Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial, designed after the temples of ancient Greece, is America’s foremost memorial to the 16th president. It is an example of neoclassical architecture. The building is in the form of a Greek temple and contains a large seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln. Setting on the National Mall, the monument stands as the nation’s tribute to one of their greatest leaders. It took from 1901 to 1914 for construction to begin. Everything in the monument has some sort of meaning to it. Lincoln has stood in the minds of American people as a symbol of honesty, integrity, and humanity. He was a confident leader, a caring humane soul and a visionary. His contribution for the betterment of the nation has been honored by Americans in the form of the Lincoln Memorial. From 1959 to 2008 the memorial is shown on the back of the penny, and on the front is Lincoln’s bust. The memorial can be seen also on the back five dollar bill. The statue of Lincoln can be seen in the monument. This was done to mark the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. While he was president, sculptors sought to capture the character of Abraham Lincoln for a memorial. Efforts include were those of 17 year old Vinnie Ream who had observed Lincoln in only half hour sittings through the winter of 1864-1865. She later won a Congressional commission for a full length marble statue in the Capitol in 1871(Lemp, Woman’s Art Journal 24). While commemorative efforts rising across the Union, Congress soon sought to create a larger national memorial. Even though there was a demand for a memorial to be dedicated to Lincoln, the construction didn’t begin until February 12, 1914. The Senate Park Commission, which was formed by Senator McMillan in 1900, had a plan in 1902 to for the memorial to be constructed at the new Potomac River edge and serve as the terminus of an expanded National Mall across the recently created West Potomac Park. The memorial would serve as a gateway, at the foot of a