[Photo by Caroline Angelo]
Out in Natural Bridge, Virginia, the titular Natural Bridge is about to change hands. Although the limestone natural phenomenon has been individually owned since Thomas Jefferson bought the land 239 years ago, it's about to shift ownership to a nonprofit. This brings up an interesting question: are their any individually owned public spaces in the D.C. area? It doesn't look like it. There are a few places owned by associations, like Mt. Vernon and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria. But parks like Canal Park and The Yards Park that aren't run by the National Park Service are owned by the city. Also, the WWII Memorial was primarily built through private funding, although it's still operated by the National Park Service. There's probably no equivalent to Natural Bridge here in the greater D.C. area but if you know of something that we missed, hit up our tipline.
· Nonprofit to buy Natural Bridge, Va. landmark, after 239 years of individual ownership [WaPo]
· 7 Washington Tourist Attractions That Are Open During The Government Shutdown [Business Insider]
· World War II Veterans Cross Memorial Barricades Despite Shutdown [ABC]
· George Washington Masonic National Memorial [Wikipedia]
· Mt. Vernon [Wikipedia]