Concrete capital: John McShain's construction of Washington, DC (1930-70)
Author(s): |
Vyta Baselice
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Medium: | conference paper |
Language(s): | English |
Conference: | 6th International Congress on Construction History (6ICCH 2018), July 9-13, 2018, Brussels, Belgium |
Published in: | Building Knowledge, Constructing Histories [2 vols.] |
Page(s): | 341-348 |
Year: | 2018 |
Abstract: | John McShain, a Philadelphia-based general contractor built some of the most recognizable structures in Washington, D.C., including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the National Airport, the Pentagon, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of State and the Housing and Urban Development headquarters, among numerous others. However, McShain's business has not been historically contextualized and his contributions to the construction of Washington have received minimal scholarly attention. This paper presents a complex narrative that intertwines the history of a private general contractor business with the growth of the broader construction industry to address issues of labor, design, and nation-building in mid-twentieth century America. |