Springfield Tour

[Joe Di Cola]

Laurie,

I had a few minutes to check on the date of the photo of the rear of Lincoln's house and it is 1860.

There have been questions about the street where Lincoln's home is located. When the NPS took over the site (thank heavens Illinois is not in charge of it!!!!!), any home that was not there when Lincoln lived on the street was removed. Any home that was extensively altered from its 1860 appearance was removed, but a marker put up marking the site if that home was there in 1860. All others still standing are homes that were there when Lincoln left in 1860 and have been restored to their appearance at that time. One exception is a 3/4-scale replica of the Edwards home (how it looked in 1842) which used to contain the replica parlor where the marriage took place. It is now a conference center and can be used for other functions via the NPS. Hope this helps.

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P.S.--The original Edwards home, where the Lincoln's were married, was much enlarged over the years. It was subsequently razed and its site is now occupied by the Centennial Building.