Dedicated
in 1874, Lincoln Tomb is the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln,
his wife Mary, and three of their four sons, Edward, William, and
Thomas. The eldest son, Robert T. Lincoln, is buried in Arlington
National Cemetery. Also on the site is the public receiving vault,
constructed ca. 1860, the scene of funeral services for Abraham
Lincoln on May 4, 1865. In 1960 the Tomb was designated a National
Historic Landmark and was placed on the National Register of Historic
Places in 1966.
The 117-foot Tomb, designed by sculptor Larkin Mead, is constructed
of brick sheathed with Quincy granite. The base is 72-foot square
with large semi-circular projections on the north and south sides.
Double sets of north and south stairs lead to a terrace, above which
rises the obelisk. At the corners of the shaft, large pedestals
serve as bases for four bronze sculptures, each with a group of
figures representing one of the four Civil War services—infantry,
artillery, cavalry, and navy. A taller base on the obelisk’s
south side holds a heroic bronze statue of Lincoln. At the Tomb
entrance is a bronze reproduction of Gutzon Borglum’s marble
head of Lincoln, located in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Interior rooms of the Tomb are finished in a highly polished marble
trimmed with bronze. The south entrance opens into a rotunda, where
two corridors lead into the burial chamber. The rotunda and corridors
contain reduced-scale reproductions of important Lincoln statues
as well as plaques with excerpts from Lincoln’s Springfield
farewell speech, the Gettysburg Address, and his Second Inaugural
Address. Lincoln’s remains rest in a concrete vault ten feet
below the marble floor of the burial chamber. A massive granite
cenotaph marking the gravesite is flanked by the Presidential flag
and flags of the states in which the Lincoln family resided. Crypts
in the chamber’s south wall hold the remains of Lincoln’s
wife and three of their sons.
The Tomb's interior is accessible to persons with disabilities. The exterior upper
deck is not.
The Oak Ridge Cemetery public receiving vault, the scene of President
Lincoln’s funeral, is located at the base of a hill north
of the Tomb.
The Lincoln Tomb co-hosts a number of special events with sponsoring
groups: the “American Legion Lincoln’s Birthday Pilgrimage”
on February 12, the “Veterans of Foreign Wars Annual Pilgrimage”
on the Sunday nearest Lincoln’s birthday; the “Sons
of Union Veterans Lincoln’s Death Anniversary Services”
on April 15, and “Boy Scout Sunday” on the last Sunday
in April. Every Tuesday evening from June 1 through August 31, Civil
War reenactors from the 114th Illinois Infantry conduct flag-lowering
ceremonies at the site. Contact the site for more information.
For tour groups of fifteen or more please acquire a reservation by calling the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-545-7300 |