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-SPAN
The
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.
Presidency
in History
Extensive information on
Lincoln from American President.org
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