Workers began pumping water into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday morning, capping a controversial renovation that started in late April. The 2,028-foot-long basin, which first opened in 1923, had been drained and its floor coated with a dark blue paint the president has called “American flag blue.” President Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the pool would begin refilling at 4 p.m., and by Friday morning a stripe of water down the middle was wide enough to reflect the Washington Monument.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum shared a video on Thursday of water bubbling through a grate on the freshly painted floor. Trump has said the pool was “just gray … the color of concrete and stone” for the last century, and that he wanted a more patriotic shade. Early renderings and preliminary coats sparked concern that the historic landmark would look like a swimming pool, but visitors who gathered Friday to watch the refilling said they could see little difference.
“The more water it fills, the more similar it looks [to before],” said Luisa Córdoba, a D.C. resident and avid runner who said she has been checking on the pool daily since work started. “I’m just happy it’s not that bright blue that we saw the first days, which was so alarming … if it stays like this, it’s fine.”
Terry Barzanti, a Maryland resident who works nearby, said, “I’m colorblind, so it doesn’t look blue — yet.” His coworker Edgar Sadsad replied, “I’m not colorblind and it doesn’t look blue.” Other passersby described the color as closer to black. Sadsad and Barzanti both praised the project, saying the pool already appeared cleaner.
Trump has said the project sealed crevices in the stone to prevent leaks and removed 12 truckloads of garbage from the pool. The pool last underwent major renovations between 2010 and 2012, and has continued to suffer from broken pipes and water leaks, according to the Department of the Interior. Trump claimed the work “will last for 50 to 100 years before you have to do anything with it.”
The timeline far exceeded Trump’s initial estimate. He said in late April the project would take a week or two; the Interior Department told NPR it would take about a month. The administration informed a federal court on Wednesday that work was complete, but a lawsuit brought by the nonprofit Cultural Landscape Foundation in mid-May over the lack of historic preservation reviews remained pending.
The cost also diverges sharply from Trump’s public statements. He gave the price tag as $2 million, saying it was significantly less than previous quotes. But Interior Department records obtained by The New York Times show the administration plans to pay $13.1 million to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, the Virginia firm Trump selected for the project. A large sign on the construction fence, on National Park Service letterhead, informed visitors that “these improvements are being completed using your fee dollars.” It is unclear how much of the funding comes from taxpayers versus park-entry fees or endowment funds. The Washington Post reported this week that the administration is diverting at least $90 million from national park entry fees to fund the July 4th fireworks display and other D.C. beautification projects.
“The pool gets completed at 4 o’clock and the water will start to flow in … and it’s going to be beautiful,” Trump told reporters Wednesday.
The refilling is part of a broader wave of renovations across the capital ahead of the country’s 250th birthday on July 4, including restored fountains at Meridian Hill Park and Union Station. National Guard troops deployed to D.C. are helping with cleanup and maintenance. The administration has listed accomplishments including 500 instances of graffiti removed, 134 rat-resistant trash cans installed, and 250 truckloads of debris removed from ponds.
Visitors had mixed reactions to the work. Samantha Sorokin of Arlington, Va., who was taking her parents on a tour, said, “It’s kind of sad where our tax dollars are going. I mean, it was fine before, by my knowledge.” Maryellen Thornton, who lives near Meridian Hill Park, said the fountain restoration there has been “amazing for the community,” describing the picnic blanket-packed grass “like nirvana.” Her husband, Brad Thornton, said, “A little bit of spraying water goes a long way. It shouldn’t be about politics. It’s just about enjoying it. We’re in the city. We need some green space.”