the style of architecture that is the lincoln memorial is greek revival.
the style of architecture that is the lincoln memorial is greek revival.
what style of architecture is the lincoln memorial?
greek revival
kendall's first design, submitted to the cfa in may 1923, was generally well received. his plan envisioned a low, neoclassical arch bridge. two statues stood atop each pier on both sides of the bridge. the d.c. approaches consisted of a traffic circle around the lincoln memorial linked to the potomac river by a plaza and monumental steps (the "watergate"). two memorial columns were placed in this plaza. on the columbia island landing, kendall envisioned a gigantic crossarm circumscribed by a grassy ellipse, with traffic circles at the terminus of the north and south arms. the traffic circles would accommodate lee highway and the mt. vernon memorial parkway. within the ellipse were placed two tall memorial columns. two circular greek revival temples were planned for the western shoreline. the commission was especially pleased that kendall had the rock creek and potomac parkway linked to the traffic circle around the lincoln memorial rather than passing beneath the bridge via an arch. (kendall had, in fact, intended to pass it through one of the bridge's arches but forgot to make the change.) however, cfa members asked that he consider widening the bridge to from the proposed . the cfa also discussed at length its long-standing proposal for a major traffic circle on columbia island, within which would be placed a memorial to robert e. lee. there was also concern whether enough space had been allotted to permit the mount vernon memorial parkway, lee highway, and memorial drive (which was planned to cross the boundary channel via the boundary channel bridge into virginia and link with the main gate to arlington national cemetery). when the cfa gave its preliminary approval to the bridge design (but withheld a resolution on the approaches), models of the bridge went on public display in february 1924.
arlington memorial bridge
the next major test of the mcmillan plan came with the siting of the lincoln memorial. a lincoln memorial commission was authorized by congress in 1910, and the commission immediately began wrestling with the many competing proposals for the memorial's location. concurrently, members of the disbanded mcmillan commission were tiring of the constant demands on their time and the unpaid nature of their role. president roosevelt agreed that a permanent commission on the arts should be created to help guide decisions regarding art and architecture in accordance with the mcmillan plan. roosevelt established a commission by executive order shortly before he left office, but president william howard taft dissolved it and won congressional approval for a statutory united states commission of fine arts (cfa) in 1910. several members of the mcmillan commission were appointed to the cfa, as were many mcmillan plan supporters. when the lincoln memorial commission found itself riven by disagreement over the new memorial's site, it sought out the advice of the cfa. together, the lincoln memorial commission and cfa worked together to approval west potomac park as the site for the new monument. the site for the lincoln memorial was approved in june 1911.
mcmillan plan