The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1922 (Kenn Stearns)

Last night rain showers rolled through Washington, DC. The inclement weather didn’t seem to stem the flow of visitors to the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. Lincoln’s white marble statue in the central hall took four years to complete. It is alleged that sculptor Daniel Chester French, who was familiar with American Sign Language, formed the statue’s hands into sign language versions of Lincoln’s initials as a tribute to the 16th president signing legislation that benefited Gallaudet University, a university for the deaf. Each year almost 4 million people visit the Lincoln Memorial.

View of the Lincoln Memorial from the base of the Washington Monument (photo by Kenn Stearns)