Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area
Encyclopedia
The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area is a National Heritage Area
in central Illinois
telling the story of Abraham Lincoln
. A National Heritage Area is a federal
-designated area intended to encourage historic preservation
and an appreciation of the history and heritage of the site. While National Heritage Areas are not federally-owned or managed, the National Park Service
provides an advisory role and some technical, planning and financial assistance.
The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area was created as part of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008
(S. 2739), an omnibus bill
. It was originally introduced in the Senate
by Dick Durbin and in the House of Representatives
by Ray LaHood
, both from Illinois
. The legislation also provided $10 million over 10 years, with no more than $1 million awarded in any single year, to make federal grant
s available for preservation, education and economic development
. Grands awarded for Lincoln National Heritage Area activities must be matched dollar-for-dollar in state, local or private funds.
The management authority for the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area is the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition and follows Lincoln's life from his birth and childhood, to his early life and career, to the Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858.
The legislation protects private property rights and would not require any private citizen or entity to be affiliated with the Lincoln Heritage Area. The bill names the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition as the management authority for the National Heritage Area, but does not grant any zoning or land use power to the Coalition. Up to $10 million in federal grants would be available under this legislation
The Heritage Area includes the following sites:
National heritage area
National heritage area is a region defined by a government as notable for cultural, historic, natural or recreation reasons. Compared to a national park, a national heritage area is not subject to the same level of zoning and regulations on land use. They are typically managed at a local...
in central Illinois
Central Illinois
Central Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois that consists of the entire central section of the state, divided in thirds from north to south. It is an area of mostly flat prairie. The western section was originally part of the Military Tract of 1812 and forms the distinctive western...
telling the story of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. A National Heritage Area is a federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
-designated area intended to encourage historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
and an appreciation of the history and heritage of the site. While National Heritage Areas are not federally-owned or managed, the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
provides an advisory role and some technical, planning and financial assistance.
The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area was created as part of the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008
Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008
The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 was an act passed in the 110th United States Congress and enacted on May 8, 2008.-Legislative history:...
(S. 2739), an omnibus bill
Omnibus bill
An omnibus bill is a proposed law that covers a number of diverse or unrelated topics. Omnibus is derived from Latin and means "for everything"...
. It was originally introduced in the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
by Dick Durbin and in the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
by Ray LaHood
Ray LaHood
Raymond H. "Ray" LaHood is a Republican politician from Illinois who is currently the United States Secretary of Transportation, having served since 2009. Previously, he represented the Illinois's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms .-Early life and...
, both from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The legislation also provided $10 million over 10 years, with no more than $1 million awarded in any single year, to make federal grant
Federal grant
In the United States, federal grants are economic aid issued by the United States government out of the general federal revenue. A federal grant is an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of...
s available for preservation, education and economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
. Grands awarded for Lincoln National Heritage Area activities must be matched dollar-for-dollar in state, local or private funds.
The management authority for the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area is the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition and follows Lincoln's life from his birth and childhood, to his early life and career, to the Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858.
The legislation protects private property rights and would not require any private citizen or entity to be affiliated with the Lincoln Heritage Area. The bill names the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition as the management authority for the National Heritage Area, but does not grant any zoning or land use power to the Coalition. Up to $10 million in federal grants would be available under this legislation
The Heritage Area includes the following sites:
- Lincoln Home National Historic SiteLincoln Home National Historic SiteLincoln Home National Historic Site preserves the Springfield, Illinois home where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1844 to 1861, before becoming the 16th President of the United States...
- Lincoln Tomb State Historic SiteLincoln TombLincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois, is the final resting place of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and three of their four sons. The monument is owned and administered by the State of Illinois as Lincoln Tomb State...
- Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site at New Salem, Menard County, Illinois
- Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and MuseumAbraham Lincoln Presidential Library and MuseumThe Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, and the course of the American Civil War. Combining traditional scholarship with 21st century showmanship techniques, the popular museum continues to rank as one of the most visited...
- Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic SiteLincoln Log Cabin State Historic SiteThe Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site is an 86-acre history park located eight miles south of Charleston, Illinois, U.S.A., near the town of Lerna. Its centerpiece is a replica of the log cabin built and occupied by Thomas Lincoln, father of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln...
- Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic SiteMount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic SiteThe Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site is a historic county courthouse located in Mount Pulaski, Illinois, United States. It was the county seat of Logan County from 1848 until 1855. It is one of only two remaining courthouses from Illinois's Eighth Circuit, the circuit on which central...
, Postville Courthouse State Historic SitePostville Courthouse State Historic SiteThe Postville Courthouse State Historic Site is a now-reconstructed county courthouse in Logan County, Illinois in the United States. The original frame courthouse was built in 1840, and the current courthouse, which is a close replica of the first, was built in 1953...
and Metamora Courthouse State Historic SiteMetamora Courthouse State Historic SiteThe Metamora Courthouse State Historic Site is a historic American courthouse located in Metamora, Illinois, the former county seat of Woodford County. The courthouse was built in 1845 as the governmental center for Woodford County and as a circuit court for the former Illinois Eighth Circuit... - Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic SiteLincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic SiteThe Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic Site is a historic brick building built in 1841 in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located at 6th and Adams Streets in Springfield, Illinois...
- David Davis Mansion State Historic SiteDavid Davis MansionThe David Davis Mansion, also known as Clover Lawn, is a Victorian home in Bloomington, Illinois that was the residence of David Davis, Supreme Court justice and Senator from Illinois. The mansion has been a state museum since 1960...
- Vandalia State House State Historic SiteVandalia State House State Historic SiteThe Vandalia State House, built in 1836, is the fourth capitol building of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is also the oldest capitol building in Illinois to survive, as the first, second, and third capitol buildings have all disappeared. The brick Federal style state house has been operated by...
- Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum
- Macon County Log Court House
- Richard James OglesbyRichard James OglesbyRichard James Oglesby was an Illinois statesman and U.S. Army officer. He served in the Mexican-American War and was a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He also served Illinois in the legislature. Near the end of the civil war, he was elected the 14th Governor of...
Mansion - Lincoln Trail Homestead State MemorialLincoln Trail Homestead State MemorialThe Lincoln Trail Homestead State Memorial is a 162 acre state park located on the Sangamon River in Macon County near Harristown, Illinois, United States.-Home of Lincoln family:...
- John Wood MansionJohn Wood MansionJohn Wood Mansion was built in 1835 at the behest of Illinois Governor John Wood. The Greek Revival home is located in Quincy, Illinois which is in Adams County. The mansion was constructed by John Cleaveland and endured a move from its original site in 1864 to its current location...
- Beardstown Courthouse
- Old MainOld Main, Knox CollegeOld Main at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, is the oldest building on the college campus, and the best preserved site of one of the 1858 senatorial debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S...
at Knox College - Carl Sandburg State Historic SiteCarl Sandburg State Historic SiteCarl Sandburg State Historic Site was the birthplace and boyhood home of author Carl Sandburg in Galesburg, Illinois.It is operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency...
- Bryant Cottage State Historic SiteBryant Cottage State Historic SiteThe Bryant Cottage State Historic Site is a simple, 1856 four-room house located in Bement, Illinois in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is preserved by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency as an example of Piatt County, Illinois pioneer architecture and as a key historic site in the 1858...
- Dr. William Fithian Home
- Vermilion County Museum