Historic Structure Report: Lincoln Tavern

Jones, Tommy; Oppermann, Joseph

In 1911, a grand Memorial Building was constructed near Hodgenville, Kentucky, at the site of Sinking Spring Farm, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. The building and 110 acres was donated to the Federal Government in 1916, forming Abraham Lincoln National Park; in 1939 the National Park Service became steward of the park. The park was renamed Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in 1959. This site honoring one of the nation’s best-loved presidents, coupled with improved road and highway systems, greatly increased tourism to the area in the 1920s and 30s. Hattie and Chester Howard were one of several families that tried to capitalize on the booming tourist trade and honor the local hero. The Howards purchased Knob Creek Farm in 1931 with the intention of creating another memorial to Lincoln. This land was the Lincoln family’s home from 1811 to 1816, and by Lincoln’s own admission was the site of some of his earliest memories. Here, the Howards used the logs of a cabin belonging to the family of Lincoln’s childhood friend Austin Gollaher to re-build a hewn-log cabin said to resemble Lincoln’s boyhood home. Then in 1933, they followed in the established theme of Lincoln’s rustic log structure and built the adjacent Lincoln Tavern. This second structure, made of exposed round logs purportedly cut from trees felled on the site, was a popular dance hall and nightclub for travelers. After the sale of alcohol became illegal, the tavern was converted to restaurant and gift shop in the 1950s. In recognition of their significant role in Larue County tourism the site containing the cabin and tavern was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 as the Lincoln Boyhood Home. The National Park Service acquired the site from members of the Howard family in 2001 for inclusion in the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site (ABLI) and named it the Boyhood Home Unit. The investigating team found that the tavern retains a large percent of its original building fabric with relatively few replacements or modifications. Further, its large building footprint with two levels of generously sized rooms can be easily adapted for a variety of valuable park activities. The recommended treatment of the interior is restoration of the dance hall, the principal room and major public space, to its original 1933 appearance for visitor services and rehabilitation of the secondary spaces as support areas. By restoring this large room, the opportunity to interpret early twentieth century tourism can be addressed, in building treatment but even in interpretive devices, while providing modern visitor services as well. The remaining original room configurations at the first and that of the second floor work well for the uses envisioned by the park staff. The first floor public restrooms can be readily rearranged for modern handicapped accessibility needs, and the kitchen could be up-fitted for occasional food service events and serve in a multitude of other functions as well. On the second floor, the large rooms can be easily adapted for offices and support spaces with the bathroom serving as staff restroom.

Historic Structure Report: Lincoln Tavern

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