Lincoln Memorial, Washington

The Lincoln Memorial contains a 19 foot (6m) tall, 19 foot (6m) wide marble statue of the 16th president along with excerpts from his famous speeches including the Gettysburg Address. There are 36 columns, each symbolizing one of the states in existence at the time of Lincoln's death.Although Congress approved the idea for a memorial to Lincoln in 1867 it wasn't until February 12, 1914 that construction began based on the design by New York architect Henry Bacon. It took eight years to build and President Warren G. Harding dedicated the memorial on May 30, 1922.Daniel Chester French designed the statue and the Piccirilli Brothers of New York carved it. Jules Guerin painted the murals that depict important events in Lincoln's life which are found on the north and south walls. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I have a Dream" speech from the memorial steps in 1963.