Lincoln Log Cabin in Lerna, Illinois is an 86-acre historic site that is owned and operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Division of Historic Sites. The site includes an accurate reproduction of the Lincolns’ two-room cabin that was constructed on the original cabin site in 1935 as a CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) project. A working living history farm has been developed around the cabin, and a second farmstead, the Stephen Sargent Farm, has been moved to the site to help broaden visitors’ understanding of 1840s rural life in Illinois.
Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site was the 1840s home of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, father and stepmother of our 16th president. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer living in Springfield by the time his parents lived here, but he did visit them periodically.
Just as the Harlan-Lincoln House in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa holds historical significance for the Lincolns so does the Lincoln Log Cabin. To study the history of the Lincoln family encompasses a wide range of locations in Illinois and Iowa as well as the Capital. If you are a true fan of history and the Lincoln history is especially on interest you will be able to travel to numerous sites and gain a true feeling for the complex lives of the family, the joys and sorrows.
Today the Thomas Lincoln Farm comes to life through this historic tour with
interpreters. Come and see what life was like in 1845 for the Lincoln family on their farm in Illinois. The house and surrounding farm are still being used as they were then; the interpreters portray the family members and neighbors who lived in the area.
An accurate replica of the Lincoln cabin was reconstructed on its original site after the State of Illinois acquired the land in 1929. The cabin reconstruction was based on photographs and affidavits, since the original was lost following its move to the Columbian Exposition in 1892. Both rooms are furnished with items and artifacts of the 1840s, though none are known to have belonged to the Lincolns.
Location: 400 S. Lincoln Highway Road, Lena, Illinois
Phone: (217) 345-1845
Fax: (217) 345-6472