The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a 2,000-foot long water basin connecting the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument, has recently been at the center of a bizarre scandal in Washington, D.C. In June 2026, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced that charges against four individuals accused of vandalizing the pool would be dropped. The peeling liner, initially blamed on vandalism by President Donald Trump, was attributed to faulty construction.
This recent controversy has sparked a deeper exploration into the pool’s history, revealing a story of vision, innovation, and political debate that stands in stark contrast to today’s rushed renovations and blame games.
The Birth of a Vision
In 1901, the U.S. Senate formed the McMillan Commission, a group of architects, landscape designers, and artists tasked with developing a parks system for the nation’s capital. The commission’s 1902 report proposed a location for the future Lincoln Memorial at the western end of the Mall, near the Potomac River. Inspired by the waterways of Versailles and the reflecting basins of the Taj Mahal, the commission envisioned a reflecting pool linking the memorial to the Washington Monument.
The plan was not without controversy. Supporters of the commission’s vision, including the American Institute of Architects and American Federation of Arts, argued for the site’s dignity and economic viability. However, some House leaders insisted on Capitol Hill as the memorial’s location, citing Lincoln’s close work with Congress during the Civil War. Railroad interests and real estate developers also proposed alternative locations, with some even suggesting a memorial highway named for Lincoln.
A Pool on a Swamp
With the riverside location for the monument settled, construction of the Lincoln Memorial began in 1914. The excavation of the basin for the reflecting pool started in 1920, two years before the memorial itself was completed. The area, however, was swampland, presenting practical construction challenges.
Engineer Charles A. Peters Jr. and his team developed creative solutions to deal with the settling ground and drainage. They created flexible flooring lined with an impervious three-ply fabric and designed a sloped basin and drainage system that allowed crews to empty the pool for maintenance while preventing water from collecting in low spots. The waterproofing held up for decades, with the pool even serving as an ice-skating rink in its early years.
From Lincoln to Trump
On May 30, 1922, 50,000 people gathered on the National Mall for the unveiling of the Lincoln Memorial. The same year, the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered in Egypt, fueling a broader fascination with ancient civilizations and monuments. The deliberative process of remaking the nation’s capital in the early 20th century involved Congress, artists, architects, engineers, and city planners who debated, offered their expertise, and listened to the public.
In stark contrast, President Trump‘s attempts to modify the nation’s capital have been met with controversy. After announcing his wish to change the color of the pool to what he calls ‘American flag blue,’ the National Park Service awarded no-bid contracts to politically connected firms for repairs and painting. The rushed renovation led to charges against four suspects that were eventually dropped.
The pool debacle came on the heels of other attempts to modify the nation’s capital, from a new White House ballroom to a proposed monumental arch. In, Trump dismissed all six members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts to circumvent the independent design review board.
