The National Park Service has began a two-year renovation and restoration of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
The chamber and the statue of Jefferson will remain open during the work, the park service said in a statement. The lower level, with exhibits, restrooms, the elevator and retail space will close this month.
The work will include a complete renovation of the lower-level exhibit area, which was installed in 1994. The new area will provide “more perspectives as it shares Thomas Jefferson’s multi-faceted story,” the park service said, and some of the exhibits will be in the chamber area.
Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst said the specifics of the new exhibits are still being worked out, but that “We’re certainly going to take a look at the paradox of the author of the lines ‘All men are created equal’ who owned more than 600 slaves in his life.”
“There’s certainly been an awful lot that’s changed in the interpretation of Thomas Jefferson,” Litterst said. “So we want to make sure people know the full story. We’re working with a wide variety of Jefferson scholars and organizations to make sure we’re not overlooking anything.”
The work will also improve accessibility, the park service said, with sloped pathways to the east and west of the front steps and a modernized elevator.
The project will also include replacing the paving on the lower terrace in front of the memorial, reconfiguring the lower-level restrooms and retail space and upgrading the fire suppression and security systems.
Temporary restrooms will be set up.
