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Freedom Plaza |
Neighborhood: Downtown
Address: Pennsylvania Avenue between 13th and 14th Street, NW
Date: 1980
Architect: Robert Venturi, architect, and George Patton, landscape architect
Metro: Federal Triangle (Blue and Orange lines)
This extensive plaza, inlaid with parts of the L'Enfant Plan, was designed by Robert Venturi, architect, and George Patton, landscape architect, in 1980. Originally known as Western Plaza, it was renamed Freedom Plaza because Martin Luther King Jr. worked on his "I Have a Dream" speech in the Willard Hotel nearby. Quotes by famous people about Washington, DC, are carved into the paving stones surrounding the L'Enfant Plan. The plaza is frequently used for festivals and special events.
A time capsule, which contains the slain Civil Rights leader's robe, Bible, and other memorabilia, is buried here and is scheduled to be opened January 15, 2088.