The Arch was erected in 1910 by an act of the 61st Congress. Initially, in 1908, it was proposed to erect two memorial arches in the park, but the bill was amended to create a single arch to save money. It is modeled on the Arch of Titus in Rome. The architect in charge of the arch was Paul Philippe Cret, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The arch was criticized by the Philadelphia Record who observed that arches are typically urban structures and questioned its location in a rural setting.