Lincoln Park is the largest

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...

located in the

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill is a neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in both the Northeast, Washington, D.C., Northeast and Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast quadrants. It is bounded by 14th Street SE & NE, F S ...

neighborhood of

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

It was known historically as Lincoln Square. From 1862 to 1865, during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, it was the site of Lincoln Hospital, then the largest hospital in

It is located along

East Capitol Street East Capitol Street is a major street that divides the northeast and southeast quadrants of Washington, D.C. It runs due east from the United States Capitol to the DC-Maryland border. The street is uninterrupted until Lincoln Park then cont ...

, which surrounds the park.

Location

Situated one mile directly east of the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

, Lincoln Park is maintained by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

. The park is bounded by 11th Street NE and SE on the west, 13th Street NE and SE on the east,

NE on the North, and East Capitol Street SE on the south. It is four blocks northeast of Eastern Market. The eastern end of the park includes two separate, enclosed play areas for young children. The grassy perimeter and central turf area are popular with neighborhood dogs and their owners. LincolnParkDC-8063-101922

History

Pierre Charles L'Enfant Pierre "Peter" Charles L'Enfant (; August 2, 1754June 14, 1825) was a French-American artist, professor, and military engineer. In 1791, L'Enfant designed the baroque-styled plan for the development of Washington, D.C., after it was designated ...

included the park in his original 1791 plan for the District of Columbia, intending it for public use (see:

L'Enfant Plan The L'Enfant Plan for the city of Washington, D.C. is the urban plan developed in 1791 by Major Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant for George Washington, the first president of the United States. It is regarded as a landmark in urban design and h ...

). Though it was originally planned as the point from which all distances in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

would be measured (a zero milepost), it was not ultimately utilized for this purpose. Instead, the park was used as a dumping ground. During the Civil War, it became the site where Lincoln Hospital was built to take care of the wounded Union Army soldiers. While there were many others around the city, it was the largest in the area built by the Army. It included 20 pavilions arranged in a V formation. 25 tent wards provided beds for 2,575 wounded. Covered pathways connected the kitchen and dining rooms.NIH - Historic Medical Sites in the Washington, DC Area - Lincoln Hospital

/ref> The other buildings on site were: * the headquarters (marked by the flag) * the officers' quarters * the quarters for the Sisters providing the nursing care * the barracks * a guard house * separate quarters for contraband * service facilities: a water tank, laundry, barber shop, carpenter shop, stables, and a morgue ("Dead House"). Like many of the other hospitals in the area, Lincoln Hospital was visited by family members as well as well-wishers. One such visitor was

Vinnie Ream Lavinia Ellen "Vinnie" Ream Hoxie (September 25, 1847 – November 20, 1914) was an American sculptor. Her most famous work is the Statue of Abraham Lincoln (U.S. Capitol), statue of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in the United States Capit ...

, a talented mezzo-soprano (who later gained fame as Lincoln's sculptor). She performed at the hospital in April 1864. It was also visited by

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman Jr. (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist; he also wrote two novels. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature and world literature. Whitman incor ...

, who was visiting injured soldiers in the local hospitals. He mentions it in his writings: 2,012 beds were occupied as of December 17, 1864. As with most hospitals in the area, with the end of the Civil War in 1865, it was taken down that year. In 1867, Congress authorized the grounds to be called Lincoln Square as a memorial to the former president; it was the first public site to bear his name.

Statues

The park features two important sculptures: * Thomas Ball's 1876 Freedman's Memorial to Abraham Lincoln (Emancipation Monument), one of the first memorials in Washington honoring

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

. It was dedicated on April 14, 1876, with an oration by

Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. He was the most impor ...

.Oration by Frederick Douglass, delivered on the occasion of the unveiling of the Freedmen's Monument in memory of Abraham Lincoln, in Lincoln Park, Washington, D.C., April 14th, 1876. With an appendix. - Library of Congress

/ref> *

Robert Berks Robert Berks (April 26, 1922 – May 16, 2011) was an American sculptor, industrial designer and planner. He created hundreds of bronze sculptures and monuments including the Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial, and the Albert Einstein Memorial in Wa ...

's statue of

Mary McLeod Bethune Mary McLeod Bethune (; July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955) was an American educator, Philanthropy, philanthropist, Humanitarianism, humanitarian, Womanism, womanist, and civil rights activist. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in ...

. It was unveiled on the anniversary of her 99th birthday, July 10, 1974, before a crowd of over 18,000 people. . File:Emancipation Memorial.jpg, The Emancipation Memorial by Thomas Ball Image:Mary McLeod-in-Lincoln Park.jpg, A larger-than-life-size statue of African American educator and activist

References

External links

"Lincoln Park" (National Park Service)
{{Authority control Lincoln Hospital Military facilities in Washington, D.C. Demolished buildings and structures in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War Parks in Washington, D.C. Urban public parks Capitol Hill Protected areas established in 1867 1867 establishments in Washington, D.C. Monuments and memorials to Abraham Lincoln in the United States East Capitol Street

Location

History

Statues

See also

References

External links