Lincoln the Lawyer
Lincoln the Lawyer, also known as The Young Circuit Lawyer, Young Lincoln, or simply Abraham Lincoln, is a sculpture by Lorado Taft located on Race Street in Urbana, Illinois, opposite Urbana High School in Carle Park. It depicts the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, recalling his work as a lawyer in the Eighth Circuit from 1837 to 1848. The statue was unveiled on July 3, 1927, later moved to the east entrance of Carle Park, and then shifted about 20 feet north to its current site in December 1955. It was restored in 2003 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
October 2003 © Dori · CC BY 2.0
June 2010 © Smallbones · Public domain
© Christy Pomatto · Public domain
© Capybara · Public domain
© Bkleinf2 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Identification | |
| Title | Lincoln the Lawyer |
| Alternative titles | The Young Circuit Lawyer; Young Lincoln; Abraham Lincoln |
| Type | Sculpture, statue |
Creator | |
| Artist | Lorado Taft |
Historical context | |
| Subject | Abraham Lincoln as a circuit lawyer |
| Depicted role | Lawyer for the Eighth Judicial Circuit from 1837 to 1848; rode the 8th Judicial Circuit through Urbana from 1837 to 1848 |
| Historical period | 1837 to 1848 |
Materials | |
| Material | Bronze |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Possible reason for acceptance | Taft may have accepted the commission because of his close ties to the community; he was raised in nearby Champaign |
| Commission note | The bequest amount was less than half of Taft's usual fee for a bronze commission |
| Donors' relationship to Lincoln | Mrs. J. O. Cunningham and her husband had been friends of Lincoln since his time as a circuit lawyer |
| Commission funding | $10,000 bequest from Mrs. J. O. Cunningham, funded by the sale of her house on nearby Green Street |
Location and ownership | |
| Current location | 1000 block of Race Street, Urbana, Illinois, United States, across from Urbana High School in Carle Park |
| Original unveiling location | Block 1000 of Race Street, Urbana, Illinois, United States, in front of Urbana High School in Carle Park |
| First relocation | December 4, 1927 to the eastern entrance of Carle Park |
| First relocation orientation | Facing east; Taft had requested it face southeast |
| Second relocation | December 1955, about 20 feet north to the present site |
History and restoration | |
| Unveiling date | July 3, 1927 |
| Dedicated by | Taft |
| Restoration date | 2003 |
| National Register of Historic Places listing date | March 10, 2004 |