Abraham and Mary Lincoln bought this house in 1844 for $1,200 plus a small lot. It was the only home Lincoln ever owned.
Three of their four sons were born here, and their son Eddie died here in 1850. The Lincolns raised the house to a full two stories in 1856.
They rented it out when they left for Washington in 1861. Robert Lincoln gave it to the State of Illinois in 1887.
Timeline
- 1844The Lincolns buy the house.
- 1856They enlarge it to two full stories.
- 1861They leave for Washington.
A president's only home was an ordinary house on an ordinary street.
