East Potomac Park: A Product of the City Beautiful Movement

The land forming East and West Potomac Parks, including the golf links, was created from reclaimed riverbed in the early 1800s. The 1902 McMillan plan, a key expression of the City Beautiful movement, envisioned this area as public parkland. This philosophy, popular around the turn of the 20th century, emphasized the beautification and intelligent planning of urban environments as a response to disorganized expansion, overcrowding, and pollution. Advocates believed smarter urban planning could create safer, healthier, and more harmonious cities. East Potomac Park, specifically, was designated as a recreational space—a "model public playground"—to allow residents to exercise, get fresh air, and escape the urban environment. Its casual and naturalistic look contrasts with West Potomac Park's formal aesthetic, fulfilling the movement's goal of improving quality of life through better design and planning.