Revisiting the Homes of Abraham Lincoln

This post was originally written last summer and has since become one of the most read blog posts we’ve ever written. I’m guessing there are a lot of 5th graders who find this useful when they have to do their history report, but also there’s just something about Lincoln that makes us want to know more about him.

Abraham Lincoln

This post was originally written last summer and has since become one of the most read blog posts we’ve ever written. I’m guessing there are a lot of 5th graders who find this useful when they have to do their history report, but also there’s just something about Lincoln that makes us want to know more about him. From researching the places he’s lived, of all the presidents I’ve come across, he has some of the most diverse homes. From meager upbringings to a nice home to raise a family to living in the White House, Lincoln’s changes in housing have fallen right in line with his changes in lifestyle.

So this 4th of July week as we celebrate our country’s independence let’s look once more at the places The Great Emancipator called home.

Abraham Lincoln is making a comeback. I’m not quite sure he ever really went away, but Hollywood & authors alike seem to be lauding this Founding Father more today than in recent  memory. You’ve got Speilberg’s Lincoln hitting theaters this weekend starring Daniel Day Lewis and several fictional & historical books have been released about his years growing up & his term in office.

But one of the first things I remember learning about Abraham Lincoln is that he lived in a log cabin. As a boy I thought, what could be better than a home made entirely out of wood? So in honor of Lincoln’s new status as a vampire slaying pop culture icon, here’s a look at some of the places our 16th President called home:

Knob Creek Farm

Knob Creek Farm in Hodgenville, KY
This farm house is the one that Lincoln often mentioned as the place he most remembers as a child. Abraham Lincoln was 2 years old when his parents moved to this 230 acre farm land because it had fertile soil for the Lincolns to farm. The original home was torn down back in 1870, but this replica was reconstructed in 1930. Looks like log cabins can stand the test of time.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Home of Abraham & Mary Todd Lincoln in Springfield, IL
This home in downtown Springfield, IL was the early home for Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. History tells us they bought the home for a mere $1,200 and some land from Rev. Charles Dresser who was also the person that married them just two years before. The home was originally smaller than what you see pictured, but the Lincolns had some additions made to it to accommodate for their growing family.

Willard Hotel in Washington DC

Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.
So the obvious next home would be the White House, but a little known fact is that Lincoln actually stayed at the Willard Hotel prior to his presidential inauguration. In fact, Lincoln arrived here a bit earlier than expected when an assassination plot was uncovered and he was diverted from some appearances in Baltimore and instead sent to D.C. sooner than expected. The Willard Hotel was Lincoln’s residence for about 10 days prior to his inauguration and used the hotel as his home base for selecting cabinet members and is the place where Lincoln wrote his inaugural address. According to Abraham Lincoln Online, today the hotel maintains a small historical display in a hallway just inside the northeast entrance where you can see a copy of Lincoln’s $773.75 hotel bill which he paid with his first paycheck as president

For more info on Abraham Lincoln, visit Abraham Lincoln Online.

Photos courtesy of AbrahamLincolnOnline.org. Header image courtesy of Flickr user Phil Roeder

David Marine

Husband. Father. Socializer. Mets Lifer. TV Aficionado. Consumer Engager.

David Marine is the Chief Marketing Officer at Coldwell Banker, where he oversees the brand’s marketing efforts and content strategy including acting as managing editor for the Coldwell Banker blog and heading up video production efforts. While CMO by day, David runs a three ring circus at night as he is the father of 4 boys. He also happens to be married to Wonder Woman. True story.