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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