Some of the most iconic memorials that grace Washington, D.C., drawing millions of visitors every year, only narrowly survived being scrapped altogether.

In 1791, Pierre L’Enfant drew up designs for President George Washington that spearheaded the development of Washington as it stands today. Modified over a century later through Congress’s McMillan Plan, L’Enfant’s architectural genius formed the basis of some of the country’s most recognized landmarks, including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial.