According to The Greek Revival Architecture in America, The Greek revival refers to the period between 1820 and 1850, when Greek Architecture was on the rise across the world. Most historians consider their as the last phase of neoclassic architecture, and it has influenced many buildings across the world. In the United States’ City of Washington D.C, the evidence of the influence of Greeks architecture is still evident. Some of the outstanding building in Washington D.C that portrays the influence of Greek Architecture includes the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson memorial. This paper will compare and contrast two architectural sites built using the Greek architecture; The Lincoln Memorial and The Parthenon.
Across the Reflecting Pool from the Washington Monument stands a national memorial dedicated to the 16th president of the United States of America Abraham Lincoln. This monument was erected to memorialize Lincoln and his commitment to democracy and peace. As well as his fight to keep America united during the American Civil War between 1861 an 1865 (Lincoln Memorial). The Lincoln Memorial took eight years to complete, 1914 – 1922, and was dedicated and presented to the public on May 30, 1922 (Lincoln Memorial). Since then this memorial has been the site of many different historical events and political rallies, and it has hosted many famous speeches such as Martin Luther Junior ‘I have a dream’. This structure has 36 columns of seven feet diameter and 44 feet height. The 36 columns represent the 36 nations that made up United State during the time of his death (Lincoln Memorial). Henry Bacon led the many people who helped in the construction of this monument, and he highly borrowed the design from the famous Greek temple. Born in Illinois in 1866, Bacon is celebrated for his project Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Notably, Henry Bacon’s buildings and architectural works were greatly inspired by the Greek’s culture using the Beaux- Arts style (Bacon). Most of The Bacon arts were monuments and public sculptures, which includes the World War Memorial located at Yale University in the US and Four Season’s Court in San Francisco. According to Thomas (5), Bacon rarely worked on a private project, and there exists only three documented projects that are his work that is, La Fetra Mansion in New Jersey, Donald House in Wilmington and Chester Wood House. In addition, Bacon was also a member of US Fine Art Commission, which was established in 1910 by the US Congress to advise the government on matters arts, design and aesthetics. Bacon died in 1924 after a battle with cancer and was buried in North Carolina (Bacon).
The structure of the Lincoln Memorial had a great resemblance with The Parthenon located in Athens, Greece. The Parthenon is one of the few remaining ancient Greece structures that are surviving up to date, and one of the famous buildings in the contemporary world. The history of the structure dates back to over twenty five centuries during the Persian Wars. According to Sacred Destinations, the building was constructed to replace the temple that was destroyed during the Persian wars, under the leadership of Pericles, an Athenian politician during the 5th Century BC. During this era, Phidias, an Athenian sculptor headed the construction, between 447 BC and around 433 BC (Doric). The structure underwent various renovations after 4th century BC to serve the religious needs of the Greek religion during the time (Doric-column). In the contemporary Greece, the Parthenon is a major tourism attraction
The Parthenon and Lincoln Memorial have a number of similarities and differences. Both historical sites have similar exteriors, interiors, and materials. Both the Lincoln Memorial and the Parthenon have the same outward appearance; they both contain Doric columns. The Lincoln Memorial has thirty-six columns in the Doric style. Each of these columns is forty-four feet tall and represents the number of states that formed the then United States of America. The Doric column is a staple in the Greek classical architecture and has been revived for many times. The Doric order is the most simple of the three Greek column orders (Doric-column). The crown of the column is a circle topped by a square. The neck of the column shorter than the other two orders has twenty shallow grooves, and when it is constructed it is done so without a base or foundation. The columns on both structures support a roof called an entablature and the rest atop of a three-stepped base.
The interiors of the two structures are also very similar; both are divided into chambers with a statue of the memorialized being the main focal point. The Lincoln Memorial has three chambers within, the middle chamber houses a nineteen foot seated statue of Lincoln that was sculpted by Daniel Chester French. The other two chambers house passages of two of Lincoln’s most famous speeches. There is an engraving of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in the south chamber and an engraving of his second inaugural speech in the north chamber.
The last similarity between the two buildings is the construction material; both structures are made from marble. In addition to the granite of the terrace level and the limestone of the interior walls, the Lincoln Memorial is made entirely out of marble. Marble from different parts of the country was used during construction in order to symbolize the importance that Lincoln put on the Union. The outside marble came from Colorado, the floor marble came from Tennessee the ceiling tile marble came from Alabama, and the statue marble came from Georgia.
The differences between the two structures are very slight. The first and most obvious differences are time and location. The Parthenon was built in 5th century Greece to worship the Goddess Athena while the Lincoln Memorial was built in the 20th century to honor a past president of America, Lincoln. The first was built for a religious reason while the second was built to memorialize a great hero. The next difference between the two buildings is the roof structure. The roof of the Parthenon was a very simple pyramid shape while the roof of the Lincoln Memorial is a rectangle. This is the biggest difference between the two structures and where Bacon took most of his creative liberties. On the roof of the Lincoln Memorial is an ornate design that includes wreaths, lion heads, engravings of the forty- eight states that achieved statehood by the time of dedication, and carvings of the date those states were admitted to the Union, depicted in Roman numerals.
The Lincoln Memorial was made in the likes of the Parthenon. Between the background of the architect and the striking similarities between the two buildings one can say, without a doubt, that the Lincoln Memorial was influenced by the Greek architectural style. The Doric columns, interior, and construction material all emulate the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, which is the most iconic Greek structure in History.
In conclusion, it is evident that Greek Architecture had major architectural impacts especially during the era of Greek revival. Most of the architectural and artistic work during the time was directly or indirectly influenced by Greek culture. The Lincoln memorial is one of the outstanding landmarks that portray the impact of Greek architecture in America. The structure has a number of similarities and differences with the Parthenon, which is located in Athens, Greece. Some of the similarities include outward appearance, interior design and material used in construction. On the other hand, some of the differences include time and location of the structures, whereby Parthenon was built in 5th Century BC in Greece, and the Lincoln memorial was built in the US in mid 1910’s. Lastly, the design of rooftop also presents a big difference between the two structures.
Works Cited
Bacon, Henry. National Parks Service. National Parks Service, 06 July 2012. Web. 01 March
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Doric Columns & the Doric Order of Classical Architecture. Doric Columns & the Doric
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Greek Revival Architecture in America. Greek Revival Architecture in America. N.d.
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Lincoln Memorial. United States History. N.d. Web. 01 March 2013.
Parthenon, Athens. Sacred Destinations. 30 July 2010. Web. 01 March 2013.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com /greece/athens-parthenon
Thomas, Christopher. The Lincoln Memorial and Its Architect, Henry Bacon (1866-1924).
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