Welcome to Hidden Memorials: a series that gives a brief introduction to the city's lesser known monuments, memorials and statues. Today, let's look at Bridge Tender's House.
This week's Hidden Memorial isn't a memorial so much as it is one of the D.C. area's most exciting works of public art. It's also not hidden, although people usually see this one in the same glance as the more famous structures across the Potomac. Bridge Tender's House is the kaleidoscopic installation inside the watchtower on the 14th Street Bridge. The tower itself has been there for some time. People used to sit there when the bridge was a drawbridge. However, that has not been the case since 1960 and the Department of Transportation actually contacted the D.C. Commission of Arts and Humanities about doing something with the old building. These colorful, reflective panels from Mikyoung Kim beat 122 other artists. After the tower was restored, the work was installed in 2009.
· Bridge Tender's House [Wikipedia]
· All Hidden Memorials Posts [CDC]