Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

I always assumed it was a reference to the pentagonal shape of many star forts (despite not being a star shape itself).



My totally unresearched guess was that it referred to the five armed services: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard.

"Because that was the shape of its originally intended building site" is so delightfully mundane.


Construction complete Jan 43 Air force birthday Sept 47. Plausible to plan for it, but unlikely.


That's probably a side-benefit. If it had been an irregular pentagon (or any other shape), the inter-service rivalries would still be going on about who has the better office space (not kidding - you think vicious politics is only on capitol hill?)


Yet sometimes the simplest answer is the best if not correct one. My pot roast story tells it well, http://selfdefinedleadership.com/blog/?p=158

don't overlook the obvious


Counterpoint by H.L .Mencken: "Explanations exist; they have existed for all time; there is always a well-known solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong."


Indeed. I thought it was a reference to many pentagonal forts from the Middle Ages, like Castel Sant'Angelo on the banks of the Tiber.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Castel-S...


They didn't stop building pentagonal and star forts in the Middle Ages. Some of the most important fortifications in US history are pentagon plus bastion star forts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Sumter#/media/File:Fort_S...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McHenry#/media/File:Fort_...


I figured it was just in reference to how often the USA/Military uses 5-pointed stars on things.


I assumed it was a reference to the five armed service branches, but I was wrong.


Note that at the time of construction there were only four - the Air Force was established post-WWII.




Consider applying for YC's Spring batch! Applications are open till Feb 11.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: