Lincoln Memorial – Washington DC
No trip to Washington, D.C. would be complete without a stop at the Lincoln Memorial. Walking up the steps to stand near this seated Lincoln is as awe-inspiring the first time as it is every time, and from these steps, overlooking the National Mall, you get one of the greatest views in the city.
The memorial itself was born from a long national desire to honor Abraham Lincoln after his assassination in 1896. Congress formally created a commission in 1911 to oversee the project, and President Willian Howard Taft played a central role in guiding it forward.
Architect Henry Bacon was selected to design the temple-like structure in a neoclassical style evocative of ancient Greek democracy, and American sculptor Daniel Chester French was commissioned to create the colossal, seated statue of Lincoln within.
Construction of the memorial spanned eight years, from 1914 to 1922, and the 19-foot marble statue of Lincoln took about four years to complete. The Lincoln Memorial was officially dedicated on May 30, 1922, in a ceremony attended by thousands.
Today, the Lincoln Memorial stands not only as an architectural and artistic tribute but as a symbol of unity, freedom and enduring legacy of one of America’s most consequential presidents.
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Acadia National Park – Maine
The only designated National Park in the Northeast, Acadia National Park, is another spectacular place. There are sweeping ocean views and granite. Mountains rise from the sea, while waves crash against ancient rock. Long before Acadia became a national park, the rugged coastline and granite mountains of Mount Desert Island drew wealthy summer residents and by […]
Roger Williams National Memorial – Rhode Island
Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence, Rhode Island preserves the legacy of a man whose ideas helped shape one of the most enduring principles of American life: religious freedom. Roger Williams arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1631 and quickly became known for his uncompromising beliefs. He argued that civil government should not enforce […]
Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Historical Park – Pennsylvania
I visited the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Historical Park a few years ago. Tucked along a narrow street in Philadelphia’s Society Hill neighborhood is a house that reveals the story of a man whose ideals helped shape two nations. Thaddeus Kosciuszko was a Polish-born military engineer and idealist who came to America during the Revolutionary War. He […]
