413 SOUTH 8TH STREET, SPRINGFIELD, SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Situated on the corner of 8th Street and Jackson Street in Springfield, Illinois, is the only home that Abraham Lincoln ever owned. Reverend Charles Dresser built this house in 1839 and lived in it for only 5 years. This same reverend married Abraham and Mary Todd. In 1844, Mr. Lincoln was a young promising attorney who purchased the home for $1,500. As wise as Mr. Lincoln was, he invested in making several additions to increase the value of the home. The Lincoln family lived there for 17 years before father Abraham became the 16th president of the United States. On February 11, 1861, the Lincoln family left Springfield on a train to Washington D.C., settling into the White House.
The exterior and interior of this home had architectural elements traditional to fashions of the 18th century era. Overall, the exterior is a cross between Greek Revival and Georgian Colonial design with some Italianate detailing. Classic elements are characterized by its symmetry, paired chimneys, medium-pitched roof, and the paneled front center door. There are six-over-six window sashes, decorative brackets in the eaves, with wood moldings atop the windows. The house is very identifiable, painted in light tan with proportionally laid-out green shutters. The front door is unusually inset, signaling that it might be a remnant of a once-columned porch. Greek Revival-styled houses had these common entry porticoes.
Mr. Lincoln took pride in fixing up his own home by making plenty of renovations. The original one-and-one-half-story high house soon became two stories once the “sloped” ceilings were raised with room additions. The new roof had a pronounced overhang. In 1846, a bedroom and pantry were added to the back of the house; in 1853, a barn was built. Mary Todd Lincoln desired a “proper Victorian interior” in constructing a dividing wall between the kitchen and dining room. These architectural transformations took place between 1844 to 1861.
Sadly, the Lincolns never returned to their home in Springfield because of the president’s tragic assassination. The last tenant lived in this house from 1861 to 1887, making personal profits conducting it as a museum. In 1887, the eldest son Robert Lincoln sold the house to the State of Illinois. Today, the Lincolns’ Springfield home is a museum still managed by the National Park Service. This national treasure has been carefully restored to its 1860 appearance. A tour of a prior American president’s house is always a fascinating experience. History enthusiasts appreciate even the smallest details of a historical home that includes the fine architectural wood moldings and trim. Preservationists do a fine job in furthering President Abraham Lincoln’s legacy.
