The Glick Peace Walk is dedicated to individuals who achieved greatness through peaceful pursuits. The Peace Walk includes 12 distinctive sculptural gardens that celebrate the lives and accomplishments of these “luminaries.” The design elements of the luminary gardens enable visitors to gain a deeper understanding of how these inspiring individuals were able to overcome challenges and dedicate their lives to the greater good of society.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th president of the United States, from 1861-1865.  His tenure coincided with the bloody and contentious Civil War, a political crisis that began with almost half the nation seceding from the Union over the issue of human slavery and attacking the states that remained. Lincoln, an opponent of slavery and a pacifist by inclination, reluctantly went to war in order to preserve the Union. In 1863, in the middle of the war, Lincoln’s Congress, at his urging, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery in all federal territory, including in those states which had initially seceded but which had been retaken by Union forces. This was a turning point and the Union forces from then on saw more victories. As the war progressed, the goal became for the Union to gain control over the remaining rebelling states and free their slaves, granting them citizenship and voting rights.  The Confederate states eventually surrendered on April 9, 1865; five days later, a Confederate sympathizer assassinated Lincoln as he was attending a theater production.  Today, Lincoln is seen by most scholars and the general public as the United States’ best president.

The Peace Walk luminaries were designed by Rundell Ernstberger Associates, RLR Associates and Circle Design Group. Artists involved on the project included Smock Fansler Corporation, Tarpenning LaFollette Company, GRT Glass Design, and Santarossa Mosaic and Tile.