Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
| Jefferson National Expansion Memorial | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
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The Gateway Arch serves as the attraction's centerpiece.
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| Location | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 38°37′29″N 90°11′06″W / 38.62460°N 90.18497°WCoordinates: 38°37′29″N 90°11′06″W / 38.62460°N 90.18497°W |
| Area | 192.83 acres (78.04 ha) |
| Established | December 21, 1935 |
| Visitors | 2,944,976 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
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Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
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| Location | Mississippi River between Washington and Poplar Sts., St. Louis, Missouri |
| Area | 90.9 acres (36.8 ha) |
| Built | 1834 |
| NRHP Reference # | 66000941 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is a park located in St. Louis, Missouri, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was designated as a National Memorial by Executive Order 7523, on December 21, 1935, and is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS).
The park was established to commemorate:
The memorial consists of a 91-acre (36.8 ha) park along the Mississippi River on the site of the earliest buildings of St. Louis; the Old Courthouse, a former state and federal courthouse that saw the origins of the Dred Scott case; the 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m2) Museum of Westward Expansion; and most notably the Gateway Arch, a steel catenary arch that has become the definitive icon of the city.
The Gateway Arch, known as the "Gateway to the West", is the tallest structure in Missouri. It was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel in 1947 and built between 1963 and October 1965. It stands 630 feet (192 m) tall and 630 feet (192 m) wide at its base. The legs are 54 feet (16.5 m) wide at the base, narrowing to 17 feet (5.2 m) at the arch. There is a unique tram system to carry passengers to the observation room at the top of the arch.
The Old Courthouse is built on land originally deeded by St. Louis founder Auguste Chouteau. It marks the location over which the arch reaches. Its dome was built during the American Civil War and is similar to the dome on the United States Capitol which was also built during the Civil War. It was the site of the local trials in the Dred Scott case.
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