Designed between 1874 and 1892, Frederick Law Olmsted, the founder of the profession of landscape architecture, dedicated two decades to transform this important symbolic space into a landscape that melds the L'Enfant City Plan of 1791 into a procession of harmonious spaces embracing the Capitol building. Today, key elements of Olmsted's visionary scheme, America's symbolic "welcome mat," are threatened by proposed plans to build a much needed but ill-conceived underground visitor center. Post-September 11th security concerns have also been incorporated into planning for the new visitor center, and its appears that funding now is being allocated to permit construction.