The Nancy Lincoln Inn is a historic building located adjacent to the

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park is a designated U.S. historic park preserving two separate farm sites in LaRue County, Kentucky, where Abraham Lincoln was born and lived early in his childhood. He was born at the Sinking Sprin ...

LaRue County, Kentucky LaRue County is a county in the central region of the U.S. state of Kentucky, outside the Bluegrass Region and larger population centers. Its county seat is Hodgenville, which is best known as the birthplace of United States President Abraha ...

, just south of

Hodgenville, Kentucky Hodgenville is a home rule-class city in LaRue County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. Hodgenville sits along the North Fork of the Nolin River. The population was 3,206 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Elizabet ...

. Despite being on

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

property, it is privately owned. Built in 1928 and named for Lincoln's mother, the one-story unhewn chestnut and red heart pine log building is of American Craftsman style with five bays. It has a stone foundation,

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

chimney, and

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

d roof. To the east are four small overnight cabins also built in 1928. They are also of unhewn chestnut logs, concrete chinking, brick chimneys, and

asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term ...

shingles. The Nancy Lincoln Inn and its cabins were built to serve the many visitors who wished to visit the birthplace of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

. The increase in tourism during the 1920s was due to the ease of transportation that newly paved roads for automobiles provided. James Howell was the original operator of the inn, from 1928 to 1946; his descendants have operated it ever since.Thomason p.8-1 The inn rented out the cabins and served food until

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

; the cabins would once again be rented out after they were restored by their owners Carl and Sharon Howell Jr. in 2005, with air conditioning added. However, guests have to use an outside modern bathhouse due to a lack of indoor plumbing. In 1934, the National Park Service in its evaluation called the inn an "unacceptable adjacent commercialization", and red cedar trees were planted to obstruct the view of the inn from the memorial log cabin temple. Over 100,000 tourists went into the Nancy Lincoln Inn every year, mostly to buy souvenirs. It has undergone no major alterations in its years of service. It was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on January 10, 1991, due to its role in the expansion of tourism in LaRue County.

Gallery

File:Lincoln Birthplace Inn.JPG, Vicinity of inn File:Lincoln Birthplace Cabins.JPG, Cabins rented by the Inn

References

Sources

Footnotes

{{Authority control American Craftsman architecture in Kentucky Bungalow architecture in Kentucky Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in LaRue County, Kentucky Log buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky 1928 establishments in Kentucky Hotel buildings completed in 1928