Lincoln Memorial (site of the 1963 March on Washington)

The Lincoln Memorial stands at 2 Lincoln Memorial Circle NW at the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Designed by the architect Henry Bacon in the style of a Greek Doric temple, it was dedicated on May 30, 1922, with Lincoln's son Robert Todd Lincoln among those present. Construction began in 1914 on a site that was then reclaimed land along the Potomac River. The exterior has 36 Doric columns, representing the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death, with the names of the states carved above them and the 48 states in 1922 on the attic. Inside, the central chamber holds Daniel Chester French's colossal seated statue of Lincoln, carved from 28 blocks of Georgia white marble by the Piccirilli Brothers. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is inscribed on the south wall and his Second Inaugural Address on the north wall, and above them are murals by Jules Guerin depicting themes of unity, emancipation and the reunion of north and south. The memorial became a site of national significance in the civil rights era. In 1939, the singer Marian Anderson performed on its steps after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused her use of Constitution Hall, and on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech to a crowd of about 250,000 people during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. A commemorative inscription marks the spot on the landing where King stood. The National Park Service oversees the memorial and has carried out restoration of the marble, the Guerin murals, and an underground visitor center and exhibit space, opened in 2015, which presents the memorial's history. The memorial is open around the clock, with rangers on duty during the day and evening. The site is free, and a visit takes about 30 to 60 minutes, with the Reflecting Pool, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial within walking distance.