Lincoln Fix

From the Stars and Stripes:

"Lincoln Memorial, nearing 100, to get multimillion-dollar overhaul"

 

The National Park Service announced Monday that the Lincoln Memorial will undergo a major renovation over the next four years, thanks largely to an $18.5 million donation by billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein. The project is probably the biggest overhaul of the building since the structure was dedicated in 1922, officials said. The memorial, which attracts 7 million visitors a year, will remain open during the work, although parts of it may be closed off from time to time. The marble-columned edifice, which houses the 120-ton statue of a seated and contemplative President Abraham Lincoln, is one of the most elegant and hallowed memorials in the country. Much of the work on it will take place inside, beneath the massive chamber that holds the statue. The limited exhibit space will be greatly expanded, along with the memorial's tiny bookstore and antiquated restrooms. New exhibits will be added, and visitors will be able to see the massive pilings and foundation that support the memorial. The area, now about 750 square feet, will be expanded to 15,000 square feet, said Sean Kennealy, chief of professional services for the National Mall and Memorial Parks. The memorial will be scrubbed inside and out. Its crumbling slate roof, which is not the original but has leaked water and stained interior walls, will be repaired. And its two dramatic 60-feet-long murals inside will be restored. Damage to some inside brickwork that occurred during the 2011 earthquake also will be repaired. Rubenstein's gift is the latest in a series of multimillion-dollar donations he has made to historically themed projects around the Washington area. Last April, he announced a $5.37 million donation to refurbish the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery. In 2014, he gave $10 million to Montpelier, the historic Orange, Va., home of President James Madison, $5 million to the White House Visitor Center, and $12.3 million to Arlington House, the home of Robert E. Lee. And after the earthquake, he paid $7.5 million of the $15 million cost to repair the Washington Monument. Ground was broken for the memorial on Lincoln's birthday — Feb. 12 — in 1914. The cornerstone was set a year later. The memorial was dedicated in the presence of Lincoln's 78-year-old son, Robert, on May 30, 1922.

Jarvis said some of the work will begin this year.

 

 

^ I have been to the Lincoln Memorial many times over the years and it will be nice to have it in pristine shape once again. Many people sit on its' steps  - especially in the summer - and just enjoy the view. It's nice that Rubenstein has given so generously to this and many other important projects so that everyone can enjoy them. ^
  

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/lincoln-memorial-nearing-100-to-get-multimillion-dollar-overhaul-1.394186