Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Return Visit
Commissioned by the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania, Return Visit by J. Seward Johnson Jr. is considered one of the most lifelike statues of Abraham Lincoln ever produced. Johnson began with an 1865 cast of Lincoln's face by Calrk Mills and an 1860 cast of his hands by Leonard Volk. He sculpted the figure and then dressed it in a replica sut and coat patterned after the President's clothing. The shoes were modeled on an outline left by Lincoln's immigrant bootmaker, Pennsylvania Peter Kahler.
The bronze Lincoln raises his hat toward the second floor of the Wills House, where he put the finishing touches on the Gettysburg Address. A late-twentieth-century touris t stands by, his gaze following Lincoln's lifted hand.
At the statue's dedication on November 19, 1991, Johnson reflected: "I grew to feel Lincoln, the man, the individual… a person of great dignity and vision… I wanted him here on the sidewalk within our reach. That's why I have done my best to bring Lincoln to the likeness of life… to live amongst us and among the coming generations of Americans. We welcome him back here today, to breathe new life into
this page online
The Lincoln statue, standing 6'4" and weighing 700 pounds, is detailed down to his watch chain and a label inside his hat. The accompanying visitor figure weighs 400 pounds, wears modern clothing, and holds a copy of the Gettysburg Address.
[Caption:]
Abraham Lincoln on the speaker's platform on the dedication of the Gettysburg Soldiers' National Cemetery, November 19, 1863. Courtesy of Gettysburg History / Adams County Historical Society
Erected 2024 by Main Street Gettysburg. (Marker Number 12.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Communications • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania, Main Street Gettysburg series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 19, 1991.
Location. 39° 49.842′ N, 77° 13.845′ W. Marker is in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. It is at the intersection of Lincoln Square (U.S. 30) and Baltimore Street (Business U.S. 15), on the right when traveling north on Lincoln Square. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10 Lincoln
Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wills House (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Wills House (here, next to this marker); The David Wills House (a few steps from this marker); Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (a few steps from this marker); Old Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Company K, First Pennsylvania Reserves (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Stoever-Schick Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Citizens of Gettysburg (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers
Other markers no longer nearby. Return Visit (has been replaced with this marker); a different marker also named The Wills House (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Stoever-Schick Building (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 11, 2026
4. The text of the Gettysburg Address is visible in the modern figure's hand.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 14, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 14, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
