Our New Home

The United States Institute of Peace will have a permanent home in the nation's capital at 23rd Street and Constitution Avenue. The site has a rich history extending back to colonial times. Just south of the site there once stood a rocky promontory overlooking the Potomac River. This was the first solid ground on the marshy northern side of the river, and it was used as the starting point for surveys establishing property lines for early settlers.

George Washington was the first national leader to envision a "peace establishment." In 1783 Washington sent a circular to the states, saying that "the adoption of a proper Peace Establishment" was "essential to the well being" and the very “existence of the United States as an independent power."

That vision has now come to fruition. The USIP campus will have all the elements of a national institution--the working offices of the headquarters facility, a magnificent Great Hall, a state-ofthe- art conference center, a professional education and training academy, and a Public Education Center. By virtue of its purpose and location--it faces the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials--the headquarters of the United States Institute of Peace will be a symbol of peace on the National Mall.

• Learn more about the new building
• View a photo gallery of the roof construction.