The Lincoln Memorial is situated at the Western
end of the National Mall. Built to honorize the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, the
monument is modelled after ancient Greek temples. Facing perpendicular to the mall, the 36
columned structure makes an effective terminal to the mall. The site of the monument was
once under the
Potomac river, but over time the land has been built up. The Lincoln Monument is an
extremely popular attraction that draws several million visitors a year.
Building History
On February 9, 1911, Congresss created the Lincoln Memorial Commission and assigned them
the task of picking the memorial's site. After much debate the Commission decided on the
undeveloped West Potomac Park at the west end of the National Mall on February 3, 1912.
Construction of the structure began on February 12, 1914 as workers prepared a strong, but
complicated foundation. First a sub-foundation of 122 solid, poured concrete piers with
steel reinforcing rods were secured in the bedrock. On top of the piers rested the upper
foundsation, a second set of piers. The tops of the piers were joined with poured
concrete, and were later covered by the Pink Tennessee marble of the memorial floor. Work
on the memorial itself began in 1915. Construction progressed steadily until 1917 when
America's participation in the First World War caused shortages of labor and materials.
Labor slowed, but the roof was still completed by 1918. Designers realized that the
contracted 10 ft. statue would become lost amidst the monument. They agreed to double the
statue's size. Once the roof was in place in 1918 work on the interior began with the
securing of the murals and the carving of the inscriptions. .
The Lincoln statue was installed in 1920 and was assembled as a single piece for the first
time inside the monument. In 1921 work turned to the landscaping around the monument.
Walkways were made using Potomac River Stones and Georgia Granite. Trees, shrubs, old
boxwoods and grass were added, to the sorroundings of the memorial, and work began on the
reflecting pool that joins the Lincoln and Washington Monuments. On May 30, 1922, Memorial
Day, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in front of 50 000 at West Potomac Park. Those in
attendance included President Warren G. Harding and former President William H. Taft who
presented the memorial to the president. Lincoln's sole surviving heir Robert was the
guest of honor. In 1933 the National
Park Service was awarded control of the monument. Currently the memorial is in the midst
of a 10 year restoration project.
Architecture
Architect Henry Bacon was a great admirer of Greek architecture and modelled his design on
that of the Parthenon. The rectangalur memorial has 36 exterior Doric columns representing
the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. Above the columns on the frieze
are inscriptions of the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. Above those
are inscriptions of the 48 states in the Union at the time of the dedication in 1930. Five
sets of stairs run to the east and mark the structure as an end of the mall. Beside the
stairs are plaques commemorating Alaska and Hawaii, states added after the dedication. The
interior is divided into three chambers: Central, Northern, and Southern. The entire
structure is marked with artistic flourishes of carved scrolls, wreathes, palms, eagles,
and lionheads. Bacon constructed with the finest materials from all across the nation. The
exterior is made of Colorado Yule marble, while the interior is of Indian limestone. The
ceiling is a coated Alabama Marble and the floor is of Pink Tennessee Marble.
In the central chamber sits the 19 foot statue of Lincoln created by sculptor Daniel
Chester French and his marble cutters. After previous models of the statue
were rejected as too small French and Lincoln Memorial architect, Henry Bacon, agreed on
the large size of the statue. Unable to find a suitably large slab of
marble, French was forced to use 28 smaller slabs of White Georgia marble. The statue was
assembled for the first time inside the memorial, but appears almost
seamless. The work shows Lincoln seated and distained, deeply concerned by the war he
commands.
The Northern and Southern chambers bear murals painted by Jules Guerin in 1918. The oil on
canvis paintings are titled Unification and Emancipation and depict these ideals that
Lincoln embodied. The murals show classical figures that match the memorials exterior, but
also make use of contemporary techniques. The chambers also hold inscriptions of great
Lincoln speeches The Second Inaugural Address and The Gettysburg Address.
