Even more moving and memorable than the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum was the Lincoln Home National Historic Site not far away. After learning more about Lincoln's life, I especially wanted to see where he had lived. The house was Lincoln's home for seventeen years before he left for the White House in 1861. Upon arriving at his house located in a historic Springfield neighborhood, we were able to go on a tour with a park ranger. This was the only home he ever owned.
Lincoln came to Springfield in 1837 while he was a young lawyer. Many important events took place while he lived there, including his marriage to Mary Todd, the birth of his four boys, his time as a lawyer, his service in the Illinois state legislature and the death of his son Eddie. Lincoln, being elected as president in 1860, said goodbye to Springfield on February 11, 1861. Lincoln never returned while he was alive, but after his assassination in 1865, his body returned to rest in Springfield's Oak Ridge Cemetery.
We made our way to Oak Ridge Cemetery to pay our respects and it was a fitting end to the day. Lincoln's Tomb is quite a sight to see, with its incredible statues, its marble rooms and corridors leading to the burial chamber, and the massive granite gravesite marker. Lincoln's body rests in a concrete vault ten feet below the marker. It was placed there in 1901 to deter any attempts to steal Lincoln's body. Lincoln's wife and three of his sons, Eddie, Willie, and Tad are also interred there. I especially liked the different Civil War statues on the outside of the tomb.
Lincoln's House and Tomb gave me a deeper understanding of how human Lincoln was. He played with his kids in the sitting room of his house, wrote many speeches at the desk of his bedroom, used the handrail of the staircase to get to the second floor, and used the shaving kit and mirror that sits high on the wall of his room. Many of the objects in the house are originals, like the boy's stereoscope and Lincoln's wardrobe. Lincoln's Tomb was reminder of his greatness in the face of the nation's darkest hour and the tragedy of his death for the whole country.
I really enjoyed our time in Springfield and had a great time there, not just with visiting the Lincoln sites, but with our experience overall. For more pictures of our time in Springfield, please visit my photo set on Flickr.
Links to Learn More:
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Abraham Lincoln's House and Tomb
6 Comments:
I love getting feedback on my posts and I appreciate your thoughts, opinions and questions. However, any comments that are of a perverse nature or include obscene language will not be published. Any comments that contain links to another site will be deleted unless it adds to the discussion. Please read the full Comments Policy before posting. Thanks for visiting!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I couldn't agree with you more, Rebecca. The tomb is very profound and deeply moving for me. I stood and silently thanked Mr. Lincoln for saving our Union. The house is also great.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am getting ready to post in a day or two about my experience at the Boyhood National Memorial this past weekend. I've now completed my journeys to all the major Lincoln sites...birthplace, boyhood, Springfield, and Washington. What a Lincoln geek I am. :-)
Geoff,
ReplyDeleteThe house and tomb were profound for me because they showed how human Lincoln was. The house especially was so simple, without all the special effects and glamor of the presidential museum. Lincoln's tomb emphasized again the tragedy of this death, and what the Civil War cost.
I'm looking forward to your post about the Boyhood National Memorial. It'll be nice to see a new post from you! :)
Rebecca - as always, beautifully written. It's nice to know that there is another person out there as fascinated by Mr. Lincoln as I am.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. I love your blog.
Geoff,
ReplyDeleteLincoln was a fascinating character! Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it.
Rebecca, great post. I have long wanted to visit Springfield to see the Lincoln sites. There is a special insight into a person that can be gained when you see where they lived and the details of the intimate daily lives. Thanks for much for taking us there!
ReplyDeletefranceshunter,
ReplyDeleteI hope you can visit the Lincoln sites in Springfield, because they are memorable. Thanks for the comments!