Trump’s proposed Washington arch faces archaeological warning at Memorial Circle
A National Park Service review has flagged a new complication for Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch in Washington, DC: the project could disturb precolonial archaeological deposits beneath Memorial Circle, the traffic island at the center of the plan. The agency’s report, prepared as part of the federal historic preservation process, says the area has “moderate to high archaeological sensitivity” and that buried landscapes elsewhere in the capital have produced significant findings.
The arch, which is planned to rise 250 feet, would sit on Columbia Island, a man-made landmass created between 1915 and 1927 from dredged Potomac River soil laid over sandbars and tidal flats. That fill is roughly 10 to 14 feet deep, but the project would require moorings to be driven down to bedrock, which the report estimates lies about 75 feet below the surface. The NPS says that work could affect intact precolonial and historic resources below the fill layer.
The report also identifies 13 documented archaeological and historic sites within one mile of Memorial Circle on the Virginia side of the Potomac, including the area around Arlington House, and notes the site’s close connection to the War of 1812. Yet the more detailed archaeological appendix has not been posted publicly on the agency’s Planning, Environment & Public Comment website. An NPS official said those details are considered sensitive.
Ruth Trocolli, the archaeologist at the DC Historic Preservation Office, said the city agency should receive the full assessment once it is complete. She also said protecting information about archaeological sites on federal land “does make sense,” adding that “there are active looters, even here in DC.”
Before construction can begin, the project must go through Section 106 review under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which requires federal projects to assess effects on historic properties. The NPS report recommends further study, including a subsurface investigation and a review of utility corridors that would be used during construction. It notes that one known archaeological site, part of the Alexandria Canal, could be affected, while other resources may also exist.
The agency estimated that finishing the arch within three years would require crews to work 20 hours a day, year-round, with about 20 to 30 trucks moving 80 to 100 loads daily. Six preservation groups, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the DC Preservation League, have asked to join the consultation process but have not yet received a response. A Section 106 meeting is scheduled for June 15, just ten days after public comments opened.
