| Lincoln Home National Historic Site | |
History:
Abraham Lincoln purchased his first and only house in May of 1844, a one-and-a-half-story cottage at Eighth and Jackson streets in Springfield, Illinois that was eventually expanded into two stories. Lincoln and his family lived in the home for 17 years (1844-1861) before Abraham Lincoln was elected to be the 16th President of the United States on November 6, 1860. The family had three short months to prepare for their move to Washington, D.C. The Lincolns decided that the home would be a part of their future, as well as their past, and therefore the home was rented rather than sold and their best furniture placed in storage for their eventual return. But after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in April of 1865, Mary Lincoln wrote that she "could not bear to return to the scenes of the happiest times in my life without my family."
The Lincoln Home remained rental property until Lincoln's son, Robert, donated the home to the State of Illinois in 1887 to be protected and preserved for future generations. In 1972 the home was conveyed to the United States of America, which through the National Park Service continued the State's work in preservation and restoration of the home, along with acquisition and restoration of the surrounding four-block neighborhood. The house today reflects the Lincoln Home of 1860. By that date, the Lincoln family numbered five - Abraham, Mary, Willie, and Tad, although for much of that year, Robert was away at preparatory school.
Other National Park Sites:Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site
An early 19th century Kentucky cabin, symbolic of the one in which Lincoln was born, is preserved in a memorial building at the site of his birth.Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
A unit of the National Park System that preserves the site of the farm where Abraham Lincoln spent 14 formative years of his life, from the ages of 7 to 21.Ford's Theatre National Historic Site
On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was shot while attending a show here. Museum contains portions of the Olroyd Collection of Lincolniana.Lincoln Memorial
A tribute to President Lincoln and the nation during the Civil War. Features a 19-foot-high marble statue by sculptor Daniel Chester French.Lincoln Resources:
A. Lincoln Bibliophile
A web site is dedicated to Lincoln books and Lincoln bibliography by Daniel E. Pearson.Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
A Federal Government appointed commission responsible for stimulating Lincoln observances throughout the period leading up to the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth -- February 12, 2009.Abraham Lincoln Online
Includes a variety of information on Abraham Lincoln, including speeches, books, places of interest, as well as a discussion forum.The American Presidency
Biographical information on President Lincoln from Grolier.American Presidents - Life Portraits
Information on Abraham Lincoln from C-SPANThe Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln
A multi-volume set of Lincoln's correspondence, speeches, and other writings published by the Abraham Lincoln Association and now available in electronic form.Lincoln Legal Papers
A Documentary History of the Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln (1836-1861).Lincoln Resources
A vast collection of online information on Abraham Lincoln from the Internet Public Library.Lincoln's Homes
A list and brief description of the homes occupied by Abraham Lincoln.Mr. Lincoln's Virtual Library
Highlights two collections at the Library of Congress that illuminate the life of Abraham Lincoln.The Papers of Abraham Lincoln
A long-term project dedicated to identifying, photographing, and publishing, both in electronic form and selectively in printed volumes all documents written by or to Abraham Lincoln during his entire lifetime (1809-1865).Presidential Biography
Basic information on the 16th President of the United States from the White House web site.
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Lincoln Home National Historic Site |
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