Lincoln Monument Centennial

The Lincoln Monument has been a significant feature on the Nebraska State Capitol Grounds for 100 years. The monument was commissioned by Nebraskans to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of their capital city’s namesake, Abraham Lincoln. On September 2, 1912, a crowd of thousands gathered on the grounds of the second Capitol for the unveiling of the monument’s bronze Standing Lincoln statue with the Gettysburg Address inscribed on the granite stele (commemorative marker). Nebraska’s Lincoln Monument showcased the talents of two major American artistic figures: sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon. Ten years later the pair collaborated on the design of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Office of the Capitol Commission is holding a Lincoln Monument Centennial Re-dedication program on September 2, 2012. The program, sponsored in part by the Nebraska Humanities Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, will begin in the Warner Chamber of the Nebraska State Capitol at 2:00 p.m. During the program Director of the Nebraska State Historical Society, Michael Smith, will speak about the history of Lincoln, Nebraska’s capital city.  Mayda Jensen of Jensen Conservation in Omaha will discuss Abraham Lincoln sculptor Daniel Chester French. Then those assembled will move outside to Henry Bacon’s Lincoln Monument for the formal re-dedication. The ceremony outside on the west side of the Capitol will feature proclamations by the City of Lincoln, and the executive and legislative branches of state government.  The Lincoln Monument Centennial Rededication will conclude with a reading of the Gettysburg Address by Chief Justice Michael Heavican. For more information about the re-dedication contact the Office of the Capitol Commission at (402)471-0449.