The opening of Memorial Bridge by President Hoover on January 16, 1932 also marked the opening of the new Memorial Entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. The entrance is on the axis of the Lincoln Memorial, Memorial Bridge and Avenue and Arlington House. A parkway exists from the Virginia side of the bridge to the steep slope leading to Arlington House. This parkway ends in a court, partly excavated from the hill. From this court yard a road leads to the north (Schley Drive) and to the south (Roosevelt and Eisenhower Drives). The western end of the court yard is a semicircular retaining wall 30 feet high and 226 feet in diameter. It includes 10 niches with pilasters on each side. The outer, center and middle niches on each side are semicircular 3 feet 6 inches deep. The two other niches on each side are rectangular 2 feet deep. All niches are 19 feet high by 9 feet across. There is an oak leaf wreath within the rectangular niches. At the center of the circular wall is a large semicircular niche, 20 feet across by 30 feet high. At its base is a fountain. Forming the
"keystone"
of the large, center niche, is the Great Seal of the United States of America. https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Media/Public-Affairs-Office