Editing Lincoln Memorial

{{Short description|National memorial in Washington, D.C.}}
{{Hatnote group|
{{for|the university in Tennessee|Lincoln Memorial University}}
{{Redirect|Lincoln Monument||Lincoln (disambiguation)#Memorials and monuments}}
}}
{{stack begin}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Lincoln Memorial
| nrhp_type = nmem
| image = Aerial view of Lincoln Memorial - east side EDIT.jpeg{{!}}border
| image_size = 250px
| caption = The Lincoln Memorial in May 2010
| location = [[National Mall]], [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| coordinates = {{coord|38|53|21.4|N|77|3|0.5|W|type:landmark_region:US-DC|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = United States Washington, D.C. central#Washington, D.C.
| built = {{start date and age|1922}}
| architect = [[Henry Bacon]] (architect)<br />[[Daniel Chester French]] (sculptor)
| architecture = [[Greek Revival architecture|Greek Revival]]<ref name="nris"/>
| visitation_num = 8,099,148
| visitation_year = 2023
| visitation_ref = <ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Park Ranking Report for Recreation Visits in: 2023 |url=https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/National%20Reports/Annual%20Park%20Ranking%20Report%20(1979%20-%20Last%20Calendar%20Year)|website=nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=March 23, 2024 }}</ref>
| area = 7.29 acres <ref name="acres">{{NPS area |year=2011 |access-date=April 22, 2025}}</ref>
| added = October 15, 1966
| website = [https://www.nps.gov/linc/index.htm Lincoln Memorial]
| refnum = 66000030<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
}}{{stack end}}

The '''Lincoln Memorial''' is  a [[List of national memorials of the United States|U.S. national memorial]] honoring [[Abraham Lincoln]], the [[List of presidents of the United States|16th]] [[president of the United States]], located on the western end of the [[National Mall]] of [[Washington, D.C.]] The memorial is built in a [[Neoclassical architecture|neoclassical style]] in the form of a classical temple. The memorial's architect was [[Henry Bacon]]. In 1920, [[Daniel Chester French]] designed the large interior ''[[Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln Memorial)|Statue of Abraham Lincoln]]'', which was carved in marble by the [[Piccirilli Brothers|Piccirilli brothers]].<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/cultural_diversity/Lincoln_Memorial_National_Memorial.html "Lincoln Memorial National Memorial; Washington, DC] [[National Park Service]]</ref> [[Jules Guerin]] painted the interior murals, and the epitaph above the statue was written by [[Royal Cortissoz]]. Dedicated on May 30, 1922, it is one of several [[Presidential memorials in the United States|memorials built to honor an American president]]. It has been a major tourist attraction since its opening, and over the years, has occasionally been used as a symbolic center focused on [[race relations]] and civil rights.

[[Doric order|Doric]] style columns line the temple exterior, and the inscriptions inside include two well-known speeches by Lincoln, the [[Gettysburg Address]] and [[Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address|his second inaugural address]]. The memorial has been the site of many famous speeches, including [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]'s "[[I Have a Dream]]" speech delivered on August 28, 1963, during the rally at the end of the [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom]].

Like other monuments on the National Mall, including the nearby [[Vietnam Veterans Memorial]], [[Korean War Veterans Memorial]], and [[World War II Memorial]], the [[List of national memorials of the United States|national memorial]] is administered by the [[National Park Service]] under its [[National Mall and Memorial Parks]] group. It has been listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] since October 15, 1966, and was ranked seventh on the [[American Institute of Architects]]' 2007 list of [[America's Favorite Architecture]]. The memorial is open to the public 24 hours a day, and more than seven million people visit it annually.<ref>[https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Annual%20Park%20Recreation%20Visitation%20%281904%20-%20Last%20Calendar%20Year%29?Park=LINC "Annual Park Recreation Visitation (1904 – Last Calendar Year)"] [[National Park Service]]</ref>

==History==
===Construction and dedication=== 
[[File:West Potomac Park c1912 prior to construction of the Lincoln Memorial.jpg|thumb|[[West Potomac Park]] prior to the memorial's construction, {{circa|1912}}]]
The first public memorial to [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], was [[Statue of Abraham Lincoln (District of Columbia City Hall)|a statue]] by [[Lot Flannery]] erected in front of the [[District of Columbia City Hall]] in 1868, three years after [[Assassination of Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln's assassination in Ford’s Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Renovation and Expansion of the Historic DC Courthouse|url=http://www.dcappeals.gov/dccourts/appeals/pdf/appeals_renovation_expansion.pdf|publisher=DC Court of Appeals|access-date=5 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105052517/http://www.dcappeals.gov/dccourts/appeals/pdf/appeals_renovation_expansion.pdf|archive-date=5 November 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Washington's Lincoln: The First Monument to the Martyred President|url=http://intowner.com/2016/01/11/washingtons-lincoln-the-first-monument-to-the-martyred-president/|publisher=The Intowner|access-date=29 June 2016|archive-date=14 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114225609/http://intowner.com/2016/01/11/washingtons-lincoln-the-first-monument-to-the-martyred-president/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Demands for a fitting national memorial had been voiced since the time of Lincoln's death. In 1867, [[United State Congress|Congress]] passed the first of many bills incorporating a commission to erect a monument for the sixteenth president. An American sculptor, [[Clark Mills (sculptor)|Clark Mills]], was chosen to design the monument. His plans reflected the nationalistic spirit of the time and called for a {{convert|70|ft|m|adj=on}} structure adorned with six equestrian and 31 pedestrian statues of colossal proportions, crowned by a {{convert|12|ft|m|adj=on}} statue of Abraham Lincoln. Subscriptions for the project were insufficient.<ref name="nrhp4">NRHP Nomination, p. 4</ref>

The matter lay dormant until the start of the 20th century, when, under the leadership of [[United States Senate|Senator]] [[Shelby M. Cullom]] of [[Illinois]], six separate bills were introduced in Congress for the incorporation of a new memorial commission. The first five bills, proposed in the years 1901, 1902, and 1908, met with defeat because of opposition from Speaker [[Joseph Gurney Cannon|Joe Cannon]]. The sixth bill (Senate Bill 9449), introduced on December 13, 1910, passed. The Lincoln Memorial Commission met for the first time the following year and President [[William H. Taft]] was chosen as the commission's president. Progress continued steadily, and in 1913 Congress approved the commission's choice of design and location.<ref name=nrhp4/>

[[File:Lincoln Memorial Under Construction 1916.jpg|thumb|The memorial under construction in July 1916]]

There were questions regarding the commission's plan. Many thought architect Henry Bacon's Greek temple design was far too ostentatious for a man of Lincoln's humble character. Instead, they proposed a simple log cabin shrine. The site too did not go unopposed. The recently reclaimed land in [[West Potomac Park]] was seen by many as either too swampy or too inaccessible. Other sites, such as [[Washington Union Station]], were put forth, but the commission stood firm in its recommendation, feeling that the Potomac Park location, situated on the axis connecting the [[Washington Monument]] and [[United States Capitol|Capitol]], overlooking the [[Potomac River]] and surrounded by open land, was ideal. Furthermore, the Potomac Park site was already designated in the [[McMillan Plan]] of 1901 to be the location of a future monument comparable to that of the Washington Monument.<ref name=nrhp4/><ref>Thomas, Christopher A. (2002) ''The Lincoln Memorial and American Life'' Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. {{ISBN|069101194X}}</ref>

[[File:Taft Harding Robert Lincoln 1922.jpg|thumb|Chief Justice [[William Howard Taft]], President [[Warren G. Harding]], and Lincoln's eldest son, [[Robert Todd Lincoln]], at the memorial's dedication on May 30, 1922]]

With Congressional approval and a $300,000 allocation, the project got underway. On February 12, 1914, contractor M. F. Comer of Toledo, Ohio; resident member of the memorial's commission, former Senator Joseph C. S. Blackburn of Kentucky; and the memorial's designer, Henry Bacon, conducted a groundbreaking ceremony by turning over a few spadefuls of earth.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045462/1914-02-12/ed-1/?st=text&r=0.841,0.403,0.173,0.167,0 |website=Library of Congress |access-date=29 March 2022|title=Image 1 of Evening star (Washington, D.C.), February 12, 1914 }}</ref> The following month is when actual construction began. Work progressed steadily according to schedule. Some changes were made to the plan. The statue of Lincoln, originally designed to be {{convert|10|ft|m}} tall, was enlarged to {{convert|19|ft|m}} to prevent it from being overwhelmed by the huge chamber. As late as 1920, the decision was made to substitute an open portal for the bronze and glass grille which was to have guarded the entrance. Despite these changes, the Memorial was finished on schedule. Commission president William H. Taft – who was then Chief Justice of the United States – dedicated the Memorial on May 30, 1922, and presented it to President [[Warren G. Harding]], who accepted it on behalf of the American people. Lincoln's only surviving son, 78-year-old [[Robert Todd Lincoln]], was in attendance.<ref name=nrhp5>NRHP Nomination, p. 5</ref> Prominent African Americans were invited to the event and discovered upon arrival they were assigned a segregated section guarded by [[U.S. Marines]], a policy implemented by director of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, Lieutenant Colonel [[Clarence O. Sherrill]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Yellin|first=Eric S.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fixBOW3902UC&q=Whitefield+J.+McKinlay&pg=PA176|title=Racism in the Nation's Service: Government Workers and the Color Line in Woodrow Wilson's America|date=2013-04-22|publisher=UNC Press Books|isbn=978-1-4696-0721-4|language=en}}</ref><ref name=sherrill>{{cite web | url=https://www.nps.gov/people/clarence-o-sherrill.htm | title=Clarence O. Sherrill | publisher=National Park Service | accessdate=January 27, 2025}}</ref>

===Following history ===
The Memorial has become a symbolically sacred venue, especially for the Civil Rights Movement. In 1939, the [[Daughters of the American Revolution]] refused to allow the African-American [[Alto (voice)|contralto]] [[Marian Anderson]] to perform before an integrated audience at the organization's [[Constitution Hall]]. At the suggestion of [[Eleanor Roosevelt]], the wife of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], [[Harold L. Ickes]], the Secretary of the Interior, arranged for a performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday of that year, to a live audience of 75,000 and a nationwide radio audience.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eleanor Roosevelt and Marian Anderson |url=https://fdrlibrary.org/anderson |access-date=2018-05-28 |publisher=FDR Presidential Library & Museum |language=en-US |df=mdy-all}}</ref> On June 29, 1947, [[Harry Truman]] became the first president to address the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]] (NAACP).  The speech took place at the Lincoln Memorial during the NAACP convention and was carried nationally on radio.  In that speech, Truman laid out the need to end discrimination, which would be advanced by the first comprehensive, presidentially proposed civil rights legislation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Glass |first=Andrew |date=2018-06-29 |title=Truman addresses NAACP, June 29, 1947 |url=https://politi.co/2Mz2C4K |access-date=2021-07-27 |work=Politico |language=en}}</ref>

{{multiple image
| align             = left
| total_width       = 400
| image1            = View_of_Crowd_at_1963_March_on_Washington.jpg
| caption1          = The [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom|March on Washington]] in 1963 brought 250,000 people to the [[National Mall]] and is famous for [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]'s "[[I Have a Dream]]" speech.
| image2            = I-have-a-dream-site_crop.jpg
| caption2          = The location on the steps where King delivered the speech is commemorated with this inscription.
}}

On August 28, 1963, the memorial grounds were the site of the [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom]], which proved to be a high point of the [[American Civil Rights Movement]]. It is estimated that approximately 250,000 people came to the event, where they heard [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], deliver his historic "[[I Have a Dream]]" speech before the memorial honoring the president who issued the [[Emancipation Proclamation]] 100 years earlier.  King's speech, with its language of patriotism and its evocation of Lincoln's [[Gettysburg Address]], was meant to match the symbolism of the Lincoln Memorial as a monument to national unity.<ref>Fairclough, Adam (1997) "Civil Rights and the Lincoln Memorial: The Censored Speeches of Robert R. Moton (1922) and John Lewis (1963)" ''[[Journal of Negro History]]'' v.82 pp.408–416.</ref> Labor leader [[Walter Reuther]], an organizer of the march, persuaded the other organizers to move the march to the Lincoln Memorial from the [[United States Capitol|Capitol Building]]. Reuther believed the location would be less threatening to Congress and that the occasion would be especially appropriate underneath the gaze of Abraham Lincoln's statue.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Maraniss |first=David |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/894936463 |title=Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-4767-4838-2 |location=New York |pages=236 |oclc=894936463}}</ref> The D.C. police also appreciated the location because it was surrounded on three sides by water, so that any incident could be easily contained.<ref>Jennings, Peter and Brewster, Todd (1998) ''The Century: A Chronicle of the 20th Century''. New York: Doubleday. {{isbn|9780385483278}}</ref>

The Memorial was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on October 15, 1966.<ref name="nrhp6">NRHP Nomination, p. 6</ref>

At the memorial on May 9, 1970, President [[Richard Nixon]] had a [[Richard Nixon's visit to the Lincoln Memorial|middle-of-the-night impromptu, brief meeting with protesters]] who, just days after the [[Kent State shootings]], were preparing to [[Opposition to the Vietnam War|march against the Vietnam War]].<ref name="Nix Prez Rev3">{{cite video |title=Nixon a Presidency Revealed |date=2007-02-15 |medium=television |publisher=History Channel |people=Director: Joe Angio}}</ref>

On August 28, 1983, crowds gathered again to mark the 20th Anniversary Mobilization for Jobs, Peace and Freedom, to reflect on progress in gaining civil rights for African Americans and to commit to correcting continuing injustices. King's speech is such a part of the Lincoln Memorial story, that the spot on which King stood, on the landing eighteen steps below Lincoln's statue, was engraved in 2003 in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the event.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stand Where Martin Luther King, Jr. Gave the "I Have a Dream" Speech |url=https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/stand-where-martin-luther-king-jr-gave-the-i-have-a-dream-speech.htm |access-date=2018-05-28 |publisher=National Park Service |language=en |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Exterior==
[[File:Lincoln Memorial east side.JPG|thumb|A front view of the memorial's eastern façade]]
[[File:USA - Lincoln Memorial.JPG|thumb|The Lincoln Memorial and its reflecting pool]]

The exterior of the Memorial echoes a classic [[Greek temple]] and features [[Yule marble]] quarried from [[Colorado]]. The structure measures {{convert|189.7|by|118.5|ft|m}} and is {{convert|99|ft|m}} tall. It is surrounded by a [[peristyle]] of 36 [[Fluting (architecture)|fluted]] [[Doric column]]s, one for each of the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death, and two columns [[Anta (architecture)|in-antis]] at the entrance behind the [[colonnade]]. The columns stand {{convert|44|ft|m}} tall with a base diameter of {{convert|7.5|ft|m}}. Each column is built from 12 drums including the [[Capital (architecture)|capital]]. The columns, like the exterior walls and facades, are inclined slightly toward the building's interior. This is to compensate for perspective distortions which would otherwise make the memorial appear to bulge out at the top when compared with the bottom, a common feature of [[Ancient Greek architecture]].<ref name=nrhp2>NRHP Nomination, p. 2</ref>

[[File:Lincoln Memorial Friezes crop.jpg|thumb|Detail of the memorial's [[frieze]]s]]

Above the colonnade, inscribed on the [[frieze]], are the names of the 36 states in the Union at the time of [[Assassination of Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln's death]] and the dates in which they entered the Union.{{efn|name=fn2|The date for Ohio was incorrectly entered as 1802, as opposed to the correct year, 1803.}} Their names are separated by double wreath medallions in [[bas-relief]]. The [[cornice]] is composed of a carved scroll regularly interspersed with projecting lions' heads and ornamented with palmetto cresting along the upper edge. Above this on the attic frieze are inscribed the names of the 48 states present at the time of the Memorial's dedication. A bit higher is a [[garland]] joined by ribbons and palm leaves, supported by the wings of eagles. All ornamentation on the friezes and cornices was done by [[Ernest C. Bairstow]].<ref name=nrhp2/>

The Memorial is anchored in a concrete foundation, {{convert|44|to|66|ft|m}} in depth, constructed by M. F. Comer and Company and the National Foundation and Engineering Company, and is encompassed by a {{convert|187|by|257|ft|m|adj=on}} rectangular granite [[retaining wall]] measuring {{convert|14|ft|m}} in height.<ref name=nrhp2/>

Leading up to the shrine on the east side are the main steps. Beginning at the edge of the [[Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool|Reflecting Pool]], the steps rise to the Lincoln Memorial Circle roadway surrounding the edifice, then to the main portal, intermittently spaced with a series of platforms. Flanking the steps as they approach the entrance are two buttresses each crowned with an {{convert|11|ft|m|adj=on}} tall tripod carved from pink [[Tennessee marble]]<ref name=nrhp2/> by the Piccirilli Brothers.<ref>Concklin, Edward F. (1927) ''The Lincoln Memorial, Washington''. [[United States Government Printing Office]]</ref> There are a total of 87 steps (58 steps from the chamber to the plaza and 29 steps from the plaza to the Reflecting Pool).<ref>{{cite web |title=Lincoln Memorial - Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.nps.gov/linc/faqs.htm#:~:text=How%20many%20steps%20are%20there,chamber%20to%20the%20reflecting%20pool. |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=29 May 2022}}</ref>

==Interior==
[[File:Lincoln Memorial, "I Have a Dream" 50th anniversary.jpg|thumb|President [[Barack Obama]], First Lady [[Michelle Obama]], and former presidents [[Jimmy Carter]] and [[Bill Clinton]] walk past President Lincoln's statue to participate in the 50th anniversary ceremony of the historic [[March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom|March on Washington]] and [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]'s "[[I Have a Dream]]" speech]]
The Memorial's interior is divided into three chambers by two rows of four [[Ionic column]]s, each {{convert|50|ft|m}} tall and {{convert|5.5|ft|m}} across at their base. The central chamber, housing the statue of Lincoln, is {{convert|60|ft|m}} wide, {{convert|74|ft|m}} deep, and {{convert|60|ft|m}} high.<ref>U. S. Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks. [https://www.nps.gov/linc/learn/historyculture/lincoln-memorial-building-statistics.htm ''Lincoln Memorial Building Statistics'']</ref> The north and south chambers display carved inscriptions of Lincoln's [[Lincoln's second inaugural address|second inaugural address]] and his [[Gettysburg Address]].{{efn|name=fn3|In the line from the second inaugural, "With high hope for the future," the ''F'' in ''FUTURE'' was carved as an ''E''. To obscure this error the spurious bottom line of the E is not painted in with black paint.}} Bordering these inscriptions are [[pilaster]]s ornamented with [[fasces]], eagles, and wreaths. The inscriptions and adjoining ornamentation are by [[Evelyn Beatrice Longman]].<ref name=nrhp2/>

The Memorial is replete with symbolic elements. The 36 columns represent the states of the Union at the time of [[Assassination of Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln's death]]; the 48 stone festoons above the columns represent the 48 states in 1922. Inside, each inscription is surmounted by a {{convert|60|by|12|ft|m|adj=on}} mural by [[Jules Guerin]] portraying principles seen as evident in Lincoln's life: Freedom, Liberty, Morality, Justice, and the Law on the south wall; Unity, Fraternity, and Charity on the north. Cypress trees, representing Eternity, are in the murals' backgrounds. The murals' paint incorporated kerosene and wax to protect the exposed artwork from fluctuations in temperature and moisture.<ref name=nrhp3>NRHP Nomination, p. 3</ref>

The ceiling consists of bronze girders ornamented with laurel and oak leaves. Between these are panels of [[Sylacauga marble|Alabama marble]], saturated with [[Mineral oil|paraffin]] to increase translucency. But feeling that the statue required even more light, Bacon and French designed metal slats for the ceiling to conceal floodlights, which could be modulated to supplement the natural light; this modification was installed in 1929. The one major alteration since was the addition of an elevator for the disabled in the 1970s.<ref name=nrhp3/>

===Statue===
{{Main|Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln Memorial)}}
[[File:The Lincoln Memorial Statue, with inscription in background.jpg|thumb|''[[Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln Memorial)|Abraham Lincoln]]'', by [[Daniel Chester French]], in 1920]]
Lying between the north and south chambers of the open-air Memorial is the central hall, which contains the large solitary figure of Abraham Lincoln sitting in contemplation. Its sculptor, [[Daniel Chester French]], supervised the six [[Piccirilli Brothers|Piccirilli brothers]] (Ferruccio, Attilio, Furio, Masaniello, Orazio, and Getulio) in its construction, and it took four years to complete.

The {{convert|175|ST|MT|adj=on|lk=on}} statue, carved from Georgia white marble, was shipped in 28 pieces.<ref name=nrhp3/> Originally intended to be only {{convert|10|ft|m}} tall, the sculpture was enlarged to {{convert|19|ft|m}} from head to foot considering it would look small within the extensive interior space.<ref name="dupre">{{cite book|last=Dupré, Judith|author-link=Judith Dupré| date= 2007 | title= Monuments: America's History in Art and Memory | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6kUaAQAAIAAJ | location=New York | publisher= Random House | pages= 86–95| isbn=978-1-4000-6582-0}}</ref> If Lincoln were depicted standing, he would be {{convert|28|ft|m}} tall.

The widest span of the statue corresponds to its height, and it rests upon an oblong pedestal of Tennessee marble {{convert|10|ft|m}} high, {{convert|16|ft|m}} wide, and {{convert|17|ft|m}} deep. Directly beneath this lies a platform of Tennessee marble about {{convert|34.5|ft|m}} long, {{convert|28|ft|m}} wide, and {{convert|6.5|in|m}} high. Lincoln's arms rest on representations of Roman  fasces, a subtle touch that associates the statue with the Augustan (and imperial) theme (obelisk and funerary monuments) of the Washington Mall.<ref>See [[Edmund Buchner|Buchner, Edmund]] (1976). "''Solarium Augusti'' und Ara Pacis", Römische Mitteilungen 83: 319–375; (1988). ''Die Sonnenuhr des Augustus: Kaiser Augustus und die verlorene Republik'' (Berlin); P. Zanker [http://www.uark.edu/ua/metis2/zanker/zanker_txt2.html The Augustan Program of Cultural Renewal] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120530141305/http://www.uark.edu/ua/metis2/zanker/zanker_txt2.html |date=2012-05-30 }} for a full discussion of the [[Solarium Augusti|Augustan solarium]] and its architectural features.</ref> The statue is discretely bordered by two pilasters, one on each side. Between these pilasters, and above Lincoln's head, is engraved an epitaph of Lincoln<ref name=nrhp3/> by [[Royal Cortissoz]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lincoln Memorial Design Individuals |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |url=http://www.nps.gov/linc/historyculture/lincoln-memorial-design-individuals.htm |access-date=2009-11-02}}</ref>  It is important to note that regardless of the aforementioned design intent of the "Roman" fasces, the fasces are features of Etruscan political institutions that were adopted by the Romans, and according to Silius Italicus, these fasce originate from the city of Vetulonia, Italy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pallottino |first=Massimo |title=The Etruscans |publisher=Allen Lane (Division of Penguin Books) |year=1975 |isbn=0-7139-0218-3 |edition=6th |location=London, UK |publication-date=1974 |pages=129–130 |language=en |trans-title=The Etruscans}}</ref>

{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 101%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:22em; max-width:50%" cellspacing="5"
| align="center"|
'''IN THIS TEMPLE'''<br />
'''AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE'''<br />
'''FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION'''<br />
'''THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'''<br />
'''IS ENSHRINED FOREVER'''
|-
| align="right"|&mdash;Epitaph by [[Royal Cortissoz]]
|}

====Sculptural features====
[[File:Lincoln Memorial.jpg|thumb|The sculptor's possible use of sign language is speculated, since the statue's left hand forms an "A" while the right hand portrays an "L".]]

An [[urban legend]] holds that the face of General [[Robert E. Lee]] is carved onto the back of Lincoln's head,<ref name=npsfaq /> and looks back across the Potomac toward his former home, [[Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial|Arlington House]] (now within the bounds of [[Arlington National Cemetery]]). Another popular legend is that Lincoln's hands are shown using [[sign language]] to represent his initials, his left hand signing an ''A'' and his right signing an ''L''. The National Park Service denies both legends.<ref name=npsfaq>[http://www.nps.gov/linc/faqs.htm "Lincoln Memorial: Frequently Asked Questions"] on the [[National Park Service]] website</ref>

However, historian Gerald Prokopowicz writes that, while it is not clear that sculptor Daniel Chester French intended Lincoln's hands to be formed into sign language versions of his initials, it is possible that French did intend it. French was familiar with [[American Sign Language]], and he would have had a reason to do so, to pay tribute to Lincoln for having signed the federal legislation giving [[Gallaudet University]], a university for the deaf, the authority to grant college degrees.<ref>Prokopowicz, Gerald J. (2008) ''Did Lincoln Own Slaves? And Other Frequently Asked Questions About Abraham Lincoln''. Pantheon. {{ISBN|978-0-375-42541-7}}</ref> The [[National Geographic Society]]'s publication "Pinpointing the Past in Washington, D.C." states that Daniel Chester French had a son who was deaf and that the sculptor was familiar with sign language.<ref>Evelyn, Douglas E. and Dickson, Paul A. (1999) ''On this Spot: Pinpointing the Past in Washington, D.C.'' [[National Geographic Society]]. {{ISBN|0-7922-7499-7}}</ref><ref>[http://library.gallaudet.edu/Library/Deaf_Research_Help/Frequently_Asked_Questions_(FAQs)/OtherMiscellaneous/Lincoln_Memorial_Statue.html Library.gallaudet.edu] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104223348/http://library.gallaudet.edu/Library/Deaf_Research_Help/Frequently_Asked_Questions_%28FAQs%29/OtherMiscellaneous/Lincoln_Memorial_Statue.html |date=2009-01-04 }}</ref> Historian James A. Percoco has observed that, although there are no extant documents showing that French had Lincoln's hands carved to represent the letters "A" and "L" in American Sign Language, "I think you can conclude that it's reasonable to have that kind of summation about the hands."<ref>Percoco, James A., speech given on April 17, 2008, in the Jefferson Room of the [[National Archives and Records Administration]] as part of the National Archive's "Noontime Programs" lecture series. [https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-66.html Broadcast on the C-Span cable television network on April 4 and April 5, 2009.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126032009/https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-66.html |date=January 26, 2021 }} [http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/204737-1 c-spanvideo.org]</ref>

===Undercroft===
Below the memorial is an [[undercroft]]. During construction, [[graffiti]] was scrawled on it by workers,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Avery|first=Jim|date=July 19, 2017|title=5 World-Famous Landmarks That Have Totally Weirdo Secrets|url=https://www.cracked.com/article_24904_5-famous-buildings-with-bizarre-hidden-easter-eggs.html|access-date=June 30, 2021|website=Cracked}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Rivera and Weinstein|first=Gloria and Janet|date=September 2, 2016|title=Take a 'Historic Graffiti' Tour Under the Lincoln Memorial|work=ABC News|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/historic-graffiti-tour-lincoln-memorial/story?id=41805221|access-date=June 30, 2021}}</ref> which is considered historical by the [[National Park Service]].<ref name=":0" /> During the 1970s and 1980s, there were regular tours of the undercroft.<ref>Hodge, Paul (October 27, 1977) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1977/10/27/whats-afoot-under-abe-lincolns-feet/f48997a6-1f6a-466d-b3fe-2b9ad2db4532/ "What's Afoot Under Abe Lincoln's Feet?"] ''[[The Washington Post]]''</ref> The tours stopped abruptly in 1989 after a visitor noticed [[asbestos]] and notified the Service.<ref>Twoomey, Steve (April 9, 1990) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1990/04/09/monuments-losing-battle-with-erosion/1c59551e-bdc4-4c0c-9cf7-47e51c74da7c/ "Monuments Losing Battle with Erosion"] ''[[The Washington Post]]''</ref> Due to water seeping through the calcium carbonate within the marble, over time [[stalactite]]s and [[stalagmite]]s have formed within it.<ref>[[United Press]] (August 28, 1957) [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19570828&id=znIzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zu4HAAAAIBAJ&pg=4867,7051275 "Lincoln Memorial has some stalactites"] ''[[Lodi News-Sentinel]]''</ref> 

[[File:Lincoln Memorial Temporary Ramp.jpg|thumb|A temporary ramp put in place during construction work in the undercroft, photographed in 2024]]
For the memorial's centennial in 2022, the undercroft is planned to be open to visitors following a rehabilitation project funded by [[David Rubenstein]].<ref>Staff (ndg) [https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=66405 "Lincoln Center Rehabilitation"] [[National Park Service]] website</ref><ref>Reid, Chip (November 23, 2016) [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lincoln-memorial-prepares-for-long-awaited-makeover-david-rubenstein/ "Lincoln Memorial to get long-awaited makeover, underground visitor's center"] [[CBS News]]</ref> Work started on the $69 million project in 2023 with expected completion by 2026.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last1=Kuta |first1=Sarah |title=The Lincoln Memorial Is Getting a New Underground Museum |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lincoln-memorial-new-underground-museum-2026-180981736/ |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

Through the renovation, the undercroft will become a visitor area with a museum, theater, store and exhibit section. It is expected to only take up 15,000 square feet of the 50,000 square-foot undercroft. The plan, as of 2024, is for the space to include six floor-to-ceiling glass walls that will provide views of the cathedral-like interior of the undercroft, and an immersive theater presentation that will project images of historic events onto screens and the undercroft’s pillars.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ruane |first=Michael E. |date=11 December 2024 |title=Beneath the Lincoln Memorial, a vast space is being transformed |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/12/11/lincoln-memorial-undercroft-national-park-service-visitor-area-musem/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211140118/https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/12/11/lincoln-memorial-undercroft-national-park-service-visitor-area-musem/ |archive-date=11 December 2024 |access-date=11 December 2024 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
As one of the most prominent American monuments, the Lincoln Memorial is often featured in books, films, videogames, and television shows that take place in Washington; by 2003 it had appeared in over 60 films,<ref>Rosales, Jean K. and Jose, Michael R. (2003) ''DC Goes to the Movies: A Unique Guide to Reel Washington'' iUniverse. [https://books.google.com/books?id=IcW-V4XrPakC&q=Lincoln+Memorial&pg=PA149 p.149] {{ISBN|9780595267972}}</ref> and in 2009, Mark S. Reinhart compiled some short sketches of dozens of uses of the Memorial in film and television.<ref>{{cite book|author=Reinhart, Mark S.|title=Abraham Lincoln on Screen: Fictional and Documentary Portrayals on Film and Television|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zio49y0tiE0C&pg=PR7|year=2009|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-5261-3}}</ref>

Some examples of films include [[Frank Capra]]'s 1939 film ''[[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]]'', where in a key scene the statue and the Memorial's inscription provide inspiration to freshman Senator Jefferson Smith, played by [[James Stewart]].<ref name="wp">{{cite news|last1=Toney|first1=Veronica|title=It's not just 'Forrest Gump.' The National Mall has had an iconic role in many movies.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/its-not-just-forrest-gump-the-national-mall-has-had-a-iconic-role-in-many-movies/2015/09/16/90bf78d8-4b7c-11e5-bfb9-9736d04fc8e4_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=12 February 2017|date=September 17, 2015}}</ref> The Park Service did not want Capra to film at the Memorial, so he sent a large crew elsewhere as a distraction while a smaller crew filmed Stewart and [[Jean Arthur]] inside the Memorial.<ref>Rosales, Jean K. and Jose, Michael R. (2003) ''DC Goes to the Movies: A Unique Guide to Reel Washington'' iUniverse. [https://books.google.com/books?id=IcW-V4XrPakC&dq=%22National+Park+Service%22+filming+%22Lincoln+Memorial%22+inside&pg=PA245 p.245] {{ISBN|9780595267972}}</ref>

Many of the appearances of the Lincoln Memorial are actually digital [[visual effects]], due to restrictive filming rules.<ref name="Sacher2014">{{cite book|last=Sacher|first=Jay|title=Lincoln Memorial: The Story and Design of an American Monument|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9JXiAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA84|access-date=February 12, 2017|date=May 6, 2014|publisher=Chronicle Books|isbn=9781452131986|pages=83–85}}</ref>  As of 2017, according to the [[National Park Service]], "Filming/photography is prohibited above the white marble steps and the interior chamber of the Lincoln Memorial."<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/permits-faqs.htm "Permit FAQS"] National Park Service</ref>

Mitchell Newton-Matza said in 2016 that "Reflecting its cherished place in the hearts of Americans, the Lincoln Memorial has often been featured prominently in popular culture, especially motion pictures."<ref>{{cite book|author=Mitchell Newton-Matza|title=Historic Sites and Landmarks that Shaped America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nW_YDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA324|year=2016|publisher=ABC-CLIO|page=324|isbn=9781610697507}}</ref>  According to Tracey Gold Bennett, "The majesty of the Lincoln Memorial is a big draw for film location scouts, producers, and directors because this landmark has appeared in a considerable number of films."<ref>{{cite book|author=Tracey Gold Bennett|title=Washington, D.C., Film and Television|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p76EAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA27|year=2014|publisher=Arcadia|page=27|isbn=9781439642764}}</ref>

Jay Sacher writes:

<blockquote>From high to low, the memorial is cultural shorthand for both American ideals and 1960s radicalism. From [[Forrest Gump]]'s [[Zelig]]-like insertion into anti-war rallies on the steps of the memorial, to the villainous [[Decepticon]] robots discarding the Lincoln statue and claiming it as a throne. ... The memorial's place in the culture is assured even as it is parodied.<ref name=Sacher2014 /></blockquote>

=== Depictions on U.S. currency ===
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = horizontal
| footer            = Reverse of a 2003 [[United States five-dollar bill]] and 2006 [[Lincoln cent]]
| footer_align      = center
| image1            = US $5 series 2003 reverse.jpg
| width1            = 228
| image2            = 2005 Penny Rev Unc D.png
| width2            = 99
}}

From 1959 (the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth) to 2008, the memorial, with statue visible through the columns, was depicted on the reverse of the [[Lincoln cent|United States one-cent]] coin, which since 1909 has depicted a bust of Lincoln on its front.<ref>{{cite book| last = Bowers | first = Q. David| author-link = Q. David Bowers| year = 2008| title = A Guide Book of Lincoln Cents| publisher = Whitman Publishing| location = Atlanta, Georgia | isbn = 978-0-7948-2264-4| pages=45, 49–51}}</ref>

The memorial has appeared on the back of the [[United States five-dollar bill|U.S. five-dollar bill]] since 1929.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://d39pc38av48c2g.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/download-materials/en/5_1914-1993_features.pdf |title=$5 |website=U.S. Currency Education Program |publisher=United States Government |language=en |access-date=2018-05-28| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528134432/https://d39pc38av48c2g.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/download-materials/en/5_1914-1993_features.pdf| archive-date=May 28, 2018}}</ref> The front of the bill bears Lincoln's portrait.

==See also==
{{Portal|United States|National Register of Historic Places|Architecture}}
* [[Cultural depictions of Abraham Lincoln]]
* [[Architecture of Washington, D.C.]]
* [[List of areas in the United States National Park System]]
* [[List of national memorials of the United States]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in the District of Columbia]]
* [[Presidential memorials in the United States]]

==References==

===Informational notes===
{{Notelist}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Further|Cultural depictions of Abraham Lincoln#Further reading}}

* [[Judith Dupré|Dupré, Judith]] (2007). ''Monuments: America's History in Art and Memory''. Random House. {{ISBN|978-1-4000-6582-0}}.
* Hufbauer,  Benjamin (2006). ''Presidential Temples: How Memorials and Libraries Shape Public Memory''. University Press of Kansas. {{ISBN|0700614222}}.
* {{cite web|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form: Lincoln Memorial |last=Pfanz |first=Donald C. |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |url=http://image1.nps.gov:9001/StyleServer/calcrgn?cat=NRHP&item=/Text/NRHP-6340b4580b4649f499fbab210684e03f.djvu&style=nps/FOCUS-DJview.xsl&wid=640&hei=480&oif=jpeg&props=item(SUMMARY,COPYRIGHT) |date=March 4, 1981 |access-date=2009-11-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224002508/http://image1.nps.gov:9001/StyleServer/calcrgn?cat=NRHP&item=%2FText%2FNRHP-6340b4580b4649f499fbab210684e03f.djvu&style=nps%2FFOCUS-DJview.xsl&wid=640&hei=480&oif=jpeg&props=item%28SUMMARY%2CCOPYRIGHT%29 |archive-date=February 24, 2012 }}
* [[Scott Sandage|Sandage, Scott A]]. (June 1993). "A Marble House Divided: The Lincoln Memorial, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Politics of Memory, 1939–1963". ''[[Journal of American History]]'' Vol. 80, No. 1, pp.&nbsp;135–167. {{JSTOR|2079700}}.

==External links== 
{{Commons category}}
{{external media | width = 237px | float = right | headerimage=[[File:Lincoln Memorial in June 2012.jpg|210px]] |video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9tCeDWmgpo3D Laser Scan: Lincoln Memorial] (0:33), DJS Associates from the [http://www.djsscans.com/blog/lincoln-memorial-project Lincoln Memorial Project]}}
* [http://www.nps.gov/linc/index.htm Lincoln Memorial homepage (NPS)]
* [http://www.terrain360.com/trails/lincoln-memoral Lincoln Memorial Panoramic Tour]
* {{cite web|url=http://www.nationalmall.org/sites-subpage-lincoln.php |title=Trust for the National Mall: Lincoln Memorial |publisher=Trust for the National Mall |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612034249/http://www.nationalmall.org/sites-subpage-lincoln.php |archive-date=2011-06-12 }}
* {{cite web|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/pdf/bulletin/b2162/b2162.pdf|title=Colorado Yule Marble – Building Stone of the Lincoln Memorial; |publisher=US Geological Survey – Bulletin 2162; 1999}}
* {{cite web|url=http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhsheet&fileName=dc/dc0400/dc0472/sheet/browse.db&action=browse&recNum=0&title2=Lincoln%20Memorial,%20West%20Potomac%20Park,%20Washington,%20District%20of%20Columbia,%20DC&displayType=1&maxCols=2&itemLink=r?ammem/hh:@field(DOCID+@lit(DC0472))|title=Lincoln Memorial Drawings|publisher=National Park Service|year=1993|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016215609/http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhsheet&fileName=dc%2Fdc0400%2Fdc0472%2Fsheet%2Fbrowse.db&action=browse&recNum=0&title2=Lincoln%20Memorial%2C%20West%20Potomac%20Park%2C%20Washington%2C%20District%20of%20Columbia%2C%20DC&displayType=1&maxCols=2&itemLink=r%3Fammem%2Fhh%3A%40field%28DOCID+%40lit%28DC0472%29%29|archive-date=2008-10-16}}
* [http://ghostsofdc.org/2013/06/17/alternate-proposed-designs-for-the-lincoln-memorial/ Other Proposed Designs for the Lincoln Memorial]
* {{Cite episode |title=American Icons: The Lincoln Memorial |url=http://www.studio360.org/story/american-icons-the-lincoln-memorial/ |series=Studio 360 |series-link=Studio 360 |network=[[Public Radio International]] |station=[[WNYC]] |location=New York |date=September 10, 2015 |orig-year=February 19, 2010 |number=1637 |access-date=September 13, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912195257/http://www.studio360.org/story/american-icons-the-lincoln-memorial/ |archive-date=September 12, 2015 }} How the Lincoln Memorial became an American icon.

{{Abraham Lincoln}}
{{Washington DC landmarks}}
{{Daniel Chester French}}
{{Streets in Washington, DC}}
{{Protected Areas of the District of Columbia}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Monuments and memorials to Abraham Lincoln in the United States]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1922]]
[[Category:Greek Revival architecture in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Marble buildings]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:National Mall]]
[[Category:National memorials of the United States]]
[[Category:Stone buildings in the United States]]
[[Category:Vandalized works of art in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:1922 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Union (American Civil War) monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Museums in Washington, D.C.]]