Original Lincoln Home Cottage to be Reconstructed

[Anita]

Norm, sorry I'm late with this reply to your post # 30.

Thanks for the link to the tour of the Lincoln Home by Susan Haake. When I took the in person tour I often couldn't sync what the guide was describing from my viewpoint. Susan talked about some of the changes/additions were made. BTY she used the term "sleeping lofts" to describe the bedrooms in the 1 1/2 story The highest point was 6'6". She gave a very informative tour and seeing close up views through the eye of the camera was a plus.

You mention " Furnishing the cottage as it may have appeared in 1844 would be highly conjectural." This is from an article in the Illinois Times.
Ad hoc committee member Sue Massie has explored possibilities for furnishing the cottage, and envisions period or reproduction pieces where "chairs could be sat in, dressers opened, and tables used for dining. Such use would enhance the sense of the Lincolns' life in the home," Massie said.
https://www.illinoistimes.com/springfiel...d=12320262

When I mentioned the use of current technology I meant it to be used by NPS to replace the current models.

In the article by Mike Jackson he states" There is a huge crisis facing America's house museums. The public interest in this type of cultural attraction is waning and virtually none of them are self-supporting. The ALA has accurately calculated that a historic house museum won't pay for itself in admission charges and therefore needs a perpetual funding source for its long-term care."

This issue is being addressed by historic museum houses across the country by exploring innovative ways to improve the history experience. One replaced all of their furniture with replicas. Visitors are encouraged to touch the beds, sit on the chairs, and open the desks. This emphasis on a hands-on experience has restructured the way visitors move through the space and creates an environment where people are encouraged to construct knowledge for themselves by driving their own experience.

I see the Lincoln Cottage not as a museum where you can't touch and look behind ropes but a complement to the current Lincoln Home.

However this turns out I thank you for sharing your views and the concerns of NPS. And I thank you for your many years of service to the National Parks.