Lincoln's Cottage

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that counts.  It's the life in your years."

-  Abraham Lincoln

On the recommendation of a local friend, we took advantage of a free Saturday to check out Lincoln's Cottage, which is located on the grounds of the "Old Soldiers' Home" (now called the Armed Forces Retirement Home).  

During the Civil War years of his presidency, President Lincoln would move his family each summer from the White House and the swampy, humid, disease-ridden city to this home on a hill three miles north of the White House.  He would "commute" into the White House each day on horseback or in a carriage, initially without a security detail, and later, reluctantly, under the escort of soldiers for his protection.

This place was much grander than a "cottage" in my book, but apparently that term was--and is--used widely for any abode that is not your primary residence, no matter the size.

Me 'n' Abe

There is something magical about seeing where someone has lived, walking in their footsteps along the same squeaky floorboards, sliding your hand along the same handrail, looking out the same windows.  It definitely adds a depth to what you can read in dusty, musty old history books.

The visitor center is committed to presenting and preserving Lincoln's Cottage as a "Home for Brave Ideas," which is a fitting tribute to the importance and quality of thinking Lincoln did in this peaceful retreat.  

If you get a chance, I would highly recommend visiting this special place.

Artillery on the grounds