Home News ACHP and NTHP Honor Pentagon Renovation Efforts

For more information, contact Bruce Milhans at (202) 606-8513 or bmilhans@achp.gov

Sept. 11, 2002, Arlington, VA—The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Nation's two premier historic preservation organizations, today honored the Department of Defense for its attention to the historic and architectural integrity of the Pentagon during the building's rehabilitation.

Particular emphasis was placed on the extraordinary reconstruction work accomplished by architects, contractors, and construction workers under the Department of Defense's (DoD's) leadership following the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.

"This effort offers inspiring testimony to the military's determination to repair its damaged home, and the Nation's determination to show that the American spirit endures," said Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

During the DoD September 11, 2002, observance ceremony at the Pentagon, President Moe and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) Chairman John L. Nau, III, presented an award—an engraved piece of the original 1941 limestone facade—commemorating both the ongoing Pentagon Renovation Program and the past year's Phoenix Project. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz accepted the award on behalf of Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld.

"This was an extraordinary effort in which the employees of the Department of Defense and hundreds of contractors and workers labored with inspiring dedication and skill to restore the Pentagon in a manner consistent with its status as a National Historic Landmark," said Chairman Nau.

The award recognizes DoD's commitment to reconstruct the damaged wing using material, design, and craftsmanship that matched the original. This faithful replication clearly demonstrated the military's uncompromising commitment to preserving its heritage.

The Pentagon Renovation Program is a long-term effort to thoroughly retrofit the Pentagon to conform to contemporary building codes, safety requirements, and standards while retaining its historic appearance and grandeur. The Pentagon was built in just 16 months at the start of World War II and, ironically, its groundbreaking ceremony was held September 11, 1941.

The portion of the Pentagon that was struck by the hijacked airliner last year was the first "wedge" of the multi-phase Pentagon Renovation Program and was only five days away from completion when the attack occurred. The modernization of building systems and features, as well as safety and security improvements, are credited with saving many lives that might have been lost had the plane struck an unrenovated section of the building.

The Phoenix Project was the effort begun within days of the attack to restore the damaged section of the Pentagon. DoD personnel and contractors worked around the clock and across the calendar, vowing that occupants of the wedge's E-Ring facade would be able to view the one-year commemoration ceremonies from their office windows.

Despite the intensity of the Phoenix Project work effort, many of the building's historic features and materials were faithfully replicated.
The entire Pentagon Renovation Program is expected to be complete in December 2012.

An independent Federal agency, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation promotes historic preservation nationally by providing a forum for influencing Federal activities, programs, and policies that impact historic properties by advising the President and Congress, advocating preservation policy, improving Federal preservation programs, protecting historic properties, and educating stakeholders and the public. ACHP is located in Washington, DC, with a field office in Colorado. For more information, visit ACHP's Web site at www.achp.gov.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable. Recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the Trust provides leadership, education, and advocacy to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize communities. Its Washington, DC., headquarters staff, six regional offices, and 21 historic sites work with the Trust's quarter-million members and thousands of local community groups in all 50 States. For more information, visit the National Trust's Web site at www.nationaltrust.org.

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Remarks by ACHP Chairman John L. Nau, III, at Pentagon Workers Appreciation Ceremony

PDF version of ACHP-NTHP Citation to Pentagon Workers

High-resolution version of ACHP-NTHP Pentagon Award

Learn more about ACHP

Updated September 18, 2002

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