Inside the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Visitor Center

During our stop at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park near Hodgenville, Kentucky, we took some time to go inside the Visitor Center. It had a few interesting items on display and a small gift shop. And air conditioning, which was much appreciated on the day of our visit.

We did not spend too much time looking at the exhibits because we had arrived late in the day and wanted to have enough time to see everything, but we did look around for a few minutes.

When we first arrived, my initial thought was, “Why is there no statue of Abraham Lincoln here?” After all, just about every other Lincoln site site that we have visited has had some sort of statue of Lincoln. But inside the Visitor Center was this statue, representing the Lincoln family at the time that they lived at this site. Represented in the statue are Thomas and Nancy Lincoln, their daughter Sarah, and their infant son Abraham. So yes, there is a statue of Abraham Lincoln here, just not quite like what you might expect.

One of the items on display in the Visitor Center is the Lincoln family Bible. This Bible was printed in 1799. You might look at that and think, “That is one thick Bible!” That is what I thought, and it made me appreciate my smaller Bible that I carry to church, because I would almost need a wagon to carry this Bible to church with me. However, a closer examination of the title page shows that it also includes “Arguments relating to the different books” and “Moral and Theological Observations illustrating each chapter”, making it more like a study Bible with notes and maps and such that you can find today. I have a few of those, too, and they are also almost too big to carry with me. Also, once he was grown, Abraham Lincoln himself wrote dates related to Lincoln family history in this Bible. Those pages have been carefully removed and are kept in Chicago.

To honor the centennial celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the cornerstone for the Memorial Building was laid on February 12, 1909, by Theodore Roosevelt, who was the United States President at the time. The trowel he used is on display, along with this small bust of Roosevelt. As Roosevelt is another favorite subject of mine, it was interesting to see him here at Lincoln’s birthplace. The inscription on the trowel reads, “In remembrance of the laying of the cornerstone of the Lincoln Memorial at the Birthplace Farm Hodgenville, Ky, Feb. 12th 1909 by Theodore Roosevelt President of the United States of America.”

Although there was not a full statue of a mature Lincoln at the site, this small bust was located inside the Visitor Center. Most people seemed to just pass it by, but I found it interesting. However, I failed to also take a photo of the sign by the bust, so its sculptor and history remain a mystery to me. So many depictions of Lincoln give him a soulful, sorrowful look. But I like to think that he smiled on many occasions, given the humorous stories he would tell.

See more of Abraham Lincoln here at Adventures by Burnsland and also at the Burnsland Archives.

The Family Bible

These days, most families have probably gotten away from the idea of having a family Bible. Modern printing methods have driven down costs and big box stores and the internet have increased availability, so that for most people in the United States, getting a Bible is a fairly routine process. And on top of all that, you can get the Bible on your phone or tablet for free, too. Gone are the days of one Bible passed down from generation to generation with notes about family history written in it.

The downside of that is that the Bible can now seem almost ordinary. Getting one does not seem quite as special anymore, especially if you already have several Bibles in the house as we do. I wonder if that has made the Bible itself seem less important to some people, at least subconsciously.

Even though getting a Bible is relatively easy, and sometimes even free, we should still remember that the Bible is the word of God. It is how he speaks to us, how he tells us of his love for us, and how he wants us to love one another. The Bible is still as important now as it ever was, and we should read it and understand it to know what God wants us to do.

One of the best steps toward loving one another is to read the Bible and do what it says, and then share it with others.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” - John 3:16-17

About the Photos

Once again, the 35mm prime lens with its wide aperture for lower light levels saved the day, because as you might guess, the lighting was not that bright on some of the artifacts, particularly the Bible. Plus, the lens gave the cool depth of field look to the Lincoln bust, too.¹

Also, the first photo of the girls with the sign was taken with my iPhone instead of my camera. Sometimes, that works out best.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Raw Therapee and GIMP.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: July 6, 2024
Location: Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, Kentucky