Lincoln Home National Historic Site preserves the

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest ...

home and related historic district where

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

lived from 1844 to 1861, before becoming the 16th

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

. The presidential memorial includes the four blocks surrounding the home and a

visitor center A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors. Types of visitor center A visi ...

Historic site

In 1837, Lincoln moved to Springfield from New Salem at the start of his law career. He met his wife,

Mary Todd Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also cal ...

, at her sister's home in Springfield and married there in 1842. The historic-site house at 413 South Eighth Street at the corner of Jackson Street, bought by Lincoln and his wife in 1844, was the only home that Lincoln ever owned. Three of their children were born there and one, Eddie, died there. The house contains twelve rooms spread over two floors. During the time he lived here, Lincoln was elected to the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

in 1846, and elected President in 1860. The Lincoln Home has been completely restored to it
1860 appearance
Lincoln's son,

Robert Todd Lincoln Robert Todd Lincoln (August 1, 1843 – July 26, 1926) was an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He was the eldest son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. Robert Lincoln became a business lawyer and company presi ...

donated the family home to the State of Illinois in 1887 under the condition that it would forever be well maintained and open to the public at no charge. This came as a result of tenants who would charge those who wanted to visit Lincoln's home and that many tenants tended to leave the home in disrepair. The home and

Lincoln Tomb The Lincoln Tomb is the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States; his wife Mary Todd Lincoln; and three of their four sons: Edward, William, and Thomas. It is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfie ...

, also in Springfield, were designated

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

s on December 19, 1960, and automatically listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on October 15, 1966. The home and adjacent district became a National Historic Site on August 18, 1971 and is owned and administered by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...

. It is one of two National Park Service properties in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

Other structures

Along with the Lincoln Home, several other structures within the four-block area are also preserved. All the homes have been restored to their appearance during the time Lincoln lived in the neighborhood. Two of these structures, the Dean House and the Arnold House, are open to visitors and house exhibits on the life and times of Lincoln and his neighbors. In total, the buildings included in the park occupy . Samuel Rosenwald purchased the Lyon House on Eighth Street across from Lincoln's home in 1868. Samuel's son

Julius Rosenwald Julius Rosenwald (August 12, 1862 – January 6, 1932) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He is best known as a part-owner and leader of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and for establishing the Rosenwald Fund, which donated millions in ...

went on to become president of Sears Roebuck and Company and a major philanthropist; the Lyon House was Julius's boyhood home. A plaque was unveiled when the house was renamed in his honor in 2020.

Neighborhood

Nearby in Springfield is the Old State Capitol where Lincoln served as a State Legislator, the

building A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and func ...

which housed the law offices of Lincoln and his partner William Herndon from 1844 until 1852, and the Lincoln Depot from which Lincoln left the city for his 1861 inauguration.

References

External links

*
National Historic Landmark information

''Lincoln Home National Historic Site:A Place of Growth and Memory,'' a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan"Life Portrait of Abraham Lincoln"
from

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States ...

's '' American Presidents: Life Portraits'', broadcast from Lincoln Home National Historic Site, June 28, 1999 {{authority control Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois National Historic Landmarks in Illinois National Historic Sites in Illinois Presidential homes in the United States Illinois in the American Civil War Historic house museums in Illinois Museums in Springfield, Illinois Presidential museums in Illinois Protected areas established in 1971 National Register of Historic Places in Springfield, Illinois Protected areas of Sangamon County, Illinois Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois 1971 establishments in Illinois Houses in Springfield, Illinois Monuments and memorials to Abraham Lincoln in the United States

Historic site

Other structures

Neighborhood

See also

References

External links