Abraham Lincoln statue unfit for park

City seeks 'new art experience' in South Park Blocks

A sign in Lincoln Square implies that the Lincoln statue is a thing of the past.

The Abraham Lincoln statue toppled by protesters in 2020 remains in storage as the Portland Office of Arts and Culture looks for what might replace it.

The chair of the Portland Landmarks Commission, Andrew Smith, opposed inclusion of the Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt statues in the park’s National Register listing. Their inclusion would essentially require their return to their now-empty plinths.

The National Register listing recognizes Lincoln’s statue as the focal point of Lincoln Square. But Smith admitted "I didn't read the entire nomination” at a landmarks meeting this year.

The Lincoln statue was dedicated in 1928.