Lincoln, Legos and the National Cathedral

By David J. Kent

Washington, DC

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Abraham Lincoln turns up in the most unexpected places. That said, most members of the Lincoln Group of DC are probably aware that there is a Lincoln nook in the Washington National Cathedral on Wisconsin Avenue. One of our members, Betsy Grim, recently participated in a once-in-a-lifetime and heartwarming event at the cathedral. And yes, Lincoln was involved. And Legos. Here's her report:

In the very northwest corner of the Washington National Cathedral's nave is the Lincoln Bay, dedicated to the memory of President Abraham Lincoln. It is the very first bay on the left as one enters the nave's main entrance and is opposite the George Washington Bay on the right. The heroic bronze statue of Lincoln is by Walker Hancock, who by the way, was played by John Goodman in the movie Monument Men. Lincoln's farewell address to the city of Springfield Illinois is carved on the wall. Throughout the space are numerous other artistic references to Lincoln.

When I was married in the Bethlehem Chapel of the Washington Cathedral in 1968 the Lincoln Bay had not been built. The Lincoln statue was dedicated on February 12, 1984.

Unbeknownst to me, two very dear friends - Drs. Charles and Elizabeth Tidball - donated funds for the Lincoln Bay as a wedding present to me and my husband. I thought we had been given a stone somewhere in the cathedral.

So, while visiting the cathedral about a year ago I visited the Lego 1:40 scale replica of the cathedral. The finished model is planned to use more than 500,000 Lego bricks and will be about 13 feet long and 8 feet tall. I told the docent I would give them $500 if they could find my stone in the cathedral.

A year passed and I got a request to come sign the Lego representation of the Lincoln Bay.  Yes, the donors had given this gift to me and my husband.  WOW! It was especially moving to me because of my love of Abraham Lincoln, so I had to share this with you. 

In the photo above you can see Betsy holding the Lego model of the Lincoln Bay in the Cathedral, with glimpses of the Lincoln statue and the farewell speech in the background.

Have an interesting Lincoln-related experience? Reach out to us and we'll make sure to relay it here on Lincolnian.org.