LINCOLN MEMORIAL

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated just after the end of the Civil War on April 14, 1865. By March of 1867, Congress incorporated the Lincoln Monument Association to build a memorial to the slain 16th President.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States and titan of our national heritage, grew up as a poor boy on the frontier. Reading books by candlelight, after long hours at school or on the farm, proved invaluable to young Lincoln. He later served as a store clerk, a river trader, and a "rail-splitter" used to hard physical labor. A plain speaker for plain folks, Lincoln blended his love of the written word with a strong work ethic and pursued a legal career, then a political one from the Illinois state legislature to the U.S. Congress. Here was a man who aspired to lead a nation.

Architect Henry Bacon modeled the Lincoln Memorial after the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Bacon felt that a memorial to a man who defended democracy should echo the birthplace of democracy. The towering memorial is 190 foot long, 120 foot wide, 99 foot tall and constructed with a Colorado-Yule marble.

The Lincoln Steps and Plaza

For almost a century, the Lincoln Memorial steps witnessed history-making moments such as 'I Have a Dream' speech, the Marion Anderson concert, and the daily secular pilgrimage of thousands. The steps begin at the edge of the Reflecting Pool, and rise up to the former roadbed of the circular roadway that surrounded the memorial - now a plaza. The steps then continue upward toward the memorial entrance, pausing on its ascent in a series of platforms. Flanking the steps are two buttresses each crowned with an 11' tall tripod carved from pink Tennessee marble.

Columns

The memorial is surrounded by 38 fluted Doric columns, one for each of the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. When you walk up the steps, two additional columns are located at the entrance behind the colonnade. These columns are 44' tall with a base diameter of 7'5". Each column is composed of 12 individual drums. The columns, like the exterior walls and facades, are inclined slightly inward. This is to compensate for perspective distortions, which would otherwise make the memorial appear asymmetrical.

Frieze and Cornice

Above the colonnade inscribed on the frieze are the names of 36 states and the dates in which they entered the Union. Their names are separated by double wreath medallions in bas-relief. The cornice is composed of a carved scroll with lions' heads in between them and ornamented with palmetto. The next step up on the memorial above the colonnade is called the attic frieze. Here, at the top of the memorial, the names of the 48 states present at the time of the dedication are inscribed. A bit higher is a garland joined by ribbons and palm leaves, supported by the wings of eagles. All ornamentation on the friezes and cornices was done by Ernest C. Bairstow. An homage to Alaska and Hawaii was added at a later date.

Credits and Sources:

Courtesy of U.S. National Parks Service, Department of Interior, https://www.nps.gov/featurecontent/ncr/linc/interactive/deploy/index.htm#/introduction