LINCOLN HOME 2004
This is a large photograph; so, as it loads, you can watch Abraham Lincoln's home in Springfield IL appear. Note the two large chimneys in the corners of the roof: a sign of the times when fireplaces, not oil furnaces, were the important sources of heat. Lincoln followed his profession and made his name while living in this house, and it was from here that he left for Washington, D.C.
Originally, this was a one-and-a-half story house where the outside rooms on the second floor have sloping walls. Lincoln literally "raised the roof" on this house after he had become successful enough to be able to afford it. Hence the roof and the trim style were Lincoln's (or his wife's) choice.
The outside shutters are a maintenance nightmare nowadays, but they were an useful invention for the times.
The three tourists in this photo, which was taken by a guide, are Bill, Dave, and Paul. The whole street is an historical preservation which includes several nearby buildings from the same time period. There is no traffic on the street, and the street itself is covered with a walking gravel.
We were led down the the side walk along the white fence that you see on the right, and we entered the building via a disabled access in the rear. The guide was very helpful. The rooms inside, as is often the case in older houses, were fairly small for wheelchair maneuver. Guides inside gave talks about the various aspects of Lincoln's history that are revealed in the house.
The whole area is well worth a visit, and I could not help but remember the tiny one room cabin in Kentucky in which Lincoln had started his life.