Site of U. S. Experimental Model Basin 1898 - 1955

Historical marker location:

736 Sicard Street Southeast, Navy Yard, District of Columbia

( Marker is on Sicard Street Southeast south of Dahlgren Avenue Southeast.)

Founded by Rear Admiral David Watson Taylor Who Was the Director Until 1914

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.