National Historic Sites - Illinois

Lincoln Home National Historic Site

7/28/2006 Headed into town and parked at the Lincoln Home NHS [Abraham Lincoln Home NHL] at opening; got ticket for first tour 15 minutes later. Already hot and humid! Nice talk by Ranger on the grounds of the 2X2 block area with original homes and look of how it was when Lincoln lived here. On into the house where Lincoln lived 17 years before heading to D.C. as President. Saw the original desk where he wrote the “house divided” speech among others and nicely restored rooms with good talk.

Lincoln's home

A view from around back

An interior view

The "house divided" desk

10/16/2021 Lincoln Home NHS and Abraham Lincoln NHL, in the Abraham Lincoln NHA. This was the only home Lincoln ever owned, where he lived from 1844 to 1861 before going to Washington. I had taken the tour here years ago but given the hour we had to settle for just a walk around reading interpretive signage and photoing the house.

NPS signage ...

... for the Lincoln Home

Some more history ...

... including Abe at home

A couple more views ...

... of the home

New Philadelphia National Historic Site

3/28/2025 On the road to the other NPS Unit target for the trip - New Philadelphia NHS and New Philadelphia Townsite NHL. This was the first known town planned and legally registered before the Civil War (1836), by an African American - Frank McWorter, a formerly enslaved man from Kentucky. Given that the whole town had been abandoned and eventually plowed under, there is really nothing remaining to see of it. There is a large canopy area with a number of interpretive signs. Something pretty cool, that time and fierce winds prevented us from fully enjoying, was an augmented reality presentation on our phones. You could see the live landscape overlayed with buildings, animals and people as it was when the town existed. We tried to get screen shots with us in it, but struggled to see the screen and keep the presentation going, and ended up with our heads stuck in buildings and such. Oh well.

The NPS kiosk ...

... with empty field of old town behind

The park sign

Some of the signage ...

... where Ken photos

... the NHL plaque

Plenty of ...

... stuff to read ...

... on interpretive signage

Overlays on the original town site

Hmmm ... floating buildings

Me stuck in a building ...

... as is Ken