The Lincoln Memorial was designed by Henry Bacon; the style is that of a Greek Doric temple with 36 enormous columns. Inside the building is a huge statue of a sitting Lincoln. Over Lincoln's head is the inscription:

"IN THIS TEMPLE
AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION
THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
IS ENSHRINED FOREVER."

Also in the Memorial are two murals, and stone engravings of Lincoln's second inaugural address and the Gettysburg Address.

Lincoln's statue was sculpted by Daniel Chester French (1850-1931); plaster casts of Lincoln's hands and face were used to make the statue. The statue is over 3 times actual size; if the statue could stand up, it would be 28 feet tall. The murals were done by Jules Guerin. The 36 Doric columns represent the 36 states of the Union at the time of President Lincoln's death in 1865.

The construction of the Lincoln Memorial began in 1914; it was dedicated in 1922. The building was built with marble from the state of Colorado; Lincoln's statue was made from blocks of marble from the state of Georgia.

The Lincoln Memorial is pictured on the reverse of the US penny and the back of the US five dollar bill.

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., made his "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (the speech was delivered on the landing 18 steps below Lincoln's statue); there is now an inscription on the step where Dr. King stood, commemorating that historic event. Dr. King was speaking at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Facts and Figures about the Lincoln Memorial:

Building Began	Lincoln's birthday, February 12, 1915
Date of the Dedication	May 30, 1922
Height of the building	99 ft (30.2 m) tall
Height of each column	44 feet (13.4m ) tall
Diameter of base of each column	7 ft. 5 in. (2.3m)
Circumference of base of each column	over 23 feet
Height of Lincoln's Statue	19 feet tall, sitting
Number of steps from the Reflecting pool to Lincoln's Statue	87 [87 is four score and 7, like the phrase from the Gettysburg Address].
Type of Stone in the Exterior of the Lincoln Memorial	Marble from Colorado
Type of Stone in the Columns	Limestone from Indiana
Type of Stone in Lincoln's Statue	Marble from Georgia
Location	Potomac Park, Washington, D.C.

Related Pages:

Abraham Lincoln Read about Abraham Lincoln.

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., is the capital city of the USA.

Symbols of the USA A page on some of the many symbols that represent the United States of America.

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