User:Rearnold22/Lincoln plaque

The Abraham Lincoln commemorative plaque is a public artwork designed by Marie Stewart and created by Rudolf Schwarz in 1906. The plaque is located near the Indiana Government Center South, on the corner of West Washington and South Missouri Streets in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The plaque is approximately 65 inches tall and 35 inches wide. It is set in a limestone???? block 100 inches tall, WIDTH and DEPTH. The block remains rough with the exception of a carved Corinthian style column that is adhered to the front proper left corner. The column is attached in such as a way as to make the stone appear to be one solid piece.

Description
At the top of the bronze plaque is a relief of Lincoln's profile as young man, as well as the Indiana Statehouse, the Great Seal of the United States, a log cabin, and a large olive branch. Lincoln's right side is shown, and he does not have a beard. The images of the Indiana Statehouse and the seal are on the proper left side of the relief, and the log cabin is on the proper right side. The log cabin image is representative of Lincoln's boyhood home in southern Indiana. The olive branch extends from beneath Lincoln's profile into the proper left side so that Lincoln is facing the olive branch in the same way the eagle on the Great Seal does during peacetime. The relief comprises the top 17 inches of the plaque.

Beneath the relief is an inscription in raised, capital letters that reads, "Here Feb 11 1861/Abraham Lincoln on/his way to Washington to assume the/Presidency in an ad/dres said: "I appeal/to you to constant/ly bear in mind that/not with politicians/not with presidents/not with office seek/ers but with you is the/question: Shall the/Union and shall the lib/erties of this country/be preserved to the/latest generations?"

The plaque is affixed to the LIMESTONE???? block with 4 large bolts on each corner of the inscription.

There are no visible foundry marks.

Historical information
The plaque was designed in 1906 by Marie Stewart, then an Indianapolis high school student. Stewart won a citywide contest to design a plaque which would commemorate a speech Lincoln gave at the nearby Bates House in Indianapolis on his way to Washington, DC for his first inauguration. It was created by Rudolf Schwarz. It was dedicated on Lincoln's birthday in 1907.

Location history
The plaque was originally located at the Claypool Hotel which stood on the site of the Bates House. In the late 1960's the Claypool Hotel was torn down, and in 1971 the plaque was moved westward on Washington Street. It was put in its present location in 1991.

Artist
The plaque was designed by Indianapolis high school student Marie Stewart. It was completed by Vienna-born sculptor Rudolf Schwarz. Schwarz also crafted the limestone sculptures on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the center of Indianapolis. Schwarz later created several county memorials Indiana.