The Greenbelt Branch of the Prince George’s County Public Library System is hosting a special program as part of The Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration of Suburban Washington D.C. President Lincoln’s Cottage staff member Allison Herrmann will be presenting at this celebration.
Program Details:
The Greenbelt Branch of the Prince George’s County Public Library System will be hosting a giant 200th Birthday Party for Abraham Lincoln at 1:00p.m. on Saturday February 14, 2009. Lincoln was born February 12, 1809 at Hodgenville, Kentucky and hundreds of celebrations across the country are being held under the auspices of the National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, headquartered at the Library of Congress. Greenbelt will be hosting the Centennial Commemoration for suburban Washington D.C.
“Standing Tall: Lincoln at 200,” suburban Maryland’s celebration, will feature noted Lincoln authors, historians, and Civil War re-enactors. They will gather for a special ceremony to unveil the Lincoln Birth Bicentennial Memorial at Greenbelt.
A lecture series will also be held in commemoration of the first anniversary of the opening of the President Lincoln’s Cottage, Abraham Lincoln’s seasonal residence that opened in February 2008 following a seven year restoration effort by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Headlining the event is Elizabeth Brownstein, author of the critically acclaimed book, Lincoln’s Other White House. She will be revealing secrets she uncovered when conducting research for the book on Lincoln’s time at the Cottage. Allison Herrmann, Lead Historical Interpreter at President Lincoln’s Cottage, will then deliver a review of the successful development of the historic site and its first full year of operation since opening to the public.
The U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps and 1st Maryland Cavalry Civil War Re-enactment companies will serve as Honor Guards and perform the sacred “Presentation of the Flags Ceremony” to open the event. The Marie Reed Civil War Cadets Re-enactment Company depicting the United States Colored Troops (African American soldiers in the Civil War) will then pull the tarp to unveil the memorial. In front of the centerpiece stone etching of Lincoln, actress Joyce Bailey will conclude the formal ceremony with a dramatic play telling the story of Elizabeth Keckley, dressmaker for the Jefferson Davis family and the Lincoln family.
The newly minted Lincoln Bicentennial Log Cabin pennies will be debuted at the event and given away as souvenirs to all visitors. An Abraham Lincoln look-alike contest will also be held for children and adults with the winner reciting the Gettysburg Address as our 16th President. A birthday cake (in the shape of a top hat) and refreshments will also be served.
This program is part of The Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration of Suburban Washington D.C. The ceremony and lectures are free and open to the public. “Standing Tall: Lincoln at 200” begins at 1:00p.m. on Saturday February 14, 2009. The Greenbelt Branch of the Prince George’s County Library System is at 11 Crescent Road, in Greenbelt. Call (301) 345-5800 for more information.
Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this post and associated programs or materials do not necessarily represent those of President Lincoln’s Cottage.
Categories:Archive, History
Tags:Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Bicentennial, President Lincoln's Cottage
