The New Watergate Museum Presents First Program
- Frank Leone
- Apr 6
- 2 min read
By Frank Leone
The newly established (2024) Watergate Museum presented its first program featuring NPR’s Scott Simon interviewing Joe Rodata, author The Watergate: Inside America’s Most Famous Address (2018). The program attracted a diverse audience -- 180 people signed up for the event, held at the Watergate Hotel. The discussion focused on the planning and architectural history of the Watergate Complex and notable residents, including Anna Chennault, Martha Mitchell, Rosemary Woods, and Elizabeth Dole.
The developing Watergate Museum focuses on Watergate’s significant impact on modern building design and urban and landscape planning, as well as the 1972 break-in and resulting scandal that brought down President Nixon. The Watergate scandal will be presented not just as history but as an important lesson in civics that has glaring resonance today. The museum should also recognize the unique industrial community and its residents that occupied the site for 100 years prior to the Watergate’s construction. See Washington Gasworks: Putting the Fog in Foggy Bottom.
The Museum’s next event is a Zoom discussion with Adrian Sheppard, principal design assistant to chief architect Luigi Moretti on the Watergate Complex. Joining him will be engineer (and longtime Watergate resident) Stacie O. Condrell and noted DC architect Warren J. Cox, co-founder of Hartman-Cox. The on-line event is scheduled for April 9, 2025 - 6:00 pm. Here is the registration link: Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Watergate Museum - a discussion with Adrian Sheppard. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
The work of establishing a new museum requires dedicated individuals and money. You can help advance the mission of the Watergate Museum by donating here. For more information on Watergate’s history, see our Funkstown post.
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