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Inside the National Guard Memorial
When NGAUS leaders first conceived of an association headquarters building in the early 1950s, they wanted more than just a workspace near Capitol Hill. They also sought a strong, visible presence in the nation’s capital and a monument to every National Guardsman, past and present.
Relying primarily on member contributions for construction funds, that initial vision became a reality in 1959 with the opening of the first National Guard Memorial at the corner of Massachusetts Ave. NW and North Capitol St., within a short walk of the U.S. Capitol.
The original structure was a marble, steel and glass structure set back from Massachusetts Ave. The heart of the building was three floors. It included a reception room, a library, staff offices and meeting rooms. A large Minuteman statue was on the front wall.
But by 1985, the staff had outgrown the space. The structure also needed significant repairs. After reviewing their options, NGAUS leaders in 1988 decided to tear down the first Memorial and construct a larger, grander building. The new structure would have more room for the staff, several floors of leasable space and an underground garage. A sizable mortgage covered construction costs.
The new National Guard Memorial opened in 1991 and has now stood on the same site longer than the original. It’s eight stories tall with a limestone edifice featuring the NATIONAL GUARD MEMORIAL in gold lettering over the main entrance.
NGAUS, the National Guard Educational Foundation and the National Guard Memorial Museum take up most of the first two floors. The other six floors are leasable office space accessible through a separate entrance. The largest current tenant is the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak, which occupies three full floors.
The association now owns the building outright, having paid off the mortgage in 2013 with invested reserve funds. It’s aging gracefully and remains a powerful symbol of Guard strength, inside and out, in the nation’s capital.
TOP: NGAUS has had a presence at the corner of Massachusetts Ave. NW and North Capitol St., a short walk from Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., since 1959. The current National Guard Memorial opened in 1991.
