Phase 1: Congressional Approval (2001-2014)

Founding directors Susan Flaherty and Kevin Quigley created the “Peace Corps Museum and Memorial” with Tom Roha in 2001, raising seed funding and awareness in Congress, and exploring partnerships with sites in Washington, D.C. like the U.S. Institute of Peace, Kennedy Center, and Newseum. In 2008, Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter refocused the effort on building a dedicated and permanent commemorative work, bringing new leadership and a rebranding to the "Peace Corps Foundation."

The subsequent advocacy campaign on Capitol Hill, led by the National Peace Corps Association, built support for the legislation authorizing the project. That bill was first introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) in December 2009.

After serving four years as vice president, Roger K. Lewis became president of the Foundation in 2012, and a refreshed Board that included directors Bonnie Gottlieb, Gordon Radley, and Ellen Lewis began pursuing a dedicated site for Peace Corps Park. Meanwhile, advocacy on Capitol Hill ramped up, with legislation introduced in the Senate in 2013 by Sen Rob Portman (R-OH) and in the House by Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA). The bill passed, and the Peace Corps Commemorative Works Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 24, 2014.

Phase 2: Design Selection (2014-2018)

In partnership with the National Park Service, the Foundation selects a site out of 16 locations in Washington, D.C., landing on a half-acre triangle of land on Louisiana Ave. near the U.S. Capitol in November 2014, unlocking the design phase of the project.

With a nationwide design competition ending without any of the 180 proposals being selected, the Foundation’s board of directors approached individual architects and designers, eventually retaining Larry Kirkland and Associates to lead the creative vision of the Park.

Phase 3: Design Development (2018-2024)

The design concept for Peace Corps Park envisioned a contemplative environment for people to sit and reflect on the values of peace, service and community partnership, and learn about the history of the Peace Corps in a meditative space. The core idea of a series of rounded stone benches encircling a plaza featuring a world map represented without borders was augmented by an ambitious landscaping plan designed by Michael Vergason Landscape Architects using local species of trees and shrubs.

Numerous rounds of feedback with partners at the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts led to modifications and optimization to ensure accessibility compliance and maintenance considerations, and the final design was approved by the CFA in October 2024.

Phase 4: Construction (2025-)

We are now in the construction planning process, establishing the timeline and costs for materials and fabrication, and ramping up our fundraising efforts to put chisel to stone and build our way to groundbreaking.