Lincoln Home
Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois
Marker Inscription
The only home Abraham Lincoln ever owned, where he lived 1844โ1861 and learned of his election as the 16th President.
Erected by National Park Service
The Story
Lincoln bought this Springfield house as a young lawyer and rising politician. He left it in 1861 for Washington, telling neighbors he might never return โ and he did not.
Why it matters
It is the most personal surviving site of Lincoln's life before the presidency that would test the nation.
Related people
- ยท Abraham Lincoln
Related events
- ยท Lincoln presidency
Themes & tags
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