The Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial looks simple from far away: big white building, giant statue, lots of steps.
But this tribute to our 16th president has some pretty cool stories behind it. For one, it was almost never built, and there might be a sign language connection in his hands. Here are more amazing tidbits about America’s most famous presidential tribute.
1. Congressional Fights Over Location
The Lincoln Memorial stands today as a majestic tribute to America’s 16th president, but it nearly didn’t happen.
The project stalled for decades after Lincoln’s 1865 assassination. Speaker of the House Joseph Cannon strongly opposed building on the reclaimed marshland of the Potomac Flats.
John Hay, Lincoln’s former White House secretary, advocated for the Potomac location, arguing the memorial should stand alone, distinguished, and serene.
Congress established the Lincoln Memorial Commission in 1911 under President Taft with an initial budget of $2 million, later increased to $3 million. Early design proposals included an Egyptian-style pyramid and a wedding cake structure with multiple statues.
Architect Henry Bacon’s classical Greek temple design was selected, and the cornerstone was laid in 1915 after extensive engineering transformed the swampy area.
2. World War II Battle Scars
The Lincoln Memorial bears a battle scar from World War II that most visitors never notice. To protect Washington from potential German attacks, the Army installed anti-aircraft guns throughout the area in 1942.
Four rounds were accidentally fired from one of these guns on September 2, 1942. Three shots struck the memorial’s north façade above the entrance inscription. One round gouged out a piece of marble the size of a baseball.
No visitors were injured in this incident. The National Park Service preserved this damage as a historical reminder rather than repairing it.
Military officials classified information about the incident during wartime, but the scar remains visible today.
3. Sign Language in Lincoln’s Hands
Some observers believe sculptor Daniel Chester French positioned Lincoln’s hands to form the letters A and L in American Sign Language.
Historian James A. Percoco has studied this theory extensively. French was familiar with sign language and had personal connections to the deaf community through his deaf son.
The sculptor spent over two years perfecting the pose of Lincoln’s hands. He incorporated subtle asymmetry to convey Lincoln’s natural manner. While no definitive documentation proves this was intentional, the theory offers an intriguing possibility about French’s artistic choices in this iconic sculpture.
4. Engineering Marvel From Top to Bottom
The Lincoln Memorial required extraordinary engineering to stand on former marshland. Builders installed 122 enormous concrete pillars extending 44 to 65 feet below ground to reach bedrock.
The foundation includes 36,800 cubic yards of concrete supporting 38,000 tons of marble.
Without this structure, the memorial would sink into the reclaimed Potomac flats. Beneath the memorial lies an undercroft area spanning 60,000 square feet. This space is comparable to a professional basketball arena.
Workers scrawled graffiti on the undercroft walls during construction. The National Park Service preserved these markings as historical artifacts, and a renovation project (2019–2024) aims to make this area accessible to visitors.
5. The Growing Statue
Daniel Chester French initially designed Lincoln’s statue at just 10 feet tall. This would have appeared diminutive within the massive memorial chamber.
As construction progressed, French increased the statue to an impressive 19 feet tall and 19 feet wide from elbow to elbow. He first created a 6-foot plaster model before scaling up to the full size. The sculpting process took four years to complete (1916–1920).
The finished work weighs 175 tons and consists of 28 precisely carved blocks of Georgia white marble.
Six Italian immigrant brothers, the Piccirillis, carved each segment in their Bronx workshop for $65,000. They transported the pieces to Washington and assembled them with nearly invisible seams.
6. State Symbols Throughout the Design
The Lincoln Memorial contains numerous symbolic elements representing American unity. The exterior features exactly 36 Doric columns, representing the states in the Union at Lincoln’s death in 1865.
The names of all 48 states that existed when the memorial was completed appear inscribed around the attic. Their admission dates are recorded in Roman numerals. Alaska and Hawaii, achieving statehood decades later, appear on a separate plaque at the entrance steps. The interior chamber measures 99 feet tall, 118 feet wide, and 189 feet long.
7. From Controversial Project to National Icon
Initial criticism of the Lincoln Memorial focused on its location, $3 million cost, and classical design. Some critics felt it was too European for an American hero.
The dedication ceremony on May 30, 1922, drew more than 50,000 people. Lincoln’s only surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln, attended alongside President Warren G. Harding, former President William Howard Taft, and Dr. Robert Moton of Tuskegee Institute.
The memorial now appears on the penny and five-dollar bill. It was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
Once derided as a monument in a swamp, it now receives over 7 million visitors annually. A $25 million restoration project completed in 1994 ensured its preservation for future generations.
8. Civil Rights Milestone Events
When African American contralto Marian Anderson was denied permission to perform at Constitution Hall in 1939, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt intervened.
She arranged for Anderson to perform at the Lincoln Memorial on April 9, 1939. An audience of 75,000 gathered for this groundbreaking concert, with millions more listening on national radio.
Many historians mark this event as the beginning of the modern civil rights movement. On August 28, 1963, the Lincoln Memorial hosted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he delivered his legendary speech from the memorial’s steps.
250,000 attendees and millions of television viewers across America witnessed the I Have a Dream speech. In 2003, the National Park Service dedicated an inscribed marble pedestal marking the exact spot where King stood during his historic address.
9. The Memorial’s Geological Story
The Lincoln Memorial unites stones from across America in its construction. The exterior uses Colorado Yule marble from the Colorado Yule Marble Quarry, the same stone used in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The Lincoln statue consists of Georgia white marble chosen for its fine grain and luminous quality. The statue sits on a pedestal of Tennessee pink marble. The memorial steps are Massachusetts granite, symbolically uniting stones from different regions of the country.
French consulted life masks made by sculptor Clark Mills in 1865 to capture Lincoln’s features accurately. The design causes Lincoln’s expression to change depending on viewing angle and lighting.
10. Transformative Nighttime Experience
The Lincoln Memorial presents entirely different experiences between day and night visits. Daytime reveals architectural details as sunlight creates shifting shadows throughout the space.
After dark, the memorial transforms through a lighting system designed in 2000. This system uses 96 specially designed fixtures to illuminate the structure while reducing light pollution.
The evening lighting creates deliberate contrast between light and shadow to emphasize Lincoln’s features. His marble figure glows against the darkness with an almost supernatural presence. The reflecting pool mirrors the illuminated memorial and Washington Monument beyond.
This nighttime vista has become one of Washington’s most photographed scenes, appearing on numerous postage stamps.
Visiting Information
You can find the Lincoln Memorial on the western end of the National Mall, approximately one mile from the Washington Monument.
National Park Service rangers provide information from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, with free guided tours offered hourly.
The most convenient access is via the Foggy Bottom or Smithsonian Metro stations on the Orange, Blue, and Silver lines.
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