At the August meeting of the ANC, the Commissioners unanimously approved the proposed "Pillar of Fire" memorial for the Whitman Walker site at 14th and S Streets, now the District Apartments under construction. It is a sculpture with 360 layers of cut and polished float glass post-tensioned into a steel base and then into a concrete footing. The multi-faceted piece will catch the light from many directions and will be nocturnally illuminated to reveal slowly changing colors to represent an abstraction of the rainbow flag (see the illustration above). The Historic Preservation Review Board and the ANC asked that a permanent memorial be placed at that corner to remember what was there before the JBG Companies purchased the property for redevelopment.
For those of us who have lived here a long time, we will always remember the Whitman Walker Clinic at this location. And for our new residents, this memorial (along with the accompanying plaque) will help inform them of the history of this corner in our neighborhood. We welcome this creative addition to our Arts District.
