Near Arlington House, in a section of what was once the garden of Mary and Robert E. Lee, is the old Amphitheater and Rostrum. Completed in 1868 in compliance with the order of General John A. Logan, it was dedicated as part of the first observance of Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) on May 30 of that year. The featured speaker on that occasion was General James A. Garfield, later president of the United States.

The Amphitheater is encircled by a colonnade which supports a latticed roof, once covered with thick vines. In the center of the Amphitheater is a dais known as "the Rostrum," made of white marble in a classic design and inscribed with the phrase, E pluribus unum (Out of many, one). The Old Amphitheater held 1,500 seats and served as the principal area of assembly before the current Memorial Amphitheater was completed in 1921. Among the great speakers who graced its podium was William Jennings Bryan.

Peters, James Edward. Arlington National Cemetery: Shrine to America's Heroes. Woodbine House, 2000.

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