Lincoln Memorial's Parthenon-inspired design and symbolism

The Lincoln Memorial, designed by architect Henry Bacon and dedicated in 1922, is modeled on a Greek Doric temple and contains a large seated statue of Abraham Lincoln by sculptor Daniel Chester French. The memorial's exterior features 36 Doric columns, representing the states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death in 1865. The memorial's inscriptions and axial relationship to the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool have made it a central site for national commemorations and civil rights events.