The Man At The Top Of The Marble Staircase
Written: May 04 '01
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Pros: An awe-inspiring site with a spectacular vista.
Cons: A long climb and open to the elements.
The Bottom Line: Climb up the marble staircase to visit the man seated there. Every visit to our nation's capital should include the Lincoln Memorial.
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| gungian's Full Review: Lincoln Memorial |
Our recent visit to Manassas National Battlefield Park brought the cauldron of the Civil War vividly to mind. By most accounts the central figure of that tumultuous period was our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. When our nation finally paid him tribute, we did “chisel it in stone”.
On 12 February 1912 – the 105th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth – ground was broken for what would become the Lincoln Memorial. President Warren G. Harding dedicated the memorial more than 10 years later – appropriately on Memorial Day, 30 May 1922. Speakers included Chief Justice William Howard Taft and the Tuskegee Institute’s Dr. Robert Morton. Robert Lincoln, the only survivor among Abraham Lincoln’s four sons, was in attendance.
The Lincoln Memorial is at once simple yet stately. Architect Henry Bacon modeled the memorial building after the Parthenon, an ancient temple of Athens, Greece. Majestic in scope, the rectangular structure is sheathed in Colorado Yule marble and is approximately 188’ long and 118’ wide. It’s roof soars to 99’ above the land grade.
At the time of Lincoln’s assassination, our nation was comprised of 36 states [the 37th, Nebraska, was admitted on 30 March 1867]. Thirty-six columns represent those states – and each has one of those state names engraved above. The columns are crafted in the Doric style and constructed of Indiana limestone. Each stands 44’ high and measures nearly 7 ½’ in diameter at the base.
The interior of the memorial contains three chambers. The focal point of the main [central] hall is sculptor Daniel Chester French’s rendering of a seated Abe. The Piccirili brothers carved the image from white Georgia marble. Here sits a tired but resolute Lincoln with his right hand open in compassion and the left clenched in strength. The sculpture rests on a pedestal of Tennessee marble.
On 19 November 1863, President Lincoln dedicated the Soldier’s National Cemetery. His remarks became famous as the Gettysburg Address. Those stirring words – including “all men are created equal” – adorn the lower portion of the south chamber. Immediately above is a magnificent mural by Jules Guerin. Here we see slaves being freed of their bondage by the Angel of Truth.
The upper north chamber wall holds another Guerin mural. This one again depicts the Angel of Truth. But this time it is the angel’s reuniting of North and South that is celebrated. President Lincoln’s 2nd Inaugural Address – delivered on 4 March 1865 – is inscribed below. Lincoln’s call to unity – “. . . with malice towards none; charity for all” – was carved into the marble by Ernest C. Bairstow. [Bairstow carved both addresses.]
The Lincoln Memorial is situated on the western edge of the national Mall. There is a majestic vista of Washington, DC and some of our nation’s noted landmarks. Below and to the side sit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial [The Wall] and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. Looking east, one’s gaze skims the surface of the Reflecting Pool and is then drawn to the towering Washington Monument and the white-domed Capitol. The visitor is presented a panoramic and spellbinding vista. It is one that will be carved into your memory.
Our 16th president had a dream – the unification of a divided nation. It is interesting to note that when Dr. Martin Luther King stirred the nation with “I have a dream” – he did so from the steps of this same Lincoln Memorial.
May their dreams be our reality!
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Inscribed on the Lincoln Memorial:
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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© 2001
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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gungian
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Location: Falls Church, Virginia
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