Archives
Lincoln and Elections
By Zach Klitzman “To give the victory to the right, not bloody bullets, but peaceful ballots only, are necessary.” -Abraham Lincoln On May 29th, 1856, a group of political leaders from Illinois gathered in Bloomington to discuss the formation of an Illinois Republican Party. Not to be confused with earlier Republican Parties, this iteration was established in 1854 in Wisconsin …
Read MoreCottage Madness: Burnside wins in Landslide!
Another year, another #CottageMadness come and gone. This year we asked you to vote on the best Civil War Facial Hair. After four rounds of voting we have our clear winner… AMBROSE BURNSIDE! Final Results: 1. Ambrose Burnside 72.50 vs. 11. Ulysses S. Grant 27.50. Click here for the full bracket: Civil War Facial Hair Bracket — Winner Perhaps …
Read MoreCottage Madness: Best Civil War Facial Hair CHAMPIONSHIP
Well Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s come down to this. The final of the third annual Cottage Madness Bracket. This year we’re determining the best Facial Hair of the Civil War, and we have a doozy in the championship round. Top seed Ambrose Burnside continues to dominate the competition. He felled strong challenger Edwin Stanton in the semifinals. Meanwhile, on the …
Read MoreCottage Madness: Best Civil War Facial Name Semifinal
Round 3 of Cottage Madness is now live! Did your favorite make the cut? Click here to determine the finalists for Best Civil War Facial Hair: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DDQ6QVD Here are the headlines from Round: Ambrose Ambushes Abraham! 1. Ambrose Burnside 82.35% 9. Abraham Lincoln 17.65 Stanton Drops Ball 5. James Presley Ball 37.50% 4. Edwin Stanton 62.50% Grant Continues to Butcher Higher Seeds …
Read MoreCottage Madness: Best Civil War Facial Hair Round 2
Thank you everyone for voting in Round 1 of #CottageMadness 2019! The results are in, and we got some movers and shakers. Though most favorites won, we did have one upset, as a General and future president knocked down one of the pointiest mustaches in the bracket. Read below for the results from Round 1, and CLICK HERE FOR ROUND TWO …
Read More
Cottage Madness: Best Civil War Facial Hair
For the third year in a row, we’re running our annual #CottageMadness tournament. Styled after the NCAA Basketball Tournament, this head-to-head bracket determines the winner of a prestigious honor. After Best Civil War Name in 2017, and Best Member of Lincoln’s Cabinet in 2018, we’re now proud to determine: Best Civil War Facial Hair This tournament features several big-time Civil War figures, such …
Read MorePreservation Update: Where Did the Stairs Go?
If you’ve visited the Cottage in the last few weeks, you might notice something missing from the south side of the building: The Stairs! Don’t worry, it’s just temporary. Due to years of rust on the cast iron finish, we are in the middle of refurbishing and repainting. Senior Preservationist Jeff Larry explains, with some photos below: The cast iron …
Read MoreNovember 2018 Newsletter
DIRECTOR’S LETTER Dear Friends, “An old woman who once had been a slave left her home on a pilgrimage last week to pay humble tribute….” So begins a December 1936 piece in the Washington Post. The “old woman” in question was Mrs. Anna Harrison Chase, a 92-year-old who had arrived in Washington, DC in the spring of 1862 as a “contraband” …
Read MoreChasing History
By Curtis Harris On a late December day in 1936, Anna Harrison Chase walked from her home near Logan Circle to the Soldiers’ Home. The longtime Washington resident was intent on visiting the place where President Abraham Lincoln had deliberated and constructed the Emancipation Proclamation. Her pilgrimage that winter day was one of many arduous journeys in Chase’s life. Born …
Read MorePreservation Update: A Tale of Two Conferences Preservation Trades and Technology
A Tale of Two Conferences: Preservation Trades and Technology by Jeff Larry During this past weekend’s closing reception for the International Preservation Trades Workshop (IPTW) in Frederick, MD, I was seated for dinner at a table with a diverse bunch. There were recent graduates from the Building Preservation and Restoration Program at Belmont College, and National Park Service employees from …
Read More