{"exhibit":{"title":"Why do people say the National Mall is built on a swamp?","description":"
The National Mall was built on low, flat land surrounded by three waterways: the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, and until the 1870s, Tiber Creek. During the 1800s, heavy rains and flooding frequently saturated the landscape, sometimes creating puddles the size of small ponds. Residents and visitors described the area as a swamp, particularly before the monuments and museums were built. A myth grew that the National Mall was built on swamp when, in fact, only part of the Mall was originally marshland or tidal plain.<\/p>","credits":"","featured":0,"public":1,"theme":"","theme_options":null,"slug":"was-the-national-mall-built-on","added":"2013-07-29 09:43:45","modified":"2014-09-02 14:42:03","owner_id":3,"use_summary_page":1,"cover_image_file_id":null,"id":43},"item":{"item_type_id":6,"collection_id":null,"featured":0,"public":1,"added":"2013-08-01 05:08:43","modified":"2015-09-08 17:14:09","owner_id":3,"id":394}}