Rebuilding in the Wild

Historical marker location:

3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Smithsonian National Zoo, District of Columbia

( Marker is on Olmsted Walk, ½ mile east of Connecticut Avenue Northwest, on the left when traveling east.)

The original design of the city was influenced by a French architect: Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French architect and engineer, was hired by George Washington to design the city in 1791. L'Enfant's design was influenced by the layout of several European cities, including Paris and Versailles.