Convening the "President's Neighborhood" on the Restoration of Lafayette Park

Convening the "President's Neighborhood" ON THE RESTORATION OF Lafayette Park

This spring, the Trust for the National Mall led a briefing on its upcoming work to restore and elevate Lafayette Park at the White House hosted by its neighbors and partners at the White House Historical Association. The Trust and its partners at the National Park Service briefed neighboring organizations, sharing plans for the restoration and beautification of Lafayette Park and inviting corporations, philanthropists and organizations in attendance to work together to support this critical project. The Trust’s restoration plans include restoring the iconic fountains which have not flowed in nearly a decade and upgrading the plantings and walkways. The project is part of the Trust’s historic initiative for America’s 250th anniversary— Our Monumental Moment: The Campaign for the National Mall.

The briefing welcomed over 60 representatives of business, culture and the arts, churches and non-profits to learn about ways to support the Trust for the National Mall’s plans to restore and maintain this historic park for America’s 250th in 2026 and for generations to come.

“The beautification of Lafayette Park is a signature project of our recently launched campaign for America’s 250th on the National Mall and at the White House Gardens and Grounds,” said Trust President & CEO Catherine Townsend. “With your help, this historic and iconic space will be transformed to once again become a majestic space connecting the White House to Washington…and to the world.”

As the White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaren shared, “Lafayette Park is most often the place visitors from across the country and around the world gather to see The White House. Lafayette Park is the centerpiece and heart of the President’s neighborhood. In recent years it has fallen into disrepair. It should be an extension of the North Lawn and a pristine and well maintained part of President’s Park, the White House campus.”

About the Project

Located just beyond the White House gates along Pennsylvania Avenue, this formal park and its legacy date back to Pierre Charles L’Enfant’s original plans for the city and the American Revolution. Today, the park is the place where many visitors first glimpse the White House. This overlooked greenspace, its canopy of trees, classic formal pathways and signature fountains have fallen into disrepair and need to be restored to befit the park’s history and its prominent location.

As part of the Trust for the National Mall’s “Our Monumental Moment” Campaign, inspired by the celebration of America’s Semiquincentennial and the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, the Trust’s restoration project will:

  • Restore the beauty of the Park’s signature fountains

  • Beautify the park’s garden elements and green spaces

  • Refurbish seating and site furnishings

  • Create safer and more elegant walkways

  • Restore light fixtures to ensure a safer, well-lit park space

  • Provide for the care and maintenance of the park for the future

Lafayette Park will become a more vibrant and welcoming space connecting visitors to the White House, the city of Washington D.C., and the nation, for America’s 250th in 2026…and beyond.

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