LEGO Architecture Lincoln Memorial User manual

Lincoln Memorial
Washington, D.C., USA
Booklet available in English on
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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. ]
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© Shutterstock
as in the hearts of the people
for whom he saved the Union
the memory of Abraham Lincoln
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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).
HistoryandConstruction
Above the colonnade, inscribed on a frieze, are the
The memorial is anchored on a concrete foundation, 44
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
governing principles in Lincoln’s life.
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The project got under way with a ceremony on
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
© Library of Congress, Harris & Ewing Collection
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
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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.
The People behind the Memorial
© Library of Congress
Drawing on tracing paper of Lincoln’s statue by Henry Bacon, 1917
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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
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
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.
© Library of Congress
Drawing on tracing paper of Lincoln’s statue by Henry Bacon, 1917
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The Memorial as a National Symbol
© Shutterstock
FactsabouttheLincolnMemorial
Location:
Area:
Architect:
Architectural style:
Construction start:
Construction end:
Size:
Exterior materials:
Interior materials:
Construction costs:
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.
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© Shutterstock
FactsabouttheLincolnMemorial
Location: ........................................ West end of National Mall, Washington, D.C.
Area: ............................................... 27,336 square feet (2,539.6 m2)
Architect:...................................... Henry Bacon
Architectural style: ............... Beaux-Arts
Construction start: ............... 1914
Construction end:.................. 1922
Size: ................................................. Memorial (external) 189.7 ft. (58 m) width, 118.5 ft. (36 m) breadth, 99 ft. (30 m) height
Exterior materials: ................ Colorado Yule marble, Tennessee pink marble, Massachusetts granite
Interior materials: .................. Indiana limestone, Georgia white marble, Tennessee pink marble, Alabama marble, bronze, brass
Construction costs: ............. $2,957,000
Institute of Architects ranked it seventh in the List of
© Shutterstock
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LEGO.com/brickseparator
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Although $2 million was
set aside to cover the
memorial’s construction
costs, the final cost was
closer to $3 million.
© Library of Congress
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