LINCOLN

MEMORIAL

RITHWIK M
191110022 1
 The Lincoln Memorial is a monument honouring Abraham Lincoln,
the 16th President of the United States who was assassinated in
1865. It is located at the western end of the National Mall in
Washington D.C. The centrepiece of the memorial is a
large marble sculpture of a seated Lincoln looking down the Mall
towards the Washington Monument directly opposite.

Dedicated in 1922, it is one of several monuments honouring

American presidents across the city. The memorial was designed by
the architect Henry Bacon, and the designer of the statue was

INDRODUCTION
Daniel Chester French.

Shortly after Lincoln’s death, Congress proposed the idea of

erecting a monument to commrated a commission to oversee it.
However, various disputes delayed the project until 1914
when construction finally began.

Since it was completed it has become an iconic symbol of America,

featuring on the reverse side of the $5 bill. Because of Lincoln’s
abolition of the slave trade, the memorial became a popular place of
protest during the Civil Rights Movement, and was the site of
Martin Luther King’s 1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.

2
TECHNICAL AND The building takes the form of a Greek Doric temple, and
Bacon specifically based its design on the Parthenon. There
AESTHRTICS OF were many opposition voices who regarded this as being too

BUILDING grand a design for a man of Lincoln’s refined character. The

architect John Russell Pope presented alternative ideas
which were no less elaborate, including a traditional Mayan
temple, an Egyptian pyramid, and a
Mesopotamian ziggurat.
In the end, however, Bacon argued that it was
a structure from the birthplace of democracy that was well
suited to a man who defended democracy so eminently.
There was also concern about the site that had been chosen
on reclaimed land in West Potomac Park. It was thought to
be too swamp-like and ill-suited for easy access.

3
Build using Yule marble from Colorado, the structure measures 57.8 x 36.1 m (189.7 x 118.5 ft.), and is 30 m (99 ft.)
tall. Thirty-six fluted Doric columns surround the exterior in a peristyle. The number of columns is symbolic, each
representing one of the Union states at the time of Lincoln’s death.
The columns are made up of 12 drums including the capital, and measure 13 m (44 ft.) in height, with a base
diameter of 2.3 m (7.5 ft.). As is typical of Ancient Greek architecture, the columns are inclined slightly to
compensate for distortions of perspective which would otherwise give an impression of bulging at the top.
Anchoring the memorial is a large concrete foundation, extending 13-20 m (44-66 ft.) deep to support the weight of
the marble structure. The foundation is enclosed by a rectangular granite retaining wall4.3 m tall.
Above the colonnade there is a frieze on which are carved the 36 states, separated by bas-reliefs of double-wreath
medallions. The cornice is a carved scroll decorated with projecting lions’ heads and palmetto cresting.

The Lincoln sculpture was carved by the Piccalilli brothers of New York.
The original design was 3 m (10 ft.) tall, but this was increased to 5.8 m (19
ft.) when the scale of the building provoked concerns that it would be
overwhelmed. There are a number of rumors about the sculpture, one of
the most persistent of which is that Lincoln’s hands are positioned
in sign language for his initials ‘A’ and ‘L’.

4
ALERNATE DESIGNS FOR
THE LINCOLN
MEMORIAL

5
 TIMELINE

1867 1912 1912 1912 1914

John Russell Pope John Russell Pope Henry Bacon Henry Bacon
Clark Mills (Sculptor)
Daniel Chester French

6
Title
Clark Mills's Design for a Lincoln Monument

Description
In 1867, Congress formed the Lincoln Monument
Association to commission a memorial for the late president.
They chose this design by sculptor Clark Mills. Mills was
known in Washington for designing a statue of Andrew
Jackson that stands near the White House. Mills's Lincoln
monument featured multiple tiers and 36 bronze statues
depicting scenes related to war, justice, and liberty. Rising
above the war and politics rested a statue of Lincoln, seated,
writing the Emancipation Proclamation. Mills's monument was
never built, because financial problems and political disputes
plagued the project from its earliest days.

Creator
Clark Mills (Sculptor)

7
Title
John Russell Pope's design for the Lincoln Memorial

Description
In 1912 John Russell Pope submitted several entries to the
design competition for the Lincoln Memorial. They were each
distinct from one another. This submission was a unique
pyramid design. Known as the Ziggurat Style, this style features
middle eastern inspired stepped pyramids.

Creator
John Russell Pope

8
Title
John Russell Pope's Mayan Temple design for the Lincoln
Memorial

Description
In 1912 John Russell Pope submitted several entries to the
design competition for the Lincoln Memorial. They were each
unique. This proposal was for a Mayan Temple style monument
to Lincoln which featured a large flame burning at the top of the
memorial.

Creator
John Russell Pope

9
Title
Henry Bacon's design for the Lincoln Memorial

Description
In 1912 this design by Henry Bacon was selected as the winner
of a national design competition for the Lincoln Memorial. His
design was in the neoclassical style, inspired by the temples of
Greece. The design also featured a 19 foot statue of Lincoln,
designed by sculptor Daniel Chester French, and murals,
painted by artist Jules Guerin. Construction for the monument
began in 1914 and was completed in 1922.

Creator
Henry Bacon

10
BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/
http://mallhistory.org/
https://ceelondonblogs.ce.gatech.edu/

11