Bartholdi Fountain

Historical marker location:

100 1st Street Southwest, Southwest Federal Center, District of Columbia

( Marker is at the intersection of Washington Avenue Southwest and Independence Avenue Southwest, on the left when traveling south on Washington Avenue Southwest.)

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.