DURING HIS LIFE TIME, ABRAHAM LINCOLN ONLY OWNED ONE HOME.
TODAY THAT HOME IS OVERSEEN BY
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, AND
IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON A
DAILY BASIS.
THE LINCOLN HOME WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1839 BY THE REVEREND CHARLES DRESSER, THE MINISTER WHO ENDED
UP MARRYING THE LINCOLN'S.
THE LINCOLN'S BOUGHT IT HAD IN
1844 WHEN IT WAS A SMALL
COTTAGE, JUST ONE AND A HALF
STORIES.
THEN IT ENLARGED OVER THE 17
YEARS THE LINCOLN'S LIVED IN THE
HOME TO THE SIZE AND SHAPE THAT
IT IS TODAY.
WHEN THE LINCOLN'S MOVED IN HERE
IN 1844, MOVED TO THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH
THE EDGE OF TOWN.
WE ARE STANDING HERE ON 8TH
STREET, TENTH STREET TO THE EAST
HAS RAILROAD WHICH IT DID THEN.
AND BEYOND THAT, WAS REALLY OPEN
PASTURE AND PRAIRIE.
IF YOU TRY TO THINK IN TODAY'S
TERMS OF A NEW SUBDIVISION,
THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS.
>> BEFORE THE LINCOLN'S EXPANDED
THEIR HOME, THE BACK PARLOR WAS
THE MASTER BEDROOM.
HERE, MARY GAVE BIRTH OF THREE
OF THEIR CHILDREN.
IN THIS ROOM, THE SECOND, EDDIE,
DIED JUST BEFORE HIS FOURTH
BIRTHDAY.
WHEN THE SECOND STORY WAS ADDED,
THE LINCOLN'S, AS WAS A CUSTOM
OF THE DAY, MOVED INTO SEPARATE
BEDROOMS.
THIS WAS ABRAHAM'S.
WHILE THE FURNITURE IN THESE
ROOMS IS OF THE PERIOD, NOT ALL
ARE ORIGINAL.
BEFORE THE LINCOLN'S LEFT FOR
WASHINGTON D.C., THEY FIRST MADE
ARRANGEMENTS TO RENT THEIR HOME
OUT.
THEN THEY HAD A BIG YARD SALE.
THEY SOLD A LOT OF THE
FURNITURE.
WE FIGURED THEY WOULD JUST BUY
NEW FURNITURE WHEN THEY RETURNED
TO SPRINGFIELD AFTER THE
PRESIDENCY.
THE SHAVING MIRROR IS ORIGINAL
THAT HANGS ON THE WALL IN
LINCOLN'S BEDROOM.
IT IS KIND OF INTERESTING TO
POINT OUT THE FACT EVERY ONE
PICTURES PRESIDENT LINCOLN
HAVING A FINE FULL BEARD.
ATTORNEY LINCOLN WAS CLEAN
SHAVEN.
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE TIME OF HIS
ELECTION HE GREW THE BEARD.
THE WALLPAPER, WELL IN THE
LINCOLN BEDROOM, YES, IS EXACT
COPY OF THE WALLPAPER
MRS. LINCOLN PICKED OUT.
STYLES AND TASTES DO CHANGE.
THIS WAS THE HOME AND WALLPAPER
HEIGHT OF FASHION FOR 1860.
MRS. LINCOLN WAS CERTAINLY UP ON
THE LATEST TRENDS AND STYLES.
BUT THE MOST FAMOUS ROOM IS THE
FORMAL PARLOR.
AT THAT TIME IT WAS A PRACTICE
FOR NOMINEES NOT TO ATTEND
POLITICAL CONVENTIONS.
SO HE RECEIVED WORD THROUGH THE
TELEGRAPH OFFICE HE WAS A
NOMINEE, BUT A DELEGATION CAME
DOWN TO OFFICIALLY ASK HIM IF HE
WOULD ACCEPT THEIR NOMINATION.
MR. LINCOLN RECEIVED THEM IN THE
FORMAL PARLOR.
>> HE TOLD THEM OWE NEEDED TO
STUDY THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM
AND THINK ABOUT IT.
OWE KNEW IT WAS A BIG DECISION,
AND HE KNEW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF
A REPUBLICAN WANTED TO LIMIT THE
EXPANSION OF SLAVERY WAS ELECTED
TO PRESIDENCY, IT WOULD THROW
THE COUNTRY INTO A TURMOIL.
IT WAS A BIG DECISION FOR HIM TO
MAKE.
HE THOUGHT IT OVER FOR A FEW
DAYS AND THEN ACCEPTED.
>> TODAY THE HOME APPEARS PRETTY
MUCH AS IT DID ON THAT DAY WHEN
LINCOLN ACCEPTED THE NOMINATION
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL THAT HAS BEEN
RESTORED.
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IS
ATTEMPTING TO RECREATE THE 1860
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THE LINCOLNS
MIGHT HAVE RECOGNIZED.
WE DON'T WANT TO IGNORE THE REST
OF THE HISTORY OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD WITH PEOPLE THAT
HAVE COME AND GONE OVER THE
YEARS.
ONE IS THE CORENEL HOUSE, CORNER
OPPOSITE OF THE LINCOLN HOAVMENT
THE FAMILY WAS INVOLVED IN CORE
CORENEL AND DRUGSTORE.
, LINCOLN FAMILY SHOP.
TO THE NORTH, IS JULIA SPRIGUE
HOUSE.
SHE HAD A DAUGHTER ALSO NAMED
JULIA, YOUNG BOYS SOMETIMES,
ESPECIALLY TAD LIKED TO GO OVER
AND PLAY IN THE HOURS.
THERE WAS A STORY WHERE LINCOLN
WOULD HAVE TO FIND TAD, KNOWING
HE WAS HIDING, AND MRS. STRIGUE
WOULD PLAY ALONG AND BRING HIM
HOME FOR SUPPER.
MRS. SPRIGUE AND MRS. LINCOLN WE
KNOW WERE FRIENDS.
>> THIS WOEM HOME BELONGED TO
JESSE DUBOIS.
HE WAS AUDITOR IN 1856 AND
SERVED IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
WITH LINCOLN.
TODAY THE HOUSE IS UNDERGOING
RESTORATION WHICH IS IS A
LENGTHY PROCESS.
ACROSS FROM THE LINCOLN HOME IS THE HOUSE OF CHARLES ARNOLD WHO WAS AT ONE TIME THE COUNTY
SHERIFF.
INSIDE DISPLAYS TAKE VISITORS
THROUGH THE PROCESS OF
RESTORATION.
INSIDE IT DISCUSSES THE WORK
THAT WE DO HERE IN REGARDS TO
HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND
RESTORATION WORK AND WHAT IS
INVOLVED STARTING WITH
RESEARCHING IN THE LIBRARY, AND
DOING -- LOOKING AT NEWSPAPERS
AND MAPS TO TRY TO LEARN ABOUT A
HOUSE AND THEN IT GOES ONTO
ARCHAEOLOGY THAT IS INVOLVED.
AT ANOTHER HOME, VISITORS CAN
EXPLORE EXHIBITS ABOUT THE
FAMILY, SEE MODELS OF HOW THE
HOME CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, AND
VIEW ITEMS FOUND DURING
ARCHEOLOGICAL DIGS.
TODAY VISITORS FROM AROUND THE
GLOBE COME TO TOUR LINCOLN'S
NEIGHBORHOOD, LEARN ABOUT LIFE
IN THE 1860'S, AND TOUR HIS
HOME.
A HOME WHOSE DOOR BEARS A SIMPLE
AND UNDERSTATED NAME PLATE, "A
LINCOLN."
>> GUIDED TOURS ARE OFFERED
DAILY AND ARE FREE OF CHARGE.
JUST GO TO THE VISITOR'S CENTER
AND GET A TICKET WITH AN
ASSIGNED TIME FSM THERE IS A
LONG WAIT, CAN YOU VISIT OTHER
SITES IN SPRINGFIELD, AND STILL
NOT LOSE YOUR RESERVED SPOT IN
LINE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE LINCON HOME CALL 800-545-7300