Happy Birthday to Abraham Lincoln! On Friday, February 12, we celebrate the 112th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. This is a great opportunity to reflect on the ideals that he preached and lived. What can we do to honor his legacy in our lives today?

For inspiration, be sure to visit the “Return Visit” sculpture currently located in Washington for a limited time.  Working in conjunction with private donors, the Historical Society brought “Return Visit” to Washington in November 2020. The 32-foot bronze sculpture is a representation of President Abraham sharing the words of the Gettysburg Address with a Modern Man. It is an enlarged version of Seward Johnson’s original work of art that was commissioned for Gettysburg Plaza in Pennsylvania. The original life-scale sculpture stands near the historic Wills House in Gettysburg, the house where Lincoln finished writing the Gettysburg Address before delivering the speech at the dedication of The Soldier’s National Cemetery on November 19, 1863. Many historians consider Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg to be the most inspiring speech ever given. It concludes with stressing that all of us are responsible for taking up the cause of what men like Abraham Lincoln fought for. It motivated the country forward during the devastation of the Civil War and the eventual abolishment of slavery. 

The sculpture is located on Wilmor Road between Five Points and the Fire Station. “Return Visit” is on loan from the Seward Johnson Atelier, an organization incorporated to promote the appreciation of, and education about, sculpture and public art in general, primarily through the creation, maintenance, sales, and public placement of Seward Johnson’s artwork. For more information about Seward Johnson, please go to www.sewardjohnsonatelier.org.