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August Newsletter
DIRECTOR’S LETTER Dear Friends, Over the past week we have grappled with tremendous loss, from dozens of fellow citizens killed in two mass shootings in our country, to the death of Pulitzer Prize winning author Toni Morrison. I think of “Lincoln’s Heaven” in Song of Solomon and promises made that go unfulfilled. One of the most memorable quotes of President Lincoln …
Read MoreHow Did Lincoln Spend His July 4ths?
By Molly Cadwell The Lincoln family spent three summers living at the Soldiers’ Home. Each time their stay included July 4th. So how did Lincoln celebrate America’s birthday each year he was president? Communications Intern Molly Cadwell looks at Lincoln’s activities on July 4th, and also poses questions for discussion. In 1861, the Lincolns originally planned to stay in …
Read MoreJune-July 2019 Newsletter
DIRECTOR’S LETTER Dear Friends, At President Lincoln’s Cottage, we emphasize the value of understanding history in all we do. We do that daily on the tour, where we share knowledge and discuss history and new perspectives with our visitors. We’re deeply appreciative when the experience reawakens that sense of working toward the common good, such as when a visitor wrote …
Read More2019 SOS Students Opposing Slavery International Summit Recap
The 2019 Students Opposing Slavery International Summit concluded this weekend, having run from Sunday June 23-Friday June 28. We welcomed 19 participants from all over the world to the Cottage to get informed about human trafficking, build a network of youth abolitionists, and continue Lincoln’s unfinished work. Read below for reflections from participants, and images of their work throughout the week. …
Read MorePreservation Update: West Balcony Work Continues
Last fall we let you know about the West Balcony Project. Thanks to a generous donor, we’ve been able to continue the work this Spring and Summer. Here’s Senior Preservationist Jeff Larry with an update, as well as a photo gallery of the progress. Last August during my biannual inspection of the Cottage’s west balcony I found that the previous …
Read MoreLincoln and Immigration
By Zach Klitzman “If there are any abroad who desire to make this the land of their adoption, it is not in my heart to throw aught in their way, to prevent them from coming to the United States.” Abraham Lincoln After his election to the presidency in November of 1860, Abraham Lincoln embarked on a 12-day journey from Springfield, …
Read MoreStaff Spotlight: Welcome Shayla Roland, Events Manager
Join us in welcoming the new Events Manager Shayla Roland to the President Lincoln’s Cottage team! Executive Administrator & Editor Zach Klitzman sat down with her to chat about her new role, Lincoln, and her love of theater. What is your new role here at the Cottage? I’m the Events Manager. I oversee site rentals of various spaces, not just …
Read MoreMay 2019 Newsletter
DIRECTOR’S LETTER Dear Friends, May is Preservation Month nationally, but every month is preservation month at President Lincoln’s Cottage, where our work is never done. In the past year, your support has enabled us to complete projects large and small, from the repair of a door hinge to the complete removal and restoration of the cast-iron stairs leading to the Cottage …
Read MoreCottage Conversation: Susan Swain
On May 23, 2019, C-SPAN co-CEO Susan Swain spoke at the Cottage about the new book The Presidents. The book is organized in the order of the results of C-SPAN’s 2017 Historians Survey on Presidential Leadership. Scroll below to see photos of the event.
Read MoreProgram Highlight: New Community Space
Just this month we unveiled a totally redesigned room in the Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center. The new community space offers visitors a chance to relax in a vibrant new setting. Read on for an interview with Callie Hawkins, Director of Programming, who spearheaded the redesigned space. What was the inspiration for redesigning the room? When thinking about redesigning the …
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