Lake ring path rendering

The 2024 Dick Wolf Memorial Lecture, was held Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave SE. The Trust for the National Mall gave a presentation about the history of the Mall, the current challenges of its aging infrastructure and the restoration needs and plans for the future in honor of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

The National Mall and the Tidal Basin are used daily by locals and visitors alike. It is home to memorials to Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as recreational fields. In the spring, its thousands of blossoming cherry trees allow the city to celebrate the end of winter.

Despite the beauty of this area, there are issues that threaten its continued use. According to the Trust for the National Mall, there is daily flooding, the land is unstable, and aging infrastructure is deteriorating.

To discuss these issues and allow community members to learn more about the history and future
of the National Mall, the Capitol Hill Restoration Society hosted a discussion on this topic for this year’s annual Dick Wolf Memorial Lecture.

The presentation covered the history of the Mall, the challenges that it is facing, its restoration needs, and the current plans to celebrate as the National Mall celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026.

Catherine Townsend, President and CEO of Trust for the National Mall and Capitol Hill resident, and Teresa Durkin, Executive Vice President, were  the speakers. They discussed the latest changes that have been made and ideas for what is to come in the future. The Trust for the National Mall is the leading nonprofit partner of the National Park Service dedicated to restoring, preserving and elevating the National Mall. It is committed to preserving the National Mall as a symbol of our nation’s ideals and civic purpose.

The Dick Wolf Memorial Lecture is named for former CHRS president Dick Wolf, a city planner and activist who was a Hill resident who championed the cause of historic preservation. The lecture series features themes of historic preservation and urban planning in Washington, DC.