Construction Aerial Photo Archive

June 2011
The concrete slab around the bookstore has been completed, and the crews have begun to install pavers on top of the concrete slab. Cherry blossom trees have been planted in small planters around the bookstore plaza. Street lights and more elm trees have been installed along West Basin Drive. The John Stevens Shop has completed the engraving on each side of the Stone of Hope, and completed all the memorial titles located at three of the entrances. The rough cut granite has been installed next to the west Mountain of Despair. The light fixtures and glass covers have been installed in the ground under the east Inscription Wall. The NE kidney has been completely planted with shrubs, as has the NE area along the Tidal Basin. Planting has commenced in the SW kidney, and continues in the SW berm. Behind the trees along Independence Avenue, the new sidewalk has been completely poured. More parts of the wood fencing have been removed as completion of the memorial nears.

May 2011
Part of the concrete slab has been poured surrounding the bookstore, and grading work continues. American elm trees have been planted along West Basin Drive. They each have their own below grade structure called "Silva cells". These cells support the sidewalk that is installed above the trees' roots and prevent the weight of pedestrians from compressing the roots and killing the trees. This is one of the first memorials on the National Mall to use these structures. All inscriptions have been engraved on the SW inscription wall and the John Stevens Shop is "painting" the letters of the NE wall with a Lithichrome, a type of fixitive that will protect the cut of the letters and enhance the readability of the quotes. The rough cut granite of the water feature near the east Mountain of Despair has been installed. The SW kidney is completely enclosed with granite curbs and the NE kidney is being planted with shrubs and plants. Dozens more cherry blossoms have been planted in the berms and at the edges of the Tidal Basin. Shrubs have been planted along the top of the inscription wall in both berms. The new chain link fence at the NE corner of the site has been shortened. A new sidewalk and grass have been installed.

April 2011
With the arrival of spring, the level of work on site has picked up. Soil grading has begun around the bookstore in preparation for the concrete structural slab. Once the soil is evened out, the concrete slab will be poured and pavers and benches will be placed on top. All panels of the inscription wall have been set, and engraving crew, The John Stevens Shop, can be seen inscribing the last few quotes. Granite curb stones are being laid around the SW kidney, and both berms have been completely filled in with soil. Dozens of cherry blossom trees have been planted in the landscaped berms, and bloomed for the first time in their new home. In the forecourt, work has begun on the last planter at the main entrance to the memorial. In the farthest northeast corner of the site (bottom of the photo) the wooden fence surrounding the site has been replaced with chain link fence.

March 2011
This is the 1 year anniversary of our Aerial Archive! The bookstore side of the auxiliary building (right side) has been completely enclosed with storefront glass. All the granite panels have been installed on the building, and pink insulation is temorparily protecting the restrooms from weather (left side of the building) while work inside continues. The SW Inscription wall has all but a few granite panels in place. The SW berm is 90% complete and is being backfilled with planting soil. Cherry trees and crape myrtles have been planted in the SW kidney. Workers have recommenced laying granite pavers across the plaza and have reached the SW kidney, and are installing large curb pieces around it. The NE berm has been mostly filled with soil, and workers have started to plant cherry trees. The concrete slab of the forecourt has been slightly extended in preparation for pouring the concrete planter at the entrance. More granite pieces have been delivered to the site and await installation.

February 2011
Although winter has slowed work as is typical, the auxiliary building is still moving forward. New granite panels have been hung over the pink insulation of the building's walls, and workers have started installing the framework for the storefront (right side). Special soil is being trucked to the site and is filling in the NE berm (closest to the street). Work has restarted on the SW Inscription wall, and a lot more granite pieces have been delivered, ready for installtion (center of the picture) as the weather warms up

January 2011
The Mountain of Despair and the Stone of Hope have been completed, and a screen will shield the Stone of Hope until it's unveiling at Dedication. The opening in the SW Inscription wall has been filled with concrete. The SW kidney and the large berms are being filled with soil in preparation for planting of cherry trees and groundcover in spring. The Interior work continues at the auxiliary building while granite panels are being set on the exterior.

December 2010
The Mountain of Despair and the Stone of Hope have been completely erected. The Sculptor of Record and his team are in the process of fine-tuning the sculpting work. The SW kidney shaped planter has been excavated of gravel. The auxiliary building has been surrounding in pink insulation board, and interior work continues.

November 2010
The Mountain of Despair and the Stone of Hope are being installed. More than 75% of the inscription wall panels have been installed. The John Stevens Shop has completed the inscriptions on the NE wall and will return in spring 2011 to engrave the quotes on the SW wall. 60% of the granite pavers in the forecourt have been set. The first cherry trees have been planted in the northeast landscape kidney and along the tidal basin edge. The Auxiliary Building is now covered in a black waterproofing material, and mechanical, plumbing and electrical work continues inside.

October 2010
The northeastern Inscription Wall panels and capstones are completely installed and the John Stevens Shop of Rhode Island is in the process of sandblasting and engraving Dr. King's quotes. About 25% of the wall panels have been installed on the southwestern wall. All the curb stones have been set around the northeast landscape kindney and along the entrance to the northeast. The granite pavers are being set in the NE corner of the site. The layout for the Stone of Hope and Mountain of Despair has been completed, and the large red crane at the top of the image is on site specifically for the installation of the large granite pieces of the sculptures. At the auxiliary building, the steel work and the roofing structure have been installed, the plumbing and mechanical work has started, and the electrical wiring is being installed.

September 2010
The entire plaza slab and the forecourt slab has been completed. The retaining walls at the forecourt have been poured, though the forms have not yet been removed. Most of the North American granite panels have been mounted on the northeastern Inscription Wall (the lower wall, which is not visible in this image) and the first capstones are being placed. The plaza pavers are starting to be laid in the northeast corner.

August 2010
The concrete base for the newly realigned West Basin Drive has been completed, but asphalt will not be poured until construction nears completion in 2011. A second section of the concrete slab which supports the plaza has been poured, and rebar is being laid for the final section. The northeast kidney has been backfilled with soil and is ready to be planted. The steel piles at the main entrance have been cut, the slab for the Mountain of Despair has been poured and the roof of the fountain tunnel has been poured.

July 2010
The mock up is completed. The location for the relocated West Basin Drive is being excavated. A large portion of the fountain tunnel has been poured, the slab for the Stone of Hope has been poured, and one third of the plaza slab has been poured. A large section of rebar has been laid in the plaza slab in preparation for the next concrete pour.

June 2010
The concrete piles are all driven and have been cut to grade. Both sections of the inscription wall have been poured. The fountain tunnel is being laid out and the foundation for the auxiliary building is completed.

May 2010
The driving piles is the largest portion of work, the concrete footer for the Inscription wall is being prepared. Work on the mock up has started.

April 2010
Site utilities work is progressing and piles are being driven for the auxiliary building and the plaza slab.

March 2010
The completion of Phase I: Mobilization. The site has been cleared of trees, shrubs and the existing road. The fence has been completed, the trailers have been erected and site utility work is about to commence.