The Inscription Above Lincoln’s Statue at the Lincoln Memorial

Daniel Chester French designed the seated figure of Abraham Lincoln housed in the memorial's central chamber, carved from Georgia marble and assembled from 28 separate blocks. The Piccirilli Brothers of New York carved the statue, which stands 19 feet tall, completing the work in time for the memorial's 1922 dedication. The inscription above the statue reads: "In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever." Architect Henry Bacon modeled the surrounding hall on a Greek Doric temple, with 36 exterior columns representing the states of the Union at the time of Lincoln's death.

Taken October 2010