Lincoln Home National Historic Site
U.S. NPS
SITE
426 S. 7th Street
Springfield, IL 62701
Daily 9am - 5pm
The 4-block Lincoln Home Neighborhood is open to pedestrians and closed to vehicles.
Parking - dedicated parking lot, $2 /hr
When driving down 7th street, our parking lot is located on the left-hand side after passing the Visitor Center
Guided Tours
- Tickets at Visitors Center
- Free
- 1st come 1st served
- 20 - 25min
- Shit gets busty March - Nov
HISTORY
The Lincoln Home was the first and only home Abraham Lincoln owned and still stands today, with much of the original structure, walls, and foundations remaining. The Lincoln Home in itself in an artifact, as well as a place of stories and memories that tell the stories of Abraham Lincoln and his family. It's growth and expansion mirrors the growth of the Lincoln family from a young couple with a baby to a presidential family bound for the White House, as well as Lincoln's growth from a young lawyer of humble origin to the highest position in the United States. In 1839, a small, humble, one-and-a-half cottage was constructed at the corner of Eighth and Jackson Streets in Springfield, Illinois. Its first resident, the Reverend Charles Dresser, married a young couple -- Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd -- in 1843. The following year, Abraham Lincoln purchased this house and moved in with his wife and his first son, Robert Todd. In 1850, the Lincolns suffered their first tragedy when their second son, Eddie, died just before his fourth birthday. The following year, they celebrated the birth of their third son Willie, and two years later their fourth and final child, Thomas (nicknamed Tad) was born. With a growing family, the Lincolns expanded their house by adding a full second floor by 1856. In addition to Abraham, Mary, and the children, sometimes individuals who were hired to help with chores and tasks around the house also lived in the Lincoln Home. These individuals, often young women, are known as the "hired girls." These girls did everything from cooking, cleaning, and serving to childcare and laundry. Mariah Vance worked in the Lincoln Home for 10 years, the longest of any hired help in the Lincoln Home.
