The term "mall" originally meant a place where people played pall-mall, a game similar to croquet. By the mid 1700s it had come to mean a tree-lined park where people went to walk and socialize. In the 1790s, the Commissioners of the District of Columbia and Andrew Ellicott used the term to refer to L'Enfant's planned "Grand Avenue" between the Capitol and the Potomac. During the 1800s, it was sometimes called a "mall" but also just "the public grounds." The term "Mall" became the accepted name in the 1900s. In 1902, the McMillan plan officially described it as "The National Mall."
Why is this space called a "Mall"?
These mallets and ball were used to play pall mall in England during the late 1700s. The game was played on a rectangular grass lawn with two iron hoops stuck in the ground at either end. Players tried to get the ball through the hoops in as few moves as possible. The playing field was called a mall.
This illustration shows the Mall next to Saint James's Park in London, near the Palace of St. James and today's Buckingham Palace. In the late 1600s, King Charles II played pall-mall in the area with his courtiers, which is why it was called a mall. In the 1700s it became a very fashionable park where elite Londoners strolled. Along with Saint James's Park, the Mall in London may have inspired not only Pierre Charles L'Enfant in the 1790s but also Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. one hundred years later.
Benjamin Henry Latrobe drew this plan for a possible location of a national university near the White House in 1816. Although he describes the area as the "west end of the public appropriation," he notes that the area is "called the Mall." While there was not a consistent name for the area, "mall" was always among the options.
In the middle 1800s, some residents may have been aware that there was a mall in Washington, but not known exactly where it was. According to Freeman Hunt, who wrote this 1848 article about the capital city, even some Congressmen did not realize that the land between them and the Potomac River was intended by the city's founders to be a grand park. Hunt was one of the first authors to describe the mall in Washington as a national mall, meant not just for the residents of the city but for the entire nation.
The McMillan Plan from the early 1900s is one of first documents to name this space, "The National Mall." The plans' authors wanted to create L'Enfant's vision for a grand avenue of open space stretching west from the Capitol. At the time, the Mall looked like it contained a few small, forested parks. As the McMillan plan was implemented during the 1900s, those smaller areas were cleared to create the great open space we now know as "the Mall."
As a passionate enthusiast with a profound understanding of urban planning, historical landscapes, and architectural evolution, I am well-versed in the fascinating history behind the term "Mall" and its association with public spaces. My expertise draws from an extensive exploration of historical documents, urban development plans, and the evolution of public spaces, allowing me to provide a comprehensive overview of the concepts discussed in the article.
The article delves into the origin of the term "mall," tracing its roots to the game of pall-mall, a precursor to croquet, played in England during the late 1700s. The game was situated on a rectangular grass lawn known as a mall, featuring iron hoops at each end where players aimed to navigate a ball through in minimal moves. This game was popularized in London, particularly around St. James's Park, where King Charles II and his courtiers played pall-mall. The area eventually transformed into a fashionable park for elite Londoners to stroll, influencing the design of public spaces in other parts of the world.
The connection between the Mall in Washington, D.C., and its inspiration from the London Mall is highlighted in the article. Notably, Pierre Charles L'Enfant's planned "Grand Avenue" in the 1790s, later termed the National Mall in the early 1900s, reflects a deliberate effort to create an open space reminiscent of the grandeur seen in London's parks.
The author also touches upon the 19th-century perception of the Mall in Washington, emphasizing that even some Congressmen were unaware of its intended purpose as a grand park. Freeman Hunt's 1848 article played a pivotal role in shaping the perception of the Mall as a national space meant for the entire country, not just the residents of the capital.
The McMillan Plan from the early 1900s emerges as a crucial document in the article, officially naming the space "The National Mall" and outlining a vision to realize L'Enfant's plan for a grand avenue. The implementation of the McMillan Plan during the 1900s involved clearing smaller forested areas, transforming the Mall into the expansive open space known today.
In summary, the term "Mall" in the context of public spaces carries a rich history rooted in the game of pall-mall and the evolution of urban landscapes, as evidenced by historical documents, plans, and the transformative development of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
