Reflections on Grief and Child Loss is a groundbreaking exhibit that opened in 2020. It bridges the Lincolns’ experiences surrounding the death of their children with those of modern families. The exhibit, and our related programming, encourages conversation and contemplation about death and its aftermath in a grief-averse society.
After the death of their young son Willie – the second of the Lincolns’ children to die from childhood illness – Abraham and Mary Lincoln sought the quiet of a country retreat on the grounds of the Old Soldiers’ Home in Washington, DC. President Lincoln’s Cottage – as it is known today – became the grieving First Family’s residence for a quarter of Lincoln’s presidency.
Enter Lincoln’s private world when you visit President Lincoln’s Cottage and witness Reflections on Grief and Child Loss, a special exhibit that puts the Lincolns’ experience with traumatic grief after the deaths of their children in conversation with nine modern families whose children have died.
It is difficult to know how to support someone in grief. The take home cards in our grief exhibit offer some gentle guidance.
At the center of the exhibit stands a weeping willow on whose branches hang dozens of vellum leaves. On each dangling leaf, visitors are invited to write the name of a child or other loved one who has died and add the leaf back upon the tree.
The tree is also dotted with beautiful metal leaves that have been given and engraved by supporters of the exhibit to honor a loved one. These names are also displayed on the In Memoriam page of our website.
Proceeds from donations to the exhibit support future programming related to grief and loss that will run for the duration of the exhibit.
Our nation is at a crossroads. Even prior to the recent increase in polarization and disconnection, studies showed the United States had experienced a decline in empathy of more than 40%. America’s 250th offers an opportunity for our nation to make great strides toward repairing these divides.With the country facing many of the same questions that Abraham Lincoln himself faced over 150 years ago—questions of justice and humanity and questions about who belongs and how their perspectives are honored – are as important now as they were then.
President Lincoln’s Cottage is breaking free of the traditional role of museums and bringing transformative programming to more than 35,000 visitors annually. Here, visitors find resonance in stories where Lincoln’s curiosity and humanity are on full display, and in a dialogic approach that invites them to build empathy and act on their own brave ideas for social impact. President Lincoln’s Cottage is a 501(c)(3) historic site and museum located in Northwest Washington, D.C.
Members of Team Lincoln value the Cottage as a catalyst to continue Lincoln’s “unfinished work” in advancing democracy and share his values of humility, justice, and freedom. Team Lincoln members support our educational outreach, public programming, scholarship, and advance critical projects such as our Students Opposing Slavery program, and preserve this place as a beacon of hope for future generations.
Your donation support will provide transformative experiences and promote empathy and connection as we approach America’s 250th.
Each day more people from around the world discover the importance and modern relevance of President Lincoln’s Cottage. Read the latest news about President Lincoln’s Cottage to learn more about announcements, interviews, press appearances, awards and more.
We seek to move people by inspiring connection- to the past, to the place, to the work, to one another.
