Kennedy Memorial and Plaza - Dealey Plaza Historic District - Dallas, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 32° 46.731 W 096° 48.389
14S E 705439 N 3628901
Kennedy Memorial and Plaza is the east half of double block shared with the "Old Red Courthouse".
Waymark Code: WM114NA
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/15/2019
Views: 7
NRHP Nomination FormThe major formal Memorial to the late President in Dallas is this cenotaph (empty tomb) designed by architect Philip Johnson. It is a 50-by-50 foot open space surrounded by 30-foot high vertically scored concrete walls, plain except for a circular design on the end panels. Narrow entranceways are open the entire height at the midpoints on the north and south sides. In the center of the space an 8-foot square gray-black granite slab with Kennedy's name engraved in gold has been placed.
The Memorial was constructed through unsolicited donations from private citizens in Dallas gathered beginning in 1964. Around the Memorial on the Plaza, which has been made part of the Old Courthouse's grounds by closing Record Street, are trees and benches. The Kennedy Memorial was constructed atop a parking garage that is under the plaza, in 1969-70. The Memorial, because of its character and relationship to the history of the assassination and its aftermath, is regarded as contributing to the significance of the district.