Lincoln Monument & Gardens
A beautiful commemoration of our 16th presedent
The Standing Lincoln sculpture (aka – Lincoln: The Man) is considered the most important sculpture of Abraham Lincoln from the nineteenth century. The 12-foot bronze figure standing before his Chair of State was designed on commission by Irish sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) who became one of the foremost sculptors of his time. The sculpture is mounted on a semicircular exedra designed by architect Stanford White.
Chicago lumber merchant Eli Bates (1806-1881) designated funds in his will to create the statue, which was to be located in Mr. Lincoln’s namesake Lincoln Park. The statue was dedicated on October 22, 1887. Present at the dedication were a trustee of the Eli Bates estate, Abraham Lincoln II, the president’s grandson, and a crowd of 10,000 people.
Restoration and Connecting Garden
Revisiting a past project from 1989, we plan to refurbish the once award-winning garden beds and brick path that grace the parkway leading to the Standing Lincoln statue. Cleaning of the monument is also planned.
In 1989 we restored the “Standing Lincoln” monument including its granite exedra and plaza with the Chicago Park District. Since the monument’s placement in the park did not fit this illustrious piece of public art, we added a formal garden to draw people to the monument.
In 2018, we added 12 new replacement benches to the garden and monument area. To adopt one of these benches, please visit visit our adoption page.
Location: In Lincoln Park at North Avenue and Dearborn Parkway [North of W. North Avenue, east of the Chicago History Museum]
New Monument and Garden Refurbishing: Planning in Progress
Original Monument Restoration Status: Completed in 1989
Original Restoration Project Credits: The Chicago Park District, the Lincoln Park Conservancy, Buss Landscaping, Rudnick Contracting, and Downstate Restoration.
Rededication Ceremony: July 13, 1989
Project Awards:
- Monument designated a Chicago Historic Landmark in 2001
- American Society of Landscape Architects, Illinois Chapter – 1990 Public Recognition Award (Garden)
- Illinois Landscape Contractors Association – 1992 Gold Award for Commercial Landscape Construction (Garden)
Our appreciation to Adopt-A-Monument donor Sara Lee Corporation for making the monument conservation possible, and to Credit Agricole for their leadership gift to the Garden.
