Lincoln Home National Historic Site - Prairies and Grasslands

The tallgrass prairie of the early 1800s is no longer present at Lincoln Home National Historic Site. No attempt has been made to restore the Lincoln Home neighborhood to a pre-settlement landscape. Quite the contrary, the site has been restored to reflect Mr. Lincoln’s neighborhood in the year 1860. At that time, the area surrounding Springfield was developed into farmland. The bur oak ( Quercus macrocarpa ) trees that dotted the landscape and the spectacular wildflowers and grasses that blanketed the prairie were replaced with agricultural fields.

Reminiscent of the pre-settlement landscape are some species in the neighborhood like the hackberry ( Celtis occidentalis ) and wild strawberries ( Fragaria virginana ), but overall, the Lincoln Home and neighborhood have been restored and maintained to reflect the years of Mr. Lincoln’s residency, from 1844 - 1861.