Moore Home - Lerna, Illinois

Situated on the same site as the Lincoln Log Home is the Moore Home in Lena, Illinois. This house was the home of Lincoln’s step sister and her husband, Reuben Moore.

Reuben Moore came to Illinois, with his family, after they left Butler County, Ohio in 1839. The promise of rich farm land is what probably brought him here. Within nine days of arriving he purchased 320 arces of land. Reuben paid $1,055.00 for the land, which was a princely sum, for this rich Illinois farm land. The Reuben Moore Home State Historic Site stands among the remnants of the Farmington settlement, one mile north of Lincoln Log Cabin.

In late 1856 Reuben Moore built the house and moved in with his wife Matilda Hall (Abraham Lincoln’s stepsister) and five children from their previous marriages. Matilda lived in the frame house for several years after Reuben’s death in 1859. In January of 1861 Abraham Lincoln bid his farewell to his stepmother, Sarah Bush Lincoln on his way to the White House.

The Moore home features a beautifully restored interior, including stenciled walls, a grained mantel, marbelized shelves, and lovely pieces from the 1860s. Come and enjoy this quaint setting where Sarah Bush Lincoln and her neighbors made one last meal for Abraham.

Location: Lincoln Log Cabin
State Historic Site
400 S. Lincoln Highway Road
Lena, Illinois

Phone: (217) 345-1845
Fax: (217) 345-6472