Lincoln Homestead State Park
| Lincoln Homestead State Park | |
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| Location | Washington County, Kentucky, USA |
| Nearest city | Springfield, Kentucky |
| Coordinates | 37°44′54″N 85°12′35″W / 37.74833°N 85.20972°WCoordinates: 37°44′54″N 85°12′35″W / 37.74833°N 85.20972°W |
| Area | 150 acres (0.61 km2) |
| Governing body | State of Kentucky |
Lincoln Homestead State Park is a park located just north of Springfield, Kentucky in Washington County. The park encompasses 120 acres (0.49 km2), and features both historic buildings and reconstructions associated with Thomas Lincoln, father of the president Abraham Lincoln.[1]
The three houses are associated with Thomas Lincoln, the father of Abraham Lincoln. The two-story Francis Berry House is the only original structure; it was where Nancy Hanks, Abraham's mother, was working as a seamstress and living while being courted by Thomas Lincoln. Thomas proposed to Nancy by the large fireplace in the cabin.[2]
The other two buildings are reconstructions: the workshop where Thomas learned blacksmithing and carpentry, and the Lincoln cabin. The 16 feet (4.9 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m) structure was built on the site of the original Lincoln cabin where Thomas lived with his family as a boy. It is made of 115-year-old logs. The furnishings were made by Thomas Lincoln as an artisan.[3]
Captain Abraham Lincoln, the president's grandfather, had moved to the site in 1781-2 with his wife Beersheba and children from Virginia following the American Revolutionary War. He was killed in May 1786 in an attack by an American Indian. Thomas was saved by his oldest brother Mordecai's shooting the Indian before he could do anything to the boy. Captain Lincoln was buried near the cabin, but the exact location is unknown.[4]
The buildings are open between May and September. Camping on the grounds is not permitted, but visitors may picnic there as well as fish at the lake. There is also a playground for the children.[3]
The park includes an 18-hole golf course on the land Mordecai Lincoln once farmed. On the other side of the road from the golf course is the Mordecai Lincoln House, built by Mordecai as an adult. It is a state-recognized historic structure.[3][5]
[edit] References
- ^ Kleber, John E., ed. (1992). "Parks, State". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Associate editors: Thomas D. Clark, Lowell H. Harrison, and James C. Klotter. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0813117720.
- ^ DuPont-Ewing, p.117
- ^ a b c Off the Beaten Path: A Travel Guide to More Than 1,000 Scenic and Interesting Places Still Uncrowded and Inviting. Readers Digest. 2003. ISBN 0762104244.
- ^ Davenport p. 5
- ^ Groene p.18
- Davenport, Don (2002). In Lincoln's Footsteps: A Historical Guide to the Lincoln Sites in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Big Earth Publishing. ISBN 193159905X.
- DuPont-Ewing, Annette C. (2007). Washington County. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738552992.
- Groene, Janet (2000). Great Eastern RV Trips: A Year-Round Guide to the Best Rving in the East. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 0071349294.
[edit] External links
- Lincoln Homestead State Park - official site
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