The Pentagon The Pentagon The Pentagon, in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase "The Pentagon" is often used as a metonym for the Department of Defense and its leadership. The building was designed by American architect George Bergstrom and built by contractor John McShain. Ground was broken on September 11, 1941, and the building was dedicated on January 15, 1943. General Brehon Somervell provided the major motivating power behind the project; Colonel Leslie Groves was responsible for overseeing the
Construction of the Virginia approaches to Arlington Memorial Bridge steel, timber, and other building materials as well as construction personnel were being diverted to war needs, federal officials believed it would be 12 to 18 months before the bridge could be rebuilt. In fact, the bridge was not replaced until 1949. Steel for the new Lee Boulevard connecting bridge was obtained only in December 1948. Reconstruction of the bridge occurred in spring 1949. In 1951, the name of Lee Boulevard was changed to Arlington Boulevard to end confusion with Lee Highway. Construction of the Virginia approaches to Arlington Memorial Bridge The construction of the Virginia approaches to Arlington Memorial