This was Abraham Lincoln's home in Springfield, Illinois for 17 years.  He bought the home with some adjoining land in 1844 for $1200 and it is the only home he ever owned.  In 1861, upon becoming a presidential candidate, he held a farewell reception here.  After becoming President, the Lincolns rented the house and sold most of their furniture.

Located in a 4 block historic neighborhood in Springfield, the home has now been restored to its 1860s appearance and it appears much as Lincoln would have remembered it.  When it was built, it was much smaller than you see it today.  The Lincolns enlarged the house to a full two stories in 1856 to meet the needs of their growing family.  Three of the Lincoln's 4 sons were born here, and one (Edward) died here in 1850 at 4 years of age. 

The home is a simple Greek Revival structure and doesn't impress like Washington's Mt. Vernon or Jefferson's Monticello.  Neither Lincoln nor Mary were known as gardeners and didn't devote much effort to landscaping the grounds.

 

LINCOLN'S TOMB:

When Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, his Illinois friends immediately sought permission to bury him in Springfield's Oak Ridge Cemetery, and formed an association to build his tomb.  While the tomb was being built, his body was held  in the cemetery's public receiving vault on the hill below the present tomb. 

The tomb was designed by Vermont sculptor Larkin Mead and was dedicated in 1874. The identifying symbol is an 117-foot granite obelisk with a statue of Lincoln in front.  The obelisk is surrounded by four major sculptural groups.  On the walk up to the tomb is a famous sculptural bust of Lincoln designed by Gutzon Borglum, famous for Mount Rushmore.  Visitors have adopted the habit of rubbing the nose of this statue for luck.  Thus, the nose is highly polished while the rest of the sculpture retains its natural patina. 

Inside the tomb are the final resting places of Lincoln, Mary, and three of their 4 sons. (His 4th Robert is buried at Arlington).  A red marble marker stands above the area where Lincoln's coffin lies.  His body actually rests below the floor in a steel and concrete-reinforced vault.  This change was made in 1899 when the monument needed reconstruction, partly to deter grave robbers, because an attempt on the body had been made in 1876.  (Actually Lincoln's coffin has been moved 17 times, mostly due to numerous reconstructions of the Lincoln Tomb and fears for the safety of the President's remains.  The coffin itself has been opened 5 times.)

Oak Ridge Cemetery is the second most visited cemetery in the U. S. - after Arlington National Cemetery.