07/24/2026
True. These ladies may be clad in fur wraps and pearlsā¦ but they sure did give āem hell! āāEmā being President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his administration.
In 1938, about 150 high-society women (most of whom belonged to area garden clubs) marched to the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. and chained themselves to cherry blossom trees. They were protesting FDRās decision to remove hundreds of the trees to start construction of the Jefferson Memorial.
It wasnāt anything against Thomas Jefferson. It was just that they loved those trees so much.
Ladies who hadnāt secured themselves to the trees were standing in front of bulldozers or robbing construction workers of their shovels. In the end, a compromise was reached. Some trees came down, the monument went up, and additional trees were to be planted around the new memorial and in other locations. Some of the women werenāt thrilled with the pact. Hence, the emergence of the term ācherrymandering.ā
Japan gifted 3,000 of the trees to the U.S. in 1912. Today, there are about 3,700 of them lining the Tidal Basin, and more people than ever can walk among them, thanks in big part to concrete āmade with cement.
Reconstruction of portions of the Tidal Basin seawall was completed this past April. Concrete and stone veneer technology improved durability while preserving the areaās historic character. Concrete also expanded the walkways atop the seawall, creating more room for visitors.
Drainage in the area is also improved, as new, concrete foundations now support raised sections of the Basin wall designed to better handle rising sea levels and storm surges, putting an end to years of chronic flooding.
The reconstruction, which cost $113 million and took 20 months, finished 8 months ahead of schedule and under budget. The 1.6 million tourists who flocked to this yearās National Cherry Blossom Festival were among the first to experience a more spacious, free-flowing experience.
Many thanks to the trailblazing ladies who brought the significance of these world-famous flowers to the forefront. Here at ACA, we very much appreciate the spirit and wisdom of trailblazing, leading ladies of our own (Shout-out to ACA Board Chair Monica Manolas and ACA President and CEO Diane Leneghan Tomb)!
Happy 250th, America! Love, ACA
