The Lincoln Memorial stands at the west end of the National Mall as a memorial to the 16th President of the United states. The memorial designed by Henry Bacon, after ancient Greek temples, stands 190 feet long 119 feet wide, and almost 100 feet high. It is surrounded by 36 fluted Doric style columns, one for each of the thirty six states in the Union at the time of Lincolns death in 1865.
Above to colonade inscribed on the frieze are the names of 48 of the States in the order in which they entered the union, starting with Delaware on the top left that were part of the nation when the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on May 30,1922. Notice that Massachusetts is sixth from the leftas a result of being the sixth state to join the country.
The statue of Lincoln inside the memorial was carved by sculptor, Daniel Chester French. The statue is 19 feet high and weighs 175 tons. This memorial is visited by millions of visitors each year and has been the site of many large gatherings and protests over the years. Martin Lither King junior delivered his famous, "I Have a Dream" speech to a crowd estimated to be 250,000 in 1963.
So, if there are 50 states in the nation, and 48 of their names that were part of the nation in1922, are inscribed on the frieze, where are the other two, Hawaii and Alaska? See if you can find them!
