July 2024 Newsletter

Director’s Letter

Dear Friends,

Independence Day reminds me that for each of us to feel connected to the American story, we must first feel that we belong. This conviction is guiding our site as the nation prepares for its 250th anniversary in July of 2026. In January of this year, President Lincoln’s Cottage convened a group of 20 museum and historic site colleagues, social scientists, and academic historians to envision what might happen if we centered humanity and belonging in the nationwide commemorations of this milestone.

The convening has helped us as an organization define how we want to hold space for the public during this time and how we can help our field create a new vision for America at 250 that fosters compassion and belonging for all people. I’m very excited to share the below video that captures the incredible work of this remarkable convening.

I look forward to working together these next two years to meet the 250th anniversary of our nation with a heart towards our common humanity.
Sincerely,

Callie Hawkins
CEO & Executive Director
President Lincoln’s Cottage

Visions for America at 250

Discover the Highlights: 2023 in Review

We are delighted to share our 2023 annual report, containing highlights from a transformative year.

Please take a moment to review the initiatives, partnerships, and milestones that made 2023 such a success.

We look forward to another year of connection and growth with you, our friends and supporters, by our side.

Read the report HERE.

Save the Date of September 25 for Homecoming

Tad Lincoln spent three summers of his childhood exploring the grounds of the Soldiers’ Home. Here he played with friends, soldiers, animals, as well as his own family.

Each year, we welcome families to enjoy the grounds as the Lincoln family did with a FREE day of family fun activities at Homecoming!

Watch our Latest Scholar Session on Lincoln’s Patent

Before he lived at the Cottage, while working on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, Abraham Lincoln used his problem-solving skills when he invented and patented a solution to buoy vessels over shoals in 1849, making Lincoln the first and only U.S. President to receive a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office USPTO.

Watch our program with the USPTO to learn about Lincoln the inventor and his patent.

President Lincoln’s Cottage in the News

Newsweek referenced the Cottage in an article on the melted Lincoln statue.
MSN.com also referenced Lincoln visiting a contraband camp on his commute to and from the Cottage in an article on the melted statue.
Washingtonian recommended our Lincoln’s Toughest Decision program as a way to commemorate Juneteenth in DC and elsewhere as a top thing to do.
US News and World Report listed the Cottage as an example of an affordable wedding venue.
Our Weekly: Los Angeles featured the Cottage as one of two DC tours for the road.

SUPPORT PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S COTTAGE

Support our educational programs, preservation efforts and public events by making a contribution to President Lincoln’s Cottage. Donate online today.

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July 2, 2024