Park Archives: Lincoln Home National Historic Site

A self-taught lawyer with only one year of frontier schooling, Abraham Lincoln rode his horse into Springfield, III., in 1837 with all his belongings in two saddlebags. Mary Todd, who arrived two years later, was well educated and from a prominent Kentucky family. Despite contrasting backgrounds, they were married on November 4, 1842. In 1844 the couple bought a small cottage at the corner of Eighth and Jackson streets. Here, three of their four children were born, and one died. While living in this house Lincoln enjoyed great success as a lawyer and was considered one of the state's best courtroom attorneys. His legal practice regularly took Lincoln away from Springfield up to three months at a time. Their children certainly made the house a lively place, but Mary often felt alone without her husband present.

Lincoln began his political career by serving eight years in the Illinois House of Representatives between 1834 and 1842. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1846, where he served one term. He was nominated in June 1858 to run for the U.S. Senate, a race he lost to Stephen Douglas. But this campaign, with its Lincoln-Douglas debates, set the stage for his ultimate achievement—election as 16th president of the United States.

Before leaving for Washington, D.C., the Lincolns rented out the house and sold most of their household furnishings, storing a few in anticipation of their return to Springfield. On February 11, 1861, the Lincolns left Springfield by train. Lincoln summed up his life in Springfield to the crowd gathered at the station with these simple words:

Parlor
The Lincolns entertained guests in the parlor, the most formal and public room. This was the setting for an important event in the future president's political life. The 1860 Republican Party Convention, held in Chicago, chose Lincoln as its candidate for president. The next day a committee traveled to Springfield and, in this room, formally notified him of his nomination.

Kitchen
Mary largely devoted herself to managing the household and raising their children. Much of this domestic and private side of the home centered on the kitchen. Here Mary oversaw the activities that made this a well-run and inviting home, allowing Lincoln to devote his time and energy to the practice of law and politics.

Parents' bedroom suite
Lincoln frequently worked at home on both his legal and political careers. Although the parents' bedroom suite was in the private part of the house and seen by few outside the family, Mary chose the furnishings with care to reflect the tastes of a prosperous family.

Boys' bedroom
By 1860 the oldest son Robert was away at school. The two younger, mischievous boys, Willie and Tad, shared this bedroom. Law partner William Herndon said that Lincoln "worshipped his children and what they worshipped; he loved what they loved and hated what they hated."

By May 1844 Abraham and Mary Lincoln needed more living space for their growing family and decided to buy a house. They selected a Greek Revival-style cottage at the corner of Eighth and Jackson streets owned by Reverend Charles Dresser, who had married the Lincolns in 1842. Lincoln paid $1,500 for the home that the family would occupy for the next 17 years.

Over the years the Lincolns enlarged the house to accommodate their growing family. In 1846 they added a downstairs bedroom. Most dramatic were improvements in 1855-56, when the Lincolns expanded the story-and-a-half cottage to a full two-story house. This substantial home became the center of national attention during Lincoln's 1860 presidential campaign. Only a simple nameplate on the front door reading "A. Lincoln" told visitors that they had arrived at the home of the future president. After the election the Lincolns gave away or sold most of their furnishings and arranged to rent the house to Lucian Tilton, president of the Great Western Railroad. The Tiltons regularly indulged curious visitors with tours of President Lincoln's home.

Following Lincoln's assassination in 1865, thousands of grieving citizens descended on Springfield. The house became a focus of mourning for a stunned nation.

On May 4, 1865, Lincoln's somber yet grand funeral procession passed in front of the Lincoln home on its way to Oak Ridge Cemetery. Eventually Lincoln's only surviving son Robert became sole owner of the Lincoln family home and maintained it as rental property. In 1887 he donated the home to the people of Illinois, who preserved it as a memorial to the martyred president for 85 years. The State of Illinois donated the home to the United States of America in 1972.

Today the home continues to draw visitors from around the world who are eager to learn about Abraham Lincoln—an international symbol of freedom and democracy.

Abraham Lincoln moved to Springfield in 1837, the year it became the state capital. A promising town of 2,500 people, Springfield became the focal point of law, politics, and state government, yet livestock freely roamed its muddy streets. When Lincoln was elected to the presidency in 1860, the hogs were gone from its streets, and its population was just under 10,000. In a new neighborhood at the edge of this bustling capital city, the Lincoln home was only a few blocks from Lincoln's law office at the town square, near the Old State Capitol, courts, stores, and businesses. His neighbors represented a cross-section of society, from laborers to elected officials. All in all, this was an excellent location for a promising young Springfield attorney and his growing family.

The Lincoln home was nestled in a heavily developed neighborhood. By the time the Lincolns left Springfield, there were houses all along Eighth Street, and the yards were filled with barns, sheds, privies, and gardens. Today the remaining houses and outbuildings offer only a glimpse of what this lively neighborhood was like when the Lincolns lived here.

Visiting the Site The site is open 9 am to 5 pm year-round (with the last tour starting at 4 pm). It is closed on Thanksgiving day, December 25, and January 1.

Touring and Ticket Information To tour the Lincoln Home begin at the visitor center at 426 South Seventh Street. Parking is available for a fee in a parking lot at Seventh Street south of the visitor center. Free tickets for a specific tour time are provided first-come, first-served. Arrive early to avoid long waits for tours. No pets are permitted in the Lincoln Home.

Group Tours For information about group tours of the Lincoln Home and other Springfield sites, contact the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Visitor Center Here you will find information, exhibits, orientation films, restrooms, and a museum shop. You may also walk through the historic neighborhood and view exhibits in some of the houses.

Accessibility The visitor center, exhibits, and first floor of the Lincoln Home are accessible for visitors in wheelchairs. Service animals are welcome.

Safety You will encounter conditions that were part of everyday life in the 1800s. Irregular boardwalks, surfaces with loose stones, and narrow and steep staircases are part of the historic scene. Please be careful. For firearms laws and policies see the park website.

Related Sites The Great Western Depot where Lincoln gave his farewell address and several state historic sites are within walking distance or a short drive from the Lincoln Home: Lincoln's New Salem, Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, Old State Capitol, and Lincoln's Tomb. You might also want to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

For information on these and other attractions contact: Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, www.visit-springfieldillinois.com.

The contents of brochures, site bulletins and trading cards (denoted with a colored caption) can be viewed by clicking on the cover. Most modern-day brochures, however, are cover only (denoted by a white caption) due to photograph copyrights. These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. The dates under each brochure do not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued.

1972	1975	1984	1985	1989	1990
2000-2004		cover only 2010-2020

1860 Election Date Unknown		Interpretation of the 1860 Lincoln Home Photographs Date Unknown		Abraham Lincoln and the Constitution Date Unknown
The Cooper Union Address - The Making of a Candidate Date Unknown		Decorating the Home Date Unknown		Faith Communities in Lincoln's Springfield 8/2009
Mr. Lincoln's First Senate Bid Date Unknown		The Freeport Doctrine Date Unknown		Lincoln's Hired Girls 8/2008
Happy Holidays! Date Unknown		The Underground Railroad in Lincoln's Neighborhood 2/2008		Lincoln's Neighborhood and the Civil War Date Unknown
The Rally Photograph 2007		Slavery and the Civil War 6/2005		Did Lincoln Start Thanksgiving? 11/2008
Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt Date Unknown		Learn About the Underground Railroad 2/2008		Wallpaper in the Lincoln Home Date Unknown
The Lincoln Home Neighborhood: Yesterday and Today 2005		Hats Off to Mr. Lincoln Date Unknown		Places Dedicated to Abraham Lincoln Date Unknown
Journey to Greatness Date Unknown		Mary Lincoln Date Unknown		Give While You Live The Generosity of Julius Rosenwald Date Unknown
Cell Phone Audio Tour Date Unknown
Trading Cards

(©Jefferson National Parks Association)

The following visual bibliography is just a sampling of the handbooks and books which have been published for this park. NPSHistory.com does not endorse these, but are merely presenting them for informational purposes only. As most are copyrighted, we are only able to provide the covers, and not contents, of these publications.

cover only

Lincoln the Hoosier
Indiana Lincoln Union
1927

cover only

Abraham Lincoln: A Living Legacy
2008