Celebrations Set Today For Lincoln Birthday Bicentennial

Today, February 12th, marks the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Several National Park Service sites commemorate events in Lincoln’s life – from his birth and boyhood through his family and presidential experiences to his death – and will be holding remembrance events both today and through the week.  Here’s a summary:

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Hodgenville, Kentucky – For the second year in a row, plans were made to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s bicentennial birthday at the site where he was born. For the second year in a row, an ice storm has disrupted the plan. The park had planned to dedicate a restored cabin replica at Lincoln’s Knob Creek Boyhood Home, but the site is not safe to open and cleanup still needs to be completed there. The dedication will accordingly be rescheduled. The park event has been moved to LaRue County High School. During the 10 a.m. ceremony, the U.S. Mint will issue the first new penny in 50 years. Its reverse side features a cabin similar to young Abe’s. Other activities include a downtown flag raising and wreath laying at 9 a.m., the annual Lincoln Days Luncheon at noon, a visit from Gov. Steve Beshear and musical programs.

Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Lincoln City, Indiana – Dr. James Madison, professor of history at Indiana University, will be the featured speaker at the annual Lincoln Day program at the park.  The ceremony will include presentation of the colors by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, as well as period music.  Following the indoor program, there will be a traditional pilgrimage to the gravesite of Nancy Hanks Lincoln to lay a wreath.  A reception in the memorial’s visitor center will follow, and the park entrance fee will be waived for the event.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfield, Illinois – The Lincoln Home will host a range of special programs from February 11th to February 15th, with special living history and ranger programs taking place daily; they will include tours of the home with staff in period costume, as well as ranger talks and living history programs throughout the park.  On February 12th, there will be a family storytelling program with Lincoln presenter Fritz Klein and a children’s book signing. The George L. Painter Lincoln Lectures will be held at the visitor center, where Lincoln scholars will participate in two sessions of the community’s Lincoln Author Book Fair for a roundtable discussion, followed by book signings.  Events will continue on February 13th and 14th with a “Lincoln and Leadership” workshop; two discussions on freedom, equality and civil rights among Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King, Jr. presenters; a concert of Lincoln-era music at the visitor center; and a performance of “Abraham Lincoln: A Biography in Words and Music.” Details on all the bicentennial events are posted at http://www.nps.gov/liho .

Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – The David Wills House in downtown Gettysburg will have its grand opening on February 12th as a new part of the park.  The museum will tell the story of Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address.  Wills’ home was the center of the immense clean-up after the battle and the place where President Lincoln put the finishing touches on the Gettysburg Address.  The museum features seven galleries, including two rooms restored to their 18th-century appearance:  Wills’ office, where he received letters from families looking for loved ones after the battle and began planning for the cemetery and its dedication, and the bedroom where Lincoln stayed and prepared to deliver his address.  Exhibits will include artifacts and two films.  The property was added to the park boundary by Congress in 2000; Main Street Gettysburg will operate the museum as an official park partner.  Grand opening events will continue through February 16th.  For more information, please visit http://www.nps.gov/gett .

Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg, Maryland – Two talks about the 16th President and his connection to the Battle of Antietam are scheduled in the visitor center on February 12th.  Author Joseph Garrera will present “Abraham Lincoln and his Image in American Popular Culture,” and John Schildt will speak on “Four Days in October: Lincoln’s Antietam Visit.”  On February 16th, the park will host a symposium on “Lincoln, the Battle of Antietam and the Emancipation Proclamation.”

Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site, Washington, D.C. – A series of public programs on February 12th will include a wreath-laying and performances by area students and the Federal City Brass Band in the morning, and interpretive programs throughout the day.  President’s Day, February 16th, will feature an all-day open house.  More information is available at http://www.fordstheatre.org

Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. – The National Mall and Memorial Parks staff are working closely with the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC) and the Military District of Washington on a special program at the Memorial on February 12th, for which the ALBC is organizing the program.  It will begin at 8:00 a.m. with a welcome and presentation of the colors by an honor guard of the Military District of Washington.  Singer Michael Feinstein will perform the National Anthem.  An invocation will be followed by a welcome address and remarks, and by third-grade students reading the Gettysburg Address.  Poet Nikki Giovanni will recite a new work commissioned for the event, and a student essay winner will be announced.   After placement of 25 wreaths, the ceremony will conclude with Taps, a benediction, and retirement of the colors.

Additional information can be found at a number of websites:

• The National Park Service has developed a web site for the public that will help provide a better understanding and appreciation for Abraham Lincoln. Log on to the “Celebrate the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s Birth” website at:  http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/lincoln200/index.html to learn of the many special places managed by the National Park Service that commemorate the life of Abraham Lincoln.  In addition to a list of national park sites, the web site includes information and web links to books, photographs and documents related to Abraham Lincoln, as well as a link to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.
• Comprehensive information on the bicentennial, including many more non-NPS events, can be found on the web site of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, http://www.abrahamlincoln200.org .
• Also see Eastern National’s web site, http://www.eparks.com, for a featured tab for the “Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Store.”