The Lincoln Memorial was designed by Henry Bacon from Watseka, Illinois. He seems to have been the perfect candidate to capture the very essence of Lincoln’s unassuming charisma. Bacon was so modest and self-effacing that he did not even put his profession on his office door. And yet he was greatly admired by his colleagues, who praised his sound knowledge, convivial character, and taste. He began his career at one of New York’s finest architectural firms and achieved fame as a designer of public memorials.