Existing comment:
A National Monument: July 7, 2000:
In the years since the Lincolns resided on the grounds, the cottage served for a time as a dormitory for the Soldiers' Home band, an infirmary, a guest house, the first women's dorm, a bar and lounge for residents, and most recently the AFRH public affairs office. In 1974, the cottage and six other pre-Civil War buildings, along with six surrounding acres, became a National Historic Landmark.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the staff and residents of the Soldiers' Home lobbied for more ambitious preservation in order to more widely share the Lincoln legacy. Their efforts drew the attention of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, whose president, Richard Moe, secured the support of First Lady Hillary Rodman Clinton. In July 2000, President William J. Clinton declared the Anderson Cottage -- now known as the Lincoln Cottage -- a national monument, and the National Trust moved ahead with preserving it and opening it to the public.
During Lincoln's time, the cottage was referred to by several names, including Rigg's Mansion, the Governor's Residence, and simply the Soldiers' Home. In 1889, the cottage was officially named for General Robert Anderson, one of the founders of the Soldiers' Home.
The exterior of the cottage has been restored to the period of the Lincoln's occupancy, with stucco mixed to match surviving examples of the original stucco. The veranda has been reconfigured to the design shown in historic images, including one in Mary Todd Lincoln's family album. |