Burch House: Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Historic Structure Report

RATIO Architects, Inc.

At the request of the National Park Service, Midwest Regional Office, RATIO Architects, Inc., in conjunction with H.F. Lenz Company, The Jaeger Company, and Lawson Elser, Inc., has prepared this Historic Structure Report for the non-extant Burch House, within Lincoln Home National Historic Site (Lincoln Home NHS) in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln Home NHS was established with the goal of preserving and interpreting the Lincoln Home to the time period of his residency, and incorporating the neighborhood he knew and departed from to take the office of President of the United States in 1861, including its relevance to a deeper understanding of Lincoln in American heritage. The visitor is led to an appreciation of Lincoln's life and involvement in this eOITUnuniry, where he developed into the statesman known through out the world. Lincoln Home National Historic Site is within the original blocks of the Elij ah lies Addition to the City of Springfield. Lincoln Home NHS encompasses four residential blocks in downtown Springfield, Illinois, from Capitol Avenue on the north to Edwards Street on the South and from Seventh Street on the west to Ninth Street on the cast. Abraham and Mary Lincoln purchased the house on the comer of Eighth and Jackson in 1844 and lived at this locat ion until they departed for Washington, D.C. in 1861, after Mr. Lincoln's election to the Presidency. This is the only residence the Lineoln's ever owned. The park was established in 1972, when the National Park Service acquired the Lincoln Home and other state-owned property through donation from the State of Illinois. The city of Springfield also donated property including the streets and alleys. The remainder of the four blocks was purchased from pri vate property holders. The goal as s tated in the Master Plan of 1970 is to "faithfully restore the neighborhood to estab lish the proper setting circa 1860 .. ' The recommendation was made to restore the extant structures and reconstruct lhe Burch and Carrigan Houses. The pUflJose of the reconstruction is to enable the visitor to better understand the environmental context in which Abraham Lincoln was a part from the beginning of his residency in Springfield to the Presidency. In order to achieve this goal, Historic Structure Reports for the nOll-extant Burch House located directly across the street from the Lincoln Home and the non-extant Carrigan House located directly next door were created to provide a basis for the eventual reconstruction of both structures 10 their 1860 appearances. The Hi storic Structure Report (HSR) will be a readily accessible re ference document for the National Park Service, Lincoln Home NHS staff, and professionals working on or using the reconstructed neighborhood. It will also be used as a tool in interpretation of the structure based on historical and physical evidence. The HSR contains a bibliography of archival documentation relevant to the structure and be a resource for further research and investigation.

Burch House: Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Historic Structure Report

Series