ARCHITECT URE 21022 User Manual

Lincoln Memorial

Washington, D.C., USA

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Lincoln Memorial

Abraham Lincoln holds a unique place in the history of

the United States: not only did he save the Union, he reinvigorated the nation’s founding principle — that all men are created equal. The campaign to erect a fitting

memorial in his name began even as he lay on his deathbed in 1865. It would eventually be completed 57 years later, after decades of disagreements over what

type of monument to build and where it should be placed.

[ In this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever. ]

HistoryandConstruction

Demands for a fitting national memorial for the 16th president of the United States began shortly after his assassination in April 1865. Although Congress passed its first bill on the matter in 1867, it would be 1913 before the design, location, and funding of the memorial were finally approved.

Even then many still questioned whether architect Henry Bacon’s Greek temple design was too extravagant for such a humble man as Lincoln, and whether the swampy and inaccessible Potomac Park was the best place for it to stand.

The Lincoln Memorial Commission stood firm in its recommendation: the memorial would stand alone at one end of the National Mall. The massive sculpture of Lincoln, the savior of the nation, would face east toward the monument celebrating the founder of the nation, George Washington, and in between would be a long reflecting pool.

The project got under way with a ceremony on February 12, 1914, and construction began a month later. Although work slowed as a result of the United States entering the First World War in 1917, the monument was completed on schedule in 1922. On Memorial Day, May 30, 1922, 50,000 people attended a dedication ceremony. Among those present were hundreds of Civil War veterans; Robert Todd Lincoln, the president’s only surviving son; and President Warren G. Harding, who accepted the memorial on behalf of the American people.

The memorial itself echoes a classic Greek temple and the structure measures 189.7 by 118.5 ft. (58 by 36 m) and is 99 ft. (30 m) tall. It is surrounded by a colonnade of 36 fluted Doric columns, one for each of the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. The columns stand 44 ft. (13 m) tall with a base diameter of 7.5 ft. (2.3 m).

Above the colonnade, inscribed on a frieze, are the names of the 36 states in the Union when Lincoln died and the dates in which they entered. Above this are inscribed the names of the 48 states present in the Union at the time of the memorial’s dedication.

The memorial is anchored on a concrete foundation, 44 to 66 ft. (13 to 20 m) in depth, and is encompassed by a 187 by 257 ft. (57 by 78 m) rectangular granite retaining wall measuring 14 ft. (4.3 m) in height.

The interior of the monument is divided into three chambers. The north and south chambers contain carved inscriptions of Lincoln’s second inaugural address and his Gettysburg Address. Above each of the inscriptions is a 60 by 12 ft. (18.3 by 3.7 m) mural portraying the governing principles in Lincoln’s life.

Between the north and south chambers is the central

chamber containing the solitary figure of Lincoln sitting in contemplation. The statue rests upon an oblong marble pedestal 10 ft. (3 m) high, 16 ft. (5 m) wide, and 17 ft. (5.2 m) deep.

Lincoln Memorial under construction, 1919

The People behind the Memorial

While many people were involved in the design and construction of the Lincoln Memorial, it is the architect Henry Bacon, sculptor Daniel Chester French, and artist Jules Guerin who were most prominent.

Henry Bacon (1866–1924)

Henry Bacon was a New York–based architect who had traveled widely in Europe and was especially fond of ancient Greek architecture. His inspiration for the Lincoln Memorial is the Athenian temple known as the Parthenon.

Bacon instinctively understood the symbolic role of the memorial in reunifying a country torn apart by civil war and deliberately chose building materials from as many states as possible. The granite at the terrace level came from Massachusetts, the marble of the upper steps and outside façade came from Colorado, and the pink marble floor of the chamber came from Tennessee. Indiana

limestone is used on the interior walls and columns of the chamber, and the ceiling tiles are made of Alabama marble. The statue of Lincoln itself is carved from Georgia marble. Bacon was awarded the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects, his profession’s highest honor, for his work on the memorial.

Daniel Chester French (1850–1931)

Daniel Chester French was the leading American sculptor of his day and his most famous work is the statue of Lincoln, which dominates the interior of the memorial. The plans originally specified a 12 ft. (3.6 m) bronze statue, but it proved out of scale for the huge building. The finished statue is 19 ft. (5.8 m) tall, which means if Lincoln were standing, he would be 28 ft. (8.5 m) tall. The sculpture took four years to complete, weighs 175 tons (159 metric tons), and is carved from 28 separate blocks of white Georgia marble.

Drawing on tracing paper of Lincoln’s statue by Henry Bacon, 1917

Jules Guerin (1866–1946)

Jules Guerin was originally hired by Henry Bacon to create watercolor illustrations of his proposed plans for the memorial. Guerin was born in St Louis, Missouri, a year after the end of the American Civil War. Later, he went on to study art in Chicago and Europe. He was thereafter selected to decorate the interior of the memorial with two canvas murals 60 ft. (18.3 m) long by 12 ft. (3.7 m) high. Together, the murals visually symbolize the principles of Abraham Lincoln and emphasize his two great accomplishments — emancipation and unity.

The Memorial as a National Symbol

The Lincoln Memorial is not only an iconic piece of architecture, it is a symbol of everything Abraham Lincoln stood for. For this reason, it has also been the venue for many of the most memorable demonstrations within the American Civil Rights movement.

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people journeyed to Washington from all over the United States and stood in front of the memorial as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The spot on which King stood was engraved in 2003 in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the event.

The memorial has played a central role in a number of blockbuster movies and also appears on the back of the U.S. five dollar bill, the front of which bears Lincoln’s portrait. Approximately six million people visit the memorial annually; it is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day. In 2007 the American

Institute of Architects ranked it seventh in the List of America’s Favorite Architecture.