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 county officials to plot a route around the north rather than south end of Arlington National Cemetery. In May 1932, Arlington county officials learned that the Virginia State Highway Commission had not obtained all the rights-of-way needed for the northern route. On May 22, the County Board of Supervisors ordered the Commonwealth's Attorney to seek condemnation of an right-of-way from Washington Boulevard north to North Pershing Drive. To assist the state in building this route, Senator Carter Glass attempted to secure a $10,000 appropriation to help the state survey the Lee Boulevard route. His effort was not successful. By 1933,