Lincoln the Debater statue - Freeport, IL
Posted by: 
adgorn
N 42° 18.190 W 089° 36.337
16T E 285228 N 4686724
A standing portrait of Lincoln depicted as he appeared at the time of the Lincoln-Douglas debate of 1858.
Waymark Code: WMHHEP
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 07/11/2013
Views: 2
More from the Smithsonian website (
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"He is shown beardless with his hands behind his back. He wears a knee-length overcoat with a vest underneath, and stands with his feet together.
Artist: Crunelle, Leonard, 1872-1944, sculptor. American Bronze Company, founder.
Dates: Commissioned 1928. Cast 1929. Dedicated Aug. 27, 1929.
Medium: Sculpture: bronze; Base: red granite with a bronze plaque.
Dimensions: Sculpture: approx. 10 ft. 6 in. x 4 ft. 2 in. x 3 ft. 5 in.; Base: approx. 2 ft. 9 in. x 9 ft. x 6 ft. 9 in.
Inscription: (Side of sculpture, near Lincoln's proper left foot:) LEONARD GRUNELLE (sic) (Back of sculpture, at bottom:) AM-ART BRONZE FDY/CHICAGO 1929 (Plaque on back of base:) PRESENTED BY/HON. W.T. RAWLEIGH/AUGUST 27, 1929/TO COMMEMORATE/THE LINCOLN DOUGLAS DEBATE/HELD IN FREEPORT, ILLINOIS/AUGUST 27, 1858 signed Founder's mark appears.
Remarks: The sculpture was commissioned by Freeport industrialist W. T. Rawleigh in 1928 to commemorate the Lincoln-Douglas Debate that took place in Freeport on Aug. 27, 1858."
An informational sign placed by the Journal Standard newspaper explains the origin of the statue.
Very surprising to me that he sculptor's name is misspelled in the inscription! For views of other Crunelle works in the Chicago area see Public Art in Chicago (
visit link)