Lincoln Memorial History & Facts

As a national memorial, the Lincoln Memorial is a United States presidential memorial built to honor Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. This gorgeous structure boasts the inscriptions of Lincoln's two famous speeches and a splendid sculpture of this great president. Thought as one of the most well-known landmarks in the nation, the magnificent Lincoln Memorial has been chosen to be the site for a series of famous speeches or other special events since it was dedicated.

Along with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and a number of other attractions, the Lincoln Memorial is included in the National Mall and Memorial Parks group. It has been voted as one of the National Register of Historic Places in the country and visited by millions of people every year. This gorgeous building also takes credit for its wonderful design which makes it a fantastic example of neoclassical architecture and one of the renowned structures on the "List of America's Favorite Architecture".

The Lincoln Memorial is designed after a classic temple in ancient Greek and features 36 enormous columns which represent the 36 states belonging to the Union at the time of Lincoln's death in 1965. Inside this spectacular Lincoln Memorial, visitors can find a huge statue of Abraham Lincoln seated, facing the Capitol Building as well as the Washington Monument. For any citizens in the United States and people who have a strong interest in American history, a visit to the Lincoln Memorial would be a must, because this building is a kind of memories about the eternal president and his unparalleled contribution to the nation.

Home Page of the Lincoln Memorial

http://www.nps.gov/linc

More Information about the Lincoln Memorial from Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Memorial

Being a historic structure, the Lincoln Memorial boasts a number of interesting stories and facts. Although Abraham Lincoln has long been the most beloved president for most American people, no national monument was built in honor of him until the 20th century. Before the Lincoln Memorial, there was a structure designed by Clarke Mills for people to commemorate President Lincoln. However, it was collapsed. As a result, in some way, the Lincoln Memorial could be counted as the first nation memorial for Abraham Lincoln. Interesting enough, today there are only a few monuments to American presidents and the Lincoln Memorial is one of them.

The story of the Lincoln Memorial dated back to Lincoln's 106th birthday, February 12, 1915, when the construction of this incredible memorial originally began. The Lincoln Memorial has been finished in 1922, 57 years after Abraham Lincoln's death. At its grand ceremonies, there were about 50,000 attendees, including a host of Civil War veterans. Since May 30, 1922, the Lincoln Memorial has opened to the public for free. According to the statistics, the memorial is 99 feet in height. Even though it is a seating statue, the height of the Lincoln statue is approximately 19 feet. And it is said that this giant statue weighs about 175 tons.

When it comes to the 36 columns which always impress people visiting this grand building, you should know that each of its columns is about 44 feet tall. Besides, the diameter of the base of each column is about 7 feet and 5 inch, while the circumference is more than 23 feet.

Inside the Lincoln Memorial, you can find two huge stone tables, each of which highlights engravings of one of President Lincoln's two world-famous speeches: his second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address. Chamber of this huge memorial also includes a gorgeous statue of President Lincoln. And over the head of the seating Lincoln statue, there is the inscription which reads:" In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever."

The seating statue of Lincoln inside the memorial is more than 3 times of the actual size of President Lincoln, which means that the statue will be nearly 28 feet tall if it could stand up. When Daniel Chester French sculpted this splendid statue, he completed this masterpiece under the help of plaster casts of Lincoln's hands and face. Actually, when it was firstly designed, the sculpture of President Lincoln seated in a chair should be 10 feet in height. However, as Henry Bacon realized that the statue would be totally dwarfed when it is placed inside the memorial. Therefore, he just doubled the size of the sculpture.

The Lincoln Memorial was designed by famous New York architect Henry Bacon while the statue of President Lincoln which can be found inside the memorial was sculpted by Daniel Chester French, a great sculptor lived from 1850 to 1931. As for the two interior murals that represent the principles of freedom, brotherhood and justice, the painter was Jules Guerin.

Outside the memorial, there is the Reflecting Pool to the statue of President Lincoln. From the Reflecting Pool to this dramatic statue, it is nearly 87 steps. The exterior of the Lincoln Memorial is just as amazing as the interior of the building. It is adorned by marble from Colorado. If you observe the Lincoln statue carefully, you will find that the type of stone used to sculpt it is really precious. The noble statue is sculpted from marble from Georgia.

All the columns on the memorial which stand for the 36 states of the Union are made from Limestone from Indiana. As the Lincoln Memorial was finally completed in 1922, it turned out that the Union contained 48 states in total. As a result, names of all of the 48 states of the Union have been carved on the Lincoln Memorial. When you come to visit this splendid building, do not forget to browse through all the names on the walls outside the memorial.

Being such a famous and meaningful building in the nation, the Lincoln Memorial has been pictured on the back of the US five dollar bill. Besides, you can also catch a view of this grand structure on the reverse of the US penny. Due to the rich and colorful history, the grand Lincoln Memorial is widely considered as the most renowned tourist destination in Washington DC. For some people, the Lincoln Memorial is also a symbol of freedom and humanity. Maybe that is one of the reasons why this attraction has always been selected to be the site for protests, political rallies or other significant events.

One of the world-famous speeches - "I Have a Dream" was delivered in front of the Lincoln statue on August 28, 1963. On that day, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on the landing 18 steps below the magnificent seating statue of President Lincoln and gave this momentous speech which is credited with mobilizing. Today, an inscription that used to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. and his heart-stirring address has been sculpted on the step where Dr. King used to stand.