Lincoln Monument Association

Lincoln Monument Association. It was established in 1865, shortly after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, by sculptor Clark Mills with the primary goal of creating a grand memorial to the slain president. The organization initially proposed an elaborate structure featuring a 70-foot statue surrounded by 36 bronze figures, but this ambitious plan was never realized. Despite securing endorsements from prominent Union Army generals, the association struggled with fundraising and was ultimately superseded by the Lincoln Memorial Commission established by the United States Congress in 1911.

Formation and early efforts

The association was founded in Washington, D.C. by sculptor Clark Mills, who had previously created the equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square. Mills's initial concept, unveiled in 1867, was extraordinarily ambitious, envisioning a massive monument on Judiciary Square. His design called for a central statue of Abraham Lincoln standing atop a Greek Revival pavilion, accompanied by monumental groups representing the American Civil War and Emancipation Proclamation. To bolster credibility and aid fundraising, the organization enlisted a board of directors that included several celebrated Union Army commanders. This prestigious group included General Ulysses S. Grant, who would later become President of the United States, as well as William T. Sherman, George B. McClellan, Joseph Hooker, and Philip Sheridan. Their involvement was intended to lend the weight of military prestige to the national project, connecting the memorial directly to the leaders who preserved the Union.

Fundraising and design selection

Fundraising efforts began in earnest with the publication of a prospectus and the solicitation of subscriptions from the American public. The association's leadership, including its influential military patrons, made public appeals for donations through newspaper advertisements and circulars. However, the project faced immediate financial hurdles; the estimated cost of Mills's elaborate design was prohibitively high, and the nation was still recovering from the economic strain of the American Civil War. Competing ideas for memorializing Lincoln also began to emerge, including proposals for a simpler obelisk or a statuary hall within the United States Capitol. Despite a charter from the United States Congress and some initial donations, the association failed to gather the necessary millions of dollars. This financial stagnation, coupled with growing criticism that Mills's flamboyant design was not suitably dignified, led to years of inactivity and design revisions without any tangible progress.

Construction and dedication

No construction ever began under the auspices of the association. The elaborate plans by Clark Mills remained only on paper, and the site at Judiciary Square was never developed. The project's inertia lasted for decades, even as other monuments to Lincoln were completed, such as the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois and Thomas Ball's Emancipation Memorial in Washington, D.C.. The association's effective dormancy created a vacuum that was eventually filled by a new official body. Following years of congressional debate, the Lincoln Memorial Commission was established by an act of the United States Congress in 1911. This new commission selected the Potomac River site and architect Henry Bacon's design for the Lincoln Memorial, a majestic Greek temple-style structure featuring the famous seated sculpture by Daniel Chester French. The national memorial was finally dedicated in 1922 in a ceremony presided over by former President William Howard Taft and attended by Robert Todd Lincoln.

Management and later history

The management of the association was largely defined by its initial burst of activity followed by prolonged stagnation. After the failure of its first fundraising campaign, the organization maintained a nominal existence but held no significant meetings and launched no new initiatives for the remainder of the 19th century. Its original charter, granted by Congress, was never formally revoked but became obsolete. The association's assets and any remaining funds were effectively abandoned as the project was taken over by federal authorities. The final administrative action concerning the original effort was its quiet absorption and replacement by the congressionally mandated Lincoln Memorial Commission, which operated under the authority of the Secretary of War and the Superintendent of the United States Capitol Grounds.

Legacy and significance

The legacy of the association is that of a well-intentioned but failed precursor to one of America's most iconic monuments. Its significance lies in demonstrating the early and powerful public desire for a national memorial to Abraham Lincoln and in highlighting the challenges of executing such a project through private subscription. The involvement of figures like Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman underscored the deep connection between Lincoln's memory and the Union Army leadership. Ultimately, its inability to succeed made clear that a monument of such national importance required the sustained commitment and funding of the United States federal government. The majestic Lincoln Memorial that now stands on the National Mall is the direct result of the congressional action that supplanted the earlier private endeavor.

Category:Organizations based in Washington, D.C. Category:Monuments and memorials to Abraham Lincoln Category:American Civil War commemorations