temporary buildings clustered near 7th Street on the south edge of the Mall were Buildings D, E, R, and S. Additionally, Buildings T and U were built near 14th Street on the north side of the Mall. After World War II, Buildings E and R were occupied by the Veterans Administration, and Building S by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Buildings T and U were demolished in 1958 to make way for the construction of the National Museum of American History. The buildings near 7th Street were demolished beginning in 1966. Building E was the last temporary building on the Mall to be demolished, in 1971; part of the National Air and Space Museum would occupy its spot. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1900.jpg |
| Image Size | 2.02 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5744 x 4496 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 1, 1943 |
| Location | |
| City | Washington |
| State or Province | District of Columbia |
| Country | United States |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-K-1015 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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