Those who know and love Washington, D.C., have come in contact with buildings designed by John Russell Pope, whether they know it or not. Pope’s Neoclassical buildings are scattered throughout the District, ranging from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial to the Textile Museum.
Pope, born in New York in 1874, studied architecture at Columbia University. He later traveled and studied in Italy and Greece and entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. When he returned to New York in 1900, he designed private homes, Union Station in Richmond, Virginia, a master plan for Yale University, and eventually public buildings in Washington, D.C.
Pope was so influential in the field of architecture that he became the first recipient of the Rome Prize, which allowed him to attend the American Academy in Rome. He also served as a member of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts from 1912 to 1922, later serving as vice chairman from 1921 to 1922.
Now, there is an award named after him in order to recognize individuals who contribute to the creation of classical and traditional architecture in the D.C. Metro area.
For those who want to learn more about what other works Pope has designed in Washington, D.C., Curbed DC put together this map of homes, memorials, and art galleries.
Note: The mapped points have been ordered geographically, from the most north to the most south.
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