Historical Marker
Original Smithsonian Institution Building
Historical marker location:
1000 Jefferson Drive Southwest, The National Mall, District of Columbia
( Marker is on Jefferson Drive Southwest east of 12th Street Southwest, on the right when traveling east.)
The city was built on a swamp: The area that is now Washington, D.C. was originally a swampy, marshy region along the Potomac River. The construction of the city involved extensive drainage and landfill projects to make the land suitable for building.