Andrew Jackson Downing Urn

More photographs at the Wikimedia Commons category.
Andrew Jackson Downing Urn is a historic site, at a recorded elevation of 9 m. Gantt Hill stands 156 m to the west-northwest, 11 miles off. The nearest named place is Fountain Garden, a garden less than a tenth of a mile away. George Washington Memorial Parkway passes 1.5 miles off. 34 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
The Andrew Jackson Downing Urn, also known as the Downing Urn, is a memorial and public artwork located in the Enid A. Haupt Garden of the Smithsonian Institution on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The outdoor sculpture of a garden vase−urn commemorates Andrew Jackson Downing (1815–1852), an American landscape designer and horticulturalist, and considered to be one of the founders of American landscape architecture. Shortly before dying at the age of 37, Downing developed a landscape plan for the National Mall that the United States government partially implemented until replacing it with the McMillan Plan of 1902 (see History of the National Mall).
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1856.
Wikidata Q4757456, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Built
- 1856
- Elevation
- 9 m
- Material
- marble
How to reach it
- 1.5 mi off the George Washington Memorial Parkway, National
- 4.3 mi off the Booth's Escape
- 5.2 mi off the Star-Spangled Banner Byway
- 7.8 mi off the Old Georgetown Pike
Overlooks nearby
Named places within 25 miles
- Fountain Garden: 0.0 mi
- Moongate Garden: 0.1 mi
- Floral Library: 0.6 mi
- West Gallery: 0.6 mi
- Mediterranean: 0.7 mi
- Arthur Vining Downing Statue: 0.0 mi
- Spencer Fullerton Baird: 0.0 mi
- Joseph Henry: 0.1 mi
- Angola II: 0.1 mi
- Geometric Mouse: 0.1 mi
- National Museum of African Art: 0.0 mi
- Arts and Industries Building: 0.1 mi
- Arthur M. Sackler Gallery: 0.1 mi
- National Museum of Natural History: 0.2 mi
- International Spy Museum: 0.3 mi
- Smithsonian National Carousel: 0.1 mi
- Lockkeeper's House: 0.8 mi
- United States Capitol: 0.9 mi
- White House Peace Vigil: 0.9 mi
- Emancipation Hall: 1.0 mi
- Smithsonian Grounds: 0.1 mi
- Mary Livingston Ripley Garden: 0.1 mi
- Earth Day Park: 0.1 mi
- L'Enfant Square: 0.2 mi
- Hancock Park: 0.2 mi
- Thomas Hollowell: 0.3 mi
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial: 0.4 mi
- General Winfield Scott Hancock: 0.4 mi
- Grand Army of the Republic Monument: 0.4 mi
- United States Navy Memorial Plaza: 0.4 mi
- Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary: 2.0 mi
- Fort Bennet Park and Palisades Trail: 3.0 mi
- Alger Park: 3.6 mi
- Reservation 630: 3.9 mi
- Fort Mahan Park: 4.4 mi
- Picnic site for Rose park: 2.1 mi
- Picnic Grove 29: 3.5 mi
- Picnic Grove 1: 3.8 mi
- Picnic Grove 2 South: 3.9 mi
- Troy Park: 3.9 mi
- Peters Hill: 1.5 mi
- Lees Hill: 2.8 mi
- Jackson Hill: 2.8 mi
- Mount Hamilton: 3.0 mi
- Mackeys Hill: 3.1 mi
- Takoma Spring: 6.0 mi
- Silver Spring: 7.0 mi
- Clean Drinking Manor Spring: 8.0 mi
- Indian Springs: 10.5 mi
- Sandy Spring: 17.4 mi
- Rosier Bluff: 8.0 mi
- Indian Queen Bluff: 9.3 mi
- Indian Head: 21.2 mi
- Quartz Rock Outcropping: 22.8 mi
- Quartz Rock Outcropping: 22.8 mi
- Fishing Shore: 4.2 mi
- Lake Barcroft Beach: 7.2 mi
- Purplehorse Beach: 13.2 mi
- Sycamore Beach: 13.3 mi
- Stubblefield Falls: 10.7 mi
- Scott's Run Falls: 11.0 mi
- Great Falls: 14.4 mi
- Coe Creek: 21.4 mi
- Wilson: 23.9 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Andrew Jackson Downing Urn. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gantt Hill | WNW 283° | 156 m | 11.4 mi |
| Hunting Hill | NW 326° | 156 m | 16.4 mi |
| Mount Daniel | W 274° | 144 m | 8.5 mi |
| Minor's Hill | W 278° | 140 m | 7.2 mi |
| Freedom Hill | WNW 282° | 140 m | 11.9 mi |
| Prout Hill | W 267° | 137 m | 9.0 mi |
| Upton Hill | W 261° | 125 m | 6.6 mi |
| Point Reno | NNW 328° | 123 m | 5.2 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:13 | 18:45 | 19:20 |
| June solstice | 05:44 | 19:58 | 20:38 |
| September equinox | 06:56 | 18:32 | 19:07 |
| December solstice | 07:24 | 16:08 | 16:50 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 38 | 40 | 48 | 58 | 67 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 61 | 50 | 42 |
| Precip in | 2.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Washington Reagan Natl AP, 3 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/358958267
Day trips start here
- Washington, D.C./East End · 1 mi
- Washington, D.C./National Mall · 1 mi
- Washington, D.C./Waterfront · 1 mi
- Washington, D.C./West End · 1 mi
- Arlington National Cemetery · 2 mi
- Washington, D.C./Capitol Hill · 2 mi
Take the scenic way to Andrew Jackson Downing Urn.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.