Lincoln Memorial
One of the most recognizable of all memorial sites in Washington D.C. is the Lincoln Memorial. Set on the end of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall and opposite of the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial commemorates the 16th president of the United States as an icon of hope and inspiration as a lasting emblem of liberty.
“In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever,” is inscribed on the wall above the white marble statue of Abraham Lincoln which rises over 19 feet high. Inside the memorial are inscriptions of the Gettysburg Address and also Lincoln’s second inaugural address as well as symbolic murals that represent the truth and freedom that Lincoln represents in American history.
Interesting Facts
- Groundbreaking ceremony on February 12, 1914, the 105th birthday of Lincoln.
- Robert Todd Lincoln attended the ceremony.
- Henry Bacon designed the memorial.
- 36 columns (44 feet tall) represent the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincolns death.
- 48 states are named at the top of the memorial representing 48 states at the time of the opening.
- Dedicated by William Howard Taft, Chief Justice and former President.
- Robert Morton, president of Tuskegee University, also spoke at the dedication.
- The statue is 19 feet tall and 19 feet wide.
