Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-28
Splendid Memorial
to Martyred Lincoln
in National CAPITAL

in National Capital
Washington. Dec. 27-The Lincoln
Memorial, the gift Of the nation to
the memory of Abraham Lincoln, is
one Of the worlds most beautiful
structures and the greatest shrine of
the man who saved the Union. I'm
pressive in it's simplicity. the memo
rial probably is the masterpiece of all
public buildings and memorials in the
United States. 1t stands in Potomac
Park facing the Washington Monu-
ment and it's construction was begun
on Lincoln's birthday anniversary in
1914. The total cost was approx
mately 100000.
This monument to Lincoln is a
large rectangular building of white
marble. designed by Henry Bacon, a
New York architect. 1t has a beau
tiful setting on direct east and
west line with the Washington Mon
ument and the nations Capitol and
rises 144 feet above the level of the
park. 1t is composed of four prin-
cipal features-a statue of the man,
a memorial of his Gettysburg adj
dress, memorial of his second in
augural address and a symbol Of the
Union of the United States.
The most important object in the
Memorial is the statue of Lincoln
in marble by Daniel Chester French.
a New York sculptor. placed in the
central hall where. by virtue of its
imposing position in the place of hon.
or. it predominates all else. The
statue is colossal in size and yet dis
tinctly personal. 1t represents Lin
coin. seated, in a thoughtful mood,
eye as one passes through the i'm
mense colonnaded entrance. Small
er halls. one at either side of the CEN
trail hall, contain monumental tablets
in which deeply incised letters repro
duce word for word Lincoln's Gettys-
burg address on the left wall and
the address made by him at his Sec
ond Inauguration on the right wall.
Above these are two large mural
paintings by Jules Guerin, a New
York artist, one typifying "Eman-
cipation" and the other typifying
Reunion" Their production occu-
pied three years time.
Surrounding the exterior of the
walls inclosing these memorials is a
magnificent colonnade forming a
symbol of the Union, each column
representing one Of the thirty-six
states existing at the time of Lin
coins death. On the outer walls
above the colonnade and supported
at intervals by eagles are forty eight
festoons. one for each state existing
at the present time.
At one end of the great axis,
planned over a century ago, is the
Capitol Of the nation, which is the
monument of the Government. and
a mile westward from the Capitol is
the 555-foot granite shaft which is
the monument to George Washing
ton. Now, on this same great axis
half mile west of the Washington
Monument. stands the Lincoln Me-
mortal. This completes an unparaI-
leled composition. triology which
imparts to each of it's monuments a
value. in addition to that which each
standing alone possesses.
More than a dozen years ago Po-
tomac Park, one of the most i'm
portant units of Washington's great
park system and which lies along the
Potomac River, was first suggested
as the site for a memorial to Lin
coin. The late John Hay, one of
Lincoln's secretaries and biograph-
crs and later Secretary of State of
the United States, favored it's selec-
ton. In expressing his approval he
wrote:
las l understand it. the place Of
honor is on the main axis Of the
plan. Lincoln, of all Americans next
to Washington, deserved this place
Of honor. He was of the immortals.
You must not approach too close to
the immortals. His monument should
stand alone. remote from the COM
mon habitations of man, apart from
the business and turmoil Of the city
isolated, distinguished, and serene.
OF all the sites, this one, near the
Potomac, is most suited to the pur-
pose"
BY means Of terraces the grounds
around the site are raised until the
floor of the memorial itself is As
feet higher than the grade of .Po-
tomac Park. A circular terrace, 1000
feet in diameter, first rises above
the park. On its outer edge stand
four concentric rows Of trees, leav-
ing plateau in the center 755 feet
in diameter. In the center of this
plateau. surrounded by wide road
ways and walks, rises an eminence
supporting a rectangular stone ter
race wall IA feet high, 256 feet long
and 1876 feet wide. On this rectangu-
lar terrace rises the white marble
memorial. All the foundations Of the
steps. terraces and memorial are
built on concrete piling which ex-
tends down to solid rock
Rising from this rectangular ter
race three steps. each feet high,
form a platform measuring 204 feet
in length and 134 feet in width. On
this platform stand the AZ col,,rn no