Courtesy of the Lincoln Museum
Honest Abe Slept Here
Few people know that President Lincoln lived away from the White House for a quarter of his presidency—and today you can visit the other place he called home. On February 18, 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation unveiled its seven-year restoration of Lincoln's Cottage, the 34-room Gothic Revival house built in 1842 where Lincoln and his family stayed in the summer and fall during the Civil War years. Located three miles north of the White House, the cottage sits on a breezy hilltop on the grounds of the old Soldiers' Home (now the Armed Forces Retirement Home), a 272-acre preserve founded in 1851 as a facility for retired and disabled veterans. While living at the cottage, Lincoln commuted to the White House by horseback or carriage, often chatting with Union soldiers along the way and once surviving an assassination attempt. He also used the house for important meetings and quiet reflection; historians believe he worked on several drafts of the Emancipation Proclamation there. Now the NTHP leads guided tours that offer a glimpse of Lincoln's day-to-day life as president. Reservations are recommended; call 800-514-3849 or visit Lincoln Cottage.
Few people know that President Lincoln lived away from the White House for a quarter of his presidency—and today you can visit the other place he called home. On February 18, 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation unveiled its seven-year restoration of Lincoln's Cottage, the 34-room Gothic Revival house built in 1842 where Lincoln and his family stayed in the summer and fall during the Civil War years. Located three miles north of the White House, the cottage sits on a breezy hilltop on the grounds of the old Soldiers' Home (now the Armed Forces Retirement Home), a 272-acre preserve founded in 1851 as a facility for retired and disabled veterans. While living at the cottage, Lincoln commuted to the White House by horseback or carriage, often chatting with Union soldiers along the way and once surviving an assassination attempt. He also used the house for important meetings and quiet reflection; historians believe he worked on several drafts of the Emancipation Proclamation there. Now the NTHP leads guided tours that offer a glimpse of Lincoln's day-to-day life as president. Reservations are recommended; call 800-514-3849 or visit Lincoln Cottage.
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