The Story
Theodore Roosevelt Island is an 88.5-acre island and national memorial located on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The island was given to the federal government by the Theodore Roosevelt Association in memory of the 26th president.
Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., a landscape architect known for his designs of the National Mall; Jefferson Memorial; White House grounds; and Rock Creek Park, developed the plan for the island.
In the 1930s landscape architects transformed it from a neglected, overgrown farmland. They conceived a 'real forest' designed to mimic the natural forest that once covered the island. Today there are miles of trails through wooded uplands and swampy bottomland.
The memorial was designed by Eric Gugler, it includes a 17-foot statue, four large stone monoliths with some of Roosevelt's more famous quotes, and two large fountains.
