Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site

Boyhood Home Unit

Lincoln Tavern

Historic Structure Report

2006

Historical Architecture, Cultural Resources Division

Southeast Regional Office

National Park Service
Cultural Resources

Southeast Region

National Park Service

100 Alabama St. SW

Atlanta, GA 30303

(404) 562-3117

The historic structure report presented here exists in two 

formats. A traditional, printed version is available for study 

at the park, the Southeastern Regional Office of the NPS 

(SERO), and at a variety of other repositories. For more 

widespread access, the historic structure report also exists 

in a web- based format through ParkNet, the website of 

the National Park Service. Please visit www.nps.gov 

for more information.

2006

Historic Structure Report

Lincoln Cabin

Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site

Boyhood Home Unit

Hodgenville, KY

LCS#: 473357

Cover image: Undated postcard of Cabin from 

KYGenWeb Special Collections


LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Table of Contents 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page i 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

MANAGEMENT SUMMARY 

Executive Summary............................................................................................1 

Administrative Data............................................................................................4 

PART I – DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY 

A. Historical Background and Context................................................................I.A.1 

Kentucky............................................................................... I.A.1 

The Lincoln Family..................................................................I.A.1 

Knob Creek Farm..................................................................... I.A.2 

Life in Indiana........................................................................ I.A.4 

Political Aspirations.................................................................. I.A.4 

Civil War.............................................................................. I.A.5 

A National Hero...................................................................... I.A.6 

Birthplace Memorial................................................................. I.A.6 

Other Memorials..................................................................... I.A.7 

Knob Creek after the Lincolns...................................................... I.A.7 

Growing Tourism..................................................................... I.A.8 

The Lincoln Boyhood Home....................................................... I.A.8 

The Tavern............................................................................ I.A.9 

Site Managers......................................................................... I.A.10 

Growing Significance............................................................... I.A.10 

Changing Hands...................................................................... I.A.10 

National Register Nomination...................................................... I.A.11 

A Secure Future...................................................................... I.A.11 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit......................................................... I.A.11 

Other Studies.......................................................................... I.A.12 

 

B. Chronology of Development and Use..............................................................I.B.1 

Initial Construction and Early Operation......................................... I.B.1 

1950s: Conversion to Gift Shop................................................... I.B.3 

1986: New Ownership............................................................... I.B.3 

2001: National Park Service........................................................ I.B.3 

Chronology........................................................................... I.B.5 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Table of Contents 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page ii 

C. Physical Description.................................................................................I.C.1 

General Description.................................................................. I.C.1 

Construction Characteristics........................................................ I.C.2 

Utility Systems....................................................................... I.C.31 

Summary of Conditions............................................................. I.C.31 

PART II – TREATMENT & USE 

A. Introduction......................................................................................... II.A.1 

B. Ultimate Treatment & Use........................................................................ II.B.1 

C. Requirements for Treatment ...................................................................... II.C.1 

D. Alternatives for Treatment ........................................................................ II.D.1 

E. Recommendations................................................................................. II.E.1 

General.................................................................................. II.E.1 

Site..................................................................................... II.E.1 

Tavern................................................................................. II.E.2 

REFERENCES 

APPENDICES 

A. As-found Floor Plans and Details 

B. Interview Transcripts 

C. Structural Report 

D. MEP Report 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Project Team 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page i 

PROJECT TEAM 

Project Manager Tommy H. Jones, Architectural Historian 

 National Park Service 

 Southeast Regional Office 

 Atlanta, GA 

Program Review Coordination Sandy Brue, Chief of I & RM 

 Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site 

 Hodgenville, KY 

 

 Tommy H. Jones, Architectural Historian 

 Southeast Regional Office 

Building Investigation/ Joseph K. Oppermann, FAIA 

Building Condition Assessment Joseph K. Oppermann – Architect, P.A. 

 Winston-Salem, NC 

Research Joseph K. Oppermann, FAIA, Historical Architect

 Joseph K. Oppermann – Architect, P.A. 

 Winston-Salem, NC 

Building Recordation Joseph K. Oppermann, FAIA, Historical Architect 

 Jennifer Plocher Wilkins, Assoc. AIA

Joseph K. Oppermann – Architect, P.A. 

 Winston-Salem, NC 

Document Layout Jennifer Plocher Wilkins, Assoc. AIA 

 Amanda R. Lynn 

 Joseph K. Oppermann – Architect, P.A. 

 Winston-Salem, NC 

Report Editor Jane Kelly 

 Message Makers 

 Winston-Salem, NC 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Executive Summary 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page 1 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

 

In 1911, a grand Memorial Building was 

constructed near Hodgenville, Kentucky, at 

the site of Sinking Spring Farm, the 

birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. The 

building and 110 acres was donated to the 

Federal Government in 1916, forming 

Abraham Lincoln National Park; in 1939 the 

National Park Service became steward of the 

park. The park was renamed Abraham 

Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in 

1959. 

This site honoring one of the nation’s bestloved presidents, coupled with improved 

road and highway systems, greatly increased 

tourism to the area in the 1920s and 30s. 

Hattie and Chester Howard were one of 

several families that tried to capitalize on the 

booming tourist trade and honor the local 

hero. The Howards purchased Knob Creek 

Farm in 1931 with the intention of creating 

another memorial to Lincoln. This land was 

the Lincoln family’s home from 1811 to 

1816, and by Lincoln’s own admission was 

the site of some of his earliest memories. 

Here, the Howards used the logs of a cabin 

belonging to the family of Lincoln’s 

childhood friend Austin Gollaher to re-build 

a hewn-log cabin said to resemble Lincoln’s 

boyhood home. Then in 1933, they followed 

in the established theme of Lincoln’s rustic 

log structure and built the adjacent Lincoln 

Tavern. This second structure, made of 

exposed round logs purportedly cut from 

trees felled on the site, was a popular dance 

hall and nightclub for travelers. After the 

sale of alcohol became illegal, the tavern 

was converted to restaurant and gift shop in 

the 1950s. In recognition of their significant 

role in Larue County tourism the site 

containing the cabin and tavern was listed in 

the National Register of Historic Places in 

1988 as the Lincoln Boyhood Home. The 

National Park Service acquired the site from 

members of the Howard family in 2001 for 

inclusion in the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace 

National Historic Site (ABLI) and named it 

the Boyhood Home Unit. 

The bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth falls on 

February 12, 2009; a two-year celebration of 

this event will kick off at ABLI on that date 

in 2008. In anticipation of the 

commencement of this celebration, the 

National Park Service contracted with 

Joseph K. Oppermann – Architect, P.A. 

(JKOA) in November 2005, for the purpose 

of preparing an historic structure report with 

Class C cost estimate for repairs for the 

Tavern and another for the Cabin. The 

study team included Joseph K. Oppermann, 

FAIA, historical architect, and Jennifer 

Plocher Wilkins, intern architect, of JKOA; 

Langdon Edmunds Oppermann, 

architectural historian; Ronald W. Brown, 

P.E., mechanical/electrical/plumbing 

engineer of Ronald W. Brown Consulting 

Engineers; and David C. Fischetti, P.E., 

structural engineer of DCF Engineering, Inc. 

In the preparation of these historic structure 

reports, Sandy Brue, Chief of Interpretation 

& Resource Management of ABLI, provided 

from that office’s files copies of earlier 

reports, the draft General Management Plan 

(GMP) for the park and other relevant 

documents. Tommy Jones, architectural 

historian of the National Park Service’s 

Southeast Regional Office (SERO), 

provided technical data and leads for 

additional sources of information regarding 

some early twentieth century building 

materials. Mary Brooks Howard graciously 

submitted digital copies of early family 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Executive Summary 

2005 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page 2 

photographs and offered her recollections of 

the property. Milburn Howard likewise 

generously gave of his time to be 

interviewed regarding his involvement with 

the site. Wilkins reviewed the historic 

documents, located other secondary sources, 

retrieved maps and other iconographic 

images. She also took measurements and 

produced measured drawings of floor plans 

and architectural details. J. Oppermann and 

Wilkins prepared the digital photodocumentation of the building and site. L. 

Oppermann prepared the architectural 

description of the building. J. Oppermann, 

Fischetti and Brown investigated the 

building fabric and building equipment to 

determine the building’s evolutionary 

history and assess condition. Besides 

several small samples of wood taken from 

the perimeter walls, no other historic fabric 

was removed. No other invasive method of 

investigation was employed. No equipment 

was tested. Dr. Joseph Loferski of the 

Brooks Forest Products Center at the 

Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State 

University analyzed the species from the 

wood samples. J. Oppermann, Fischetti and 

Brown prepared the cost estimates. 

The investigating team found that the tavern 

retains a large percent of its original 

building fabric with relatively few 

replacements or modifications. Further, its 

large building footprint with two levels of 

generously sized rooms can be easily 

adapted for a variety of valuable park 

activities. 

However, there are some deficiencies as 

well as deteriorated physical conditions that 

merit attention. On the exterior, there are 

two significant issues. One is the significant 

deterioration of some logs of the exterior 

walls; this is long term damage that should 

be addressed soon with Dutchman repairs 

and in some instances with full unit 

replacement. The second issue is the roof. 

Originally wood shingle consistent with the 

rustic theme of the architecture, the roofing 

material has been for several decades a 

somewhat less aesthetically desirable 

composition shingle. The current roof is 

seriously lacking in desirable installation 

characteristics, including an effective 

flashing material. 

Inside, the equipment to provide heating for 

the occupants is inefficient and largely 

ineffective. There is no system to provide 

cooling. Both the electrical and plumbing 

systems are antiquated and in need of 

replacement. Access by the handicapped to 

the interior of the building does not meet 

design standards and the restrooms are not 

configured for accessibility. In addition, the 

ceiling beam that runs the length of the first 

floor dance hall needs additional bracing; 

temporary bracing was installed by NPS 

when the building was first acquired. 

Finally, consideration needs to be given to 

additional issues of life, safety and welfare 

of the public including emergency lighting, 

exit signage, emergency generators, security 

and fire detection/suppression. 

The General Management Plan (GMP) for 

ALBI, now in draft form, calls for the 

interior/exterior rehabilitation of the tavern 

with visitor services on the first floor and 

offices for staff support on the second floor. 

While this Historic Structure Report is in 

agreement with the GMP’s overall 

recommendations for the use of the tavern, 

the recommended treatments are different. 

The period of significance for this property 

according to the approved National Register 

Nomination Form is 1933-38. A large 

percent of the original building fabric, both 

interior and exterior, remains intact. Some 

features, such as exterior lights and the 

paired main entrance doors, have been 

removed but are on site. For other features 

that have been removed or modified, such as 

the front steps and the rear screened-in 

porch, there is documentation and/or 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Executive Summary 

2005 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page 3 

physical evidence to permit accurate 

restoration. Much is to be gained by 

interpreting tourism of the early twentieth 

century as it relates to historical personage, 

as is the case with this property. It is a 

dimension of tourism not commonly 

emphasized. This building presents that 

opportunity for restoration at a financial cost 

comparable to rehabilitation. The 

recommended exterior treatment, therefore, 

is restoration of the tavern to its original 

1933 appearance. 

For the same reasons, the recommended 

treatment of the interior is restoration of the 

dance hall, the principal room and major 

public space, to its original 1933 appearance 

for visitor services and rehabilitation of the 

secondary spaces as support areas. By 

restoring this large room, the opportunity to 

interpret early twentieth century tourism can 

be addressed, in building treatment but even 

in interpretive devices, while providing 

modern visitor services as well. The 

remaining original room configurations at 

the first and that of the second floor work 

well for the uses envisioned by the park 

staff. The first floor public restrooms can be 

readily rearranged for modern handicapped 

accessibility needs, and the kitchen could be 

up-fitted for occasional food service events 

and serve in a multitude of other functions 

as well. On the second floor, the large 

rooms can be easily adapted for offices and 

support spaces with the bathroom serving as 

staff restroom. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Administrative Data 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page 4 

ADMINISTRATIVE DATA 

Locational Data 

Building Name: Lincoln Tavern 

Building Address: 7120 Bardstown Road, Hodgenville, KY 42748 

NPS Orgcode: 5540 

Location: Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHS 

County: LaRue 

State: Kentucky 

Related Studies 

Brown, Kent Masterson. Report on the Title of Thomas Lincoln to, and the History of, the 

Lincoln Boyhood Home Along Knob Creek in LaRue County, Kentucky. Atlanta: National Park 

Service, Southeast Regional Office, 1998. 

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Lincoln Boyhood Home. Athertonville, 

KY: United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1988. 

Nickel, Robert K. A Ground-Pentrating Radar Survey at the Knob Creek Farm Unit: Abraham 

Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Kentucky. Tallahasee, Florida: Southeast 

Archeological Center, National Park Service, 2005. 

Sculle, Keith A. “The Howard Family Legacy at the Knob Creek Farm.” Journal of the Abraham 

Lincoln Association, Vol. 26, No. 2 (2005): 23-48. 

Real Property Information 

Acquisition Date: November 6, 2001 

Numbering Information 

LCS #: 07238 

Structure Number: HS-1A 

Size Information 

Total Floor Area: 4870 sq. ft. 

First Floor Area: 3050 sq. ft. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Administrative Data 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page 5 

Additional Floor Area: 1158 sq. ft. upstairs (not including closets) 

Crawl Space Area: 1994 sq. ft. 

Basement Area: 662 sq. ft. 

Roof Area: 70 sq. 

Perimeter Length: 264’-6” 

Number of Stories: 1.5 

Number of Rooms: 11

Number of Bathrooms: 3 

Cultural Resource Data 

National Register Status: Listed 

National Register Date: 1988 

Period of Significance: 1933- c. 1938 

Proposed Treatment Exterior restoration to original 1930s appearance; interior 

restoration of the principal room, the hall, to original 1930s 

appearance, to use as a visitors reception center; and rehabilitation 

of tavern’s other interior spaces for ancillary support areas and 

staff offices. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part I.A Historical Background & Context 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.A.1 

PART I. DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY 

A. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT 

The sixteenth president of the United States, 

born into simple surroundings, grew to lead 

this country through its most divisive time. 

The stories of Abraham Lincoln’s birth in a 

log cabin in Kentucky, youth largely without 

formal education, and early political defeats 

are well known. His leadership through the 

Civil War and issuance of the Emancipation 

Proclamation were turning points in the 

history of this country. Lincoln’s untimely 

death further contributed to his status as an 

American icon. 

Kentucky 

The area that is now Kentucky was largely 

opened by land companies through 

surveying beginning in the 1750s, and later 

by explorers such as Daniel Boone, who 

helped to blaze the Wilderness Road in 

1775. There were few settlements but 

Native Americans used the lands for 

hunting; broad expanses of forest supported 

such game as deer, buffalo, bears, turkeys, 

and other wild fowl. Salt licks, natural salt 

deposits, drew buffalo in great numbers, 

their traffic creating natural roadlike traces. 

A vast area south of the Ohio River called 

the “Pennyrile” was clear of trees and 

covered with grass, where Native Americans 

supposedly had cut the trees to entice 

buffalos to graze.1

 The name was taken 

from the pennyroyal, a plant in the mint 

family. Geologically, the Pennyrile is a 

karst region, where soluble limestone 

bedrock creates frequent caves and 

sinkholes. 

 

1

 R.S. Cotterill, History of Pioneer Kentucky 

(Cincinnati: Johnson & Hardin, 1917), 3. 

Virginia claimed the land as part of that state 

in 1776, and called it Kentucky County. As 

settlement increased, Kentucky County was 

subdivided in 1780, creating Jefferson, 

Fayette, and Lincoln counties. Individual 

statehood was first addressed at a 

convention in Danville in 1784. Virginia 

passed a law for Kentucky’s independence 

in January 1786, and on June 1, 1792, the 

Commonwealth of Kentucky officially 

became the fifteenth state in the Union. 

Figure A-1 Map of Kentucky with Knob Creek site 

indicated, 1784 (Filson)

The Lincoln Family 

The Lincoln family traces its roots back to 

Samuel Lincoln, who immigrated to Salem, 

Massachusetts, from England in 1637. 

Samuel’s descendant Captain Abraham 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part I.A Historical Background & Context 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.A.2 

Lincoln served in the Virginia Militia during 

the Revolution, that service providing him 

treasury warrants for land in Kentucky. 

Abraham’s first wife died in 1776, leaving 

him with four young children. With his new 

wife Bersheba, son Thomas was born on 

January 6, 1778. The opportunities of the 

picturesque Kentucky frontier drew Lincoln 

and his family to relocate there in 1782. 

The family eventually settled in what is now 

Jefferson County, Kentucky. Thomas and 

his father were tending fields in 1785 when 

raiding Indians killed Abraham. Thomas 

then moved with his mother to what is now 

Washington County, where they lived on a 

small farm provided by his half-brothers. 

Thomas moved to Elizabethtown as early as 

1796, where he trained as a carpenter and 

later is listed on tax records as a farmer.2 

Thomas Lincoln married Nancy Hanks on 

June 12, 1806, in Washington County. 

Hanks is said to have been born in 1784 in 

Virginia; evidence suggests that she was the 

daughter of Lucy Shipley Hanks Sparrow 

and James Hanks. Neither Thomas nor 

Nancy had a formal education; it is said that 

they were nearly illiterate. Nancy was very 

religious. The new family returned to 

Elizabethtown where Thomas continued his 

carpentry trade. Their first child Sarah was 

born February 10, 1807. 

In December 1808, Thomas purchased 300 

acres called Sinking Spring Farm,3 which 

was named for a sinkhole and natural spring 

located on the property. The farm was about 

two miles from Hodgen’s Mill (now called 

Hodgenville), established on the Nolin River 

in 1788 by Robert Hodgen. Hodgen’s Mill 

initially was in Nelson County, carved out of 

 

2

 Kent Brown, Report on the Title of Thomas Lincoln 

to, and the History of, the Lincoln Boyhood Home 

Along Knob Creek in LaRue County, Kentucky 

(Atlanta: National Park Service, Southeast Regional 

Office, 1998), 5. 

3

 Ibid, 20. 

Jefferson County in 1785. By the time the 

Lincolns arrived, the land was in Hardin 

County, which was created out of Nelson 

County in 1793; Elizabethtown was the 

county seat. Thomas cleared and worked 

the land at Sinking Spring Farm, a common 

occupation in that area. Their second child 

Abraham was born in the family’s log cabin 

on the farm on February 12, 1809. 

In 1811 a legal dispute over the title for the 

farm caused the Lincoln family to move to a 

new farm on Knob Creek when young 

Abraham was just two years old. Legal 

proceedings regarding the rightful 

ownership of Sinking Spring farm continued 

in Hardin County Circuit Court. 

Figure A-2 Sinking Spring Farm, 1895 

(National Park Service) 

Knob Creek Farm 

The Knob Creek Farm was a 228-acre tract 

owned by George Lindsey, located about 

seven miles north of Hodgen’s Mill. 

Thomas Lincoln was one of several 

leaseholders and held thirty acres in his 

parcel.4

 The Bardstown and Green River 

Turnpike ran along the east side of the farm, 

connecting Nashville, Tennessee, to 

Louisville, Kentucky. The family’s log 

cabin most likely faced the turnpike. 

Many of Lincoln’s neighbors were also 

small farmers and leaseholders rather than 

land owners. Tax records show that only 

 

4

 Ibid, 31.
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part I.A Historical Background & Context 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.A.3 

one neighbor, tanner William Brownfield, 

had a specific profession listed. As one of 

more prosperous men in the area, 

Brownfield owned several horses and 

reported the custody of one slave in 1805, 

though he also leased land as opposed to 

owning it.5 Only one neighbor, George 

Redmon, was shown in tax records as 

owning a wagon.6

 Other neighbors such as 

John Dye and William Ash held slaves, one 

in 1806 and four in 1808, respectively.7 In 

much of Kentucky, slave labor was not as 

prevalent as in the Deep South owing to the 

smaller size of most farms. 

Located on Knob Creek, a tributary of the 

Rolling Fork River, the bottomland in 

Thomas Lincoln’s parcel provided fertile 

soil for farming. Muldraugh’s Hill, a 

limestone cliff and ridge extending across 

the state, surrounded the farm on the north, 

east, and west sides. This hill and the other 

“knobs” in the area caused the creek to swell 

quickly with rain. In a later conversation at 

the White House, Abraham Lincoln 

recounted his memories of farming at Knob 

Creek: 

I remember that old home very well! Our farm 

was composed of three fields. It lay in the valley 

surrounded by high hills and deep gorges. 

Sometimes when there came a big rain in the 

hills the water would come down through the 

gorges and spread all over the farm. The last 

thing that I remember doing there was one 

Saturday afternoon. The other boys planted the 

corn in what we called the big field - it contained 

seven acres - and I dropped the pumpkin seeds. I 

dropped two seeds every other hill and every 

other row. The next Sunday morning there came 

a big rain in the hills. It did not rain a drop in the 

valley, but the water coming down through the 

gorges washed ground, corn, pumpkin seed and 

all clear off the field.8

 

5

 Ibid, 53. 

6

 Ibid, 56. 

7

 Ibid, 54-55. 

8

 Ibid; also Ida Tarbell, The Life of Abraham Lincoln 

(New York: Lincoln History Society, 1900), 17. 

Figure A-3 View of the Knob Creek farm, 

December 2005 

Another traditional story of Abe’s youth at 

the Knob Creek farm has him playing near 

the rain-swollen creek with Austin Gollaher, 

a neighbor, when the future president fell in. 

Gollaher helped Abraham out of the water 

with a branch, saving him from drowning.9 

This event was said to have occurred around 

1812. 

Though the setting of the farm was rural, the 

proximity to the turnpike, a primary travel 

artery, would have exposed the family to a 

variety of people. Tradition holds that Abe 

witnessed slaves being driven to market 

down the road, which affected his later 

views on slavery. Thomas Lincoln was 

appointed surveyor for part of the road near 

the cabin in 1816, demonstrating his 

standing within the area. 

Abraham and his sister Sarah attended ABC 

schools in Kentucky, one of them in a log 

building about two miles down the turnpike 

from Knob Creek. Lincoln called this the 

“blab school” because of the recitation 

required of the students. Though life on the 

frontier required manual labor, Abraham 

was said to have preferred intellectual 

 

9

 William H. Herndon, Herndon’s Lincoln 

(Springfield, Illinois: The Herndon’s Lincoln 

Publishing Company, 1888), vol. 1, p. 18. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part I.A Historical Background & Context 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.A.4 

pursuits, even though he probably had in all 

only one year of formal schooling. 

Abraham’s younger brother Thomas was 

born in the Knob Creek cabin, presumably 

two or three years after Abe’s birth. 

Thomas died in infancy and was buried in 

the nearby Redmon Cemetery, because the 

Lincoln family did not own the Knob Creek 

land. 

Thomas Lincoln had tried to buy the Knob 

Creek farm from Lindsey in 1815 but was 

unsuccessful.10 That same year landowner 

George Lindsey, Lincoln, and nine 

neighbors were served with a notice of 

ejectment from the Knob Creek land by a 

group asserting a prior claim. The 

subsequent lawsuit, settled in 1818, found in 

favor of Lindsey and his tenants. 

Meanwhile, Lincoln was still involved in 

legal proceedings regarding the Sinking 

Spring farm. Lincoln tried unsuccessfully to 

repurchase the land at Sinking Spring while 

living at Knob Creek. When it was finally 

settled in 1816 that Lincoln had no rightful 

claim to the land, the family moved to 

Indiana.11 Abraham Lincoln later wrote in a 

biographical sketch for John Scripps: 

 From this place he removed to what is now 

Spencer county Indiana, in the Autumn of 1816. 

This removal was partly on account of slavery; 

but chiefly on account of the difficulty in land 

titles in Ky.12

Life in Indiana 

Spencer County was the site of the first 

Indiana home of the Lincoln family. This 

location was chosen because the state had 

just been surveyed, and land titles were 

more secure. The family built a cabin, and 

Abraham helped to clear fields and tend 

crops at the new farm. Abraham’s mother 

 

10 Keith Sculle, “The Howard Family Legacy at the 

Knob Creek Farm,” Journal of the Abraham Lincoln 

Association (Vol. 26, No. 2, 2005), 22. 11 Brown, 48. 

12 Zall, 9. 

Nancy died in October of 1818. Thomas 

Lincoln later married Sarah Bush Johnston 

from Elizabethtown in December of the 

following year. Abraham and his new 

stepmother got along very well; she is said 

to have encouraged his taste in reading. 

Neighbors remembered that he would go to 

great lengths in order to borrow a book. 

Figure A-4 Boyhood of Lincoln, 1868 (painting by 

Eastman Johnson) 

In 1830, the family moved again, this time 

to Illinois. Abraham drove the team of oxen 

during the trip. He arrived in New Salem, 

Illinois, in 1831, and held a variety of jobs 

including rail splitter, storekeeper, 

postmaster, and surveyor. On a trip to New 

Orleans as a flatboatman on the Mississippi, 

he again remembered seeing slaves 

mistreated. In 1832 he enlisted as a 

volunteer for the Black Hawk War and was 

named captain of his company. 

Political Aspirations

Abraham first ran for the state legislature in 

1832 and was defeated. He ran again in 

1834 and was elected at the age of twentyfive. After personal study of law and being 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part I.A Historical Background & Context 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.A.5 

admitted to the bar in 1836, he began to 

practice as a lawyer and became known for 

his skill in the courtroom. He campaigned 

successfully to have Springfield succeed 

Vandalia as the Illinois state capitol, and he 

moved there in 1837. He was re-elected to 

the Illinois state legislature in 1838 and 

1840, eventually becoming minority leader 

of the Whig party in the legislature. 

Lincoln married Mary Todd in 1842. Born 

in Lexington, Kentucky, Todd had moved to 

Springfield to live with relatives in 1839 and 

had become active in social circles. Lincoln 

focused on his law practice, and served as 

counsel for railroads, banks, insurance 

companies, and the like. Though very 

successful, Lincoln was known for his 

common sense and honesty. He and his 

wife eventually had four sons. 

Figure A-5 Lincoln, November 8, 1863 

(Library of Congress) 

Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House in 

1847 and served a single term. His votes 

recorded in those two years show him to be 

against the spread of slavery. In 1856 he 

joined the newly formed Republican Party, 

established to prevent the extension of 

slavery; he became that party’s senatorial 

candidate two years later. His 1858 debates 

with Democrat Stephen A. Douglas, who 

had called for slavery to be permitted in 

territories of the Louisiana Purchase, were 

legendary, even though Douglas won the 

election. The presidential election of 1860 

again pitted these two men against each 

other, with Lincoln on the Republican ticket. 

Lincoln frequently wrote biographical 

sketches for campaign use. In these short 

documents he often fondly recalled his 

Kentucky upbringing. In one biography, 

Lincoln wrote, “I was born and have ever 

remained in the most humble walks of 

life.”13 In a letter to Samuel Haycraft, he 

continued: 

At this time his father resided on Knob-creek, on 

the road from Bardstown Ky. To Nashville Tenn. 

At a point three, or three and a half miles South 

or South-West of Atherton’s ferry on the Rolling 

Fork. (I was born on Nolin, very much nearer 

Hodgin’s-Mill than the Knob Creek place is. My 

earliest recollection, however, is of the Knob 

Creek place.)14 

His image as a self-made man with a modest 

background stayed with him throughout his 

political campaigns. 

 

Civil War 

Lincoln was victorious in the presidential 

election, but even before his inauguration, 

seven southern states had moved to secede 

from the Union. The generally accepted 

start of the Civil War, the bombardment of 

Ft. Sumter in Charleston Harbor, began just 

after Lincoln’s inauguration March 4, 1861. 

Lincoln’s primary goal was to preserve the 

Union. Though he did not want war, he felt 

the goal was worthy of the risk. He even 

said that preservation of the Union was the 

higher priority over the issue of slavery. 

With antislavery sentiment rising, he issued 

the Emancipation Proclamation on January 

1, 1863. The Thirteenth Amendment was 

 

13 Paul M. Zall, ed., Lincoln on Lincoln (Lexington: 

The University Press of Kentucky, 1999), 25. 

14 Ibid, 9. 
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later passed to ensure slavery would never 

again be permitted. 

It is in parts of Lincoln’s eloquent 

Gettysburg Address, delivered at that 

battlefield on November 19, 1863, that one 

can see the conviction with which Lincoln 

approached the issues of slavery and the 

Union: 

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers 

brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, 

conceived in liberty and dedicated to the 

proposition that all men are created equal. Now 

we are engaged in a great civil war, testing 

whether that nation, or any nation so conceived 

and so dedicated, can long endure... we here 

highly resolve that these dead shall not have died 

in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of 

freedom, and that government of the people, by 

the people, and for the people shall not perish 

from the earth. 

Lincoln managed to lead the Union in spite 

of massive war losses and won reelection in 

1864 based on the perception that victory 

was at hand. Indeed, Robert E. Lee 

surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse on 

April 9, 1865. It was only five days later, on 

Good Friday, April 14, that Lincoln was 

shot at the Ford Theater in Washington by 

John Wilkes Booth, an actor and staunch 

Confederate sympathizer. Lincoln died the 

next morning. It was the first presidential 

assassination. 

A National Hero 

Lincoln’s determination to preserve the 

Union, and his respect for basic human 

rights in freeing the slaves, earned him high 

esteem among the American people. His 

untimely death elevated his stature even 

more. The legends of his rural boyhood 

coincided with a general idealization of the 

past, brought about by technological 

advances of the late nineteenth century, the 

country’s centennial, and urban growth. 

Curious travelers began to seek out the 

supposed site of Lincoln’s birth, and local 

residents would lead them to a chimney 

where the cabin once stood at Sinking 

Spring Farm. 

Figure A-6 One of many published songs 

commemorating Lincoln, c. 1865 

(Library of Congress)

Local tradition states that the cabin of 

Lincoln’s birth was dismantled before 1860, 

and the logs were re-used in a nearby house. 

These logs, now known through further 

study to be later than the period of Lincoln’s 

birth, were sold in the 1890s and reconfigured into a cabin for exhibition at 

various sites. The Tennessee Centennial 

Exposition featured the reconstructed replica 

cabin in 1897; later the cabin was shown at 

the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in 

Buffalo, New York.15

Birthplace Memorial 

Robert J. Collier, publisher of New York’s 

Collier’s magazine, raised funds for the 

 

15 Dwight T. Pitcaithley, “Abraham Lincoln’s 

Birthplace Cabin: The Making of an American Icon” 

in Myth, Memory, and the Making of the American 

Landscape, ed. Paul A. Shackel, 244 (Gainesville: 

University Press of Florida, 2001). 
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purchase of the supposed cabin logs and the 

farm of Lincoln’s birth in order to construct 

a memorial there. He established the 

nonprofit Lincoln Farm Association to 

oversee the purchase and solicit designs for 

the memorial. 

Collier planned a grand memorial building 

and landscape. A granite and marble 

building, designed by John Russell Pope, 

consisted of one large interior room to house 

the birth cabin, although the logs actually 

had to be cut down in order to fit inside. 

President Theodore Roosevelt laid the 

cornerstone of the memorial building on the 

centennial of Lincoln’s birth, February 12, 

1909. The completed building was 

dedicated by President Taft on November 9, 

1911. 

Figure A-7 Memorial building at birthplace site, 

undated (Rinehart, National Park Service)

The Lincoln Farm Association donated the 

site to the United States government in 

1916, along with an endowment of $50,000, 

to form Abraham Lincoln National Park. 

The War Department managed the site until 

1933, when it was acquired by the National 

Park Service. It was designated a National 

Historical Park on August 11, 1939, and 

later renamed Abraham Lincoln National 

Historic Site on September 8, 1959. The site 

was listed on the National Register of 

Historic Places on October 15, 1966. Today 

the Birthplace National Historic Site 

contains 116.5 acres, one third of the 

original Sinking Spring farm tract. 

Other Memorials 

As early as 1867, Congress authorized the 

formation of the Lincoln Memorial 

Association to raise private funds for a 

monument in Washington, but it would not 

be completed until 1922. 

Formal efforts to memorialize Lincoln in 

Kentucky began in 1904, when the 

legislature established the Lincoln 

Monument Commission. The efforts of this 

group produced a statue of the seated 

Lincoln by sculptor Adolph Weinmen, 

dedicated in Hodgenville on May 31, 1909. 

Knob Creek after the Lincolns

The rural nature of Knob Creek continued 

after Thomas Lincoln moved his family to 

Indiana in 1816. Lincoln’s landlord, George 

Lindsey, was forced by the court to sell 230 

acres of his tract to William Bush in June of 

1831. One month later, a deed is recorded 

transferring the land from Bush to Charles 

Boon. 

The heirs of Charles Boon sold two tracts of 

land at auction, containing 328 acres and 

163 acres, respectively. Purchaser Nicholas 

A. Rapier was given title to the land on 

April 20, 1850. Rapier expanded his 

holdings when the heirs of Charles Boon 

transferred an adjacent fifty acre tract to him 

on April 17, 1858. 

The heirs of Nicholas A. Rapier represent 

the next series of changes, though the land 

remained in the family. Charles H. Rapier 

purchased five-sixth interest in roughly 352 

acres on February 5, 1891, from five heirs of 

N.A. Rapier. That same day, Frank X. 

Rapier acquired five-sixth interest in an 

adjacent 158 acre tract, from five heirs of 

N.A. Rapier. Sylvester Rapier & Co. 

received one-sixth interest in 380 acres on 

September 20, 1910, from F. Boone Rapier, 

who had inherited it from N.A. Rapier. 
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John W. Crady acquired full rights to the 

380 acres in 1911 by way of a four-sixth 

interest from the heirs of N.A. Rapier on 

March 23; one-sixth interest from Sylvester 

Rapier & Co. on April 18; and one-sixth 

interest from Joseph C. Rapier on April 24. 

In May 1918, Crady purchased an adjacent 

62.5 acres from Robert and Blanche Enlow 

and G.W. and Lourena Baird. This adjacent 

tract was originally held by John J. Larue, 

and was sold after his death to James W. 

Larue on March 6, 1866. Larue sold a 

portion known as the “James Cap farm” to 

John O’Brian on July 11, 1877. O’Brian 

sold 125.86 acres to John Lavey on January 

28, 1880. Lavey passed away in May 1913, 

and his son Charles purchased a four-sixth 

interest in the land from other heirs on 

August 14, 1915, along with the one-sixth 

interest he inherited. Lavey conveyed the 

title to his five-sixth interest to Nick 

Greenwell on April 15, 1916. Greenwell 

transferred his interest on the 125.86 acres to 

Robert Enlow and G.W. Baird on January 

28, 1918. It is not known how Enlow and 

Baird received the remaining one-sixth 

interest on the 62.5 acre portion deeded to 

John W. Crady.16

 

LaRue County was created from Hardin 

County in 1843, with Hodgenville named as 

the county seat. The Knob Creek land was 

included in the new LaRue County. The 

land was apparently always dedicated to 

farming. 

Growing Tourism 

Federal Aid Road acts were passed in 1916 

and 1921 to accommodate a growing 

number of automobiles. The turnpike 

adjacent to the farm, now Highway 31E, 

was paved in 1926, along with Highway 

31W. These easily-traveled roads brought 

increasing numbers of tourists to LaRue 

 

16 All deed information from Brown’s Report on the 

Title of Thomas Lincoln.

County and the birthplace memorial. With 

increased traffic and the reverence for 

Lincoln as strong as ever, more county 

residents began to capitalize on the Lincoln 

tourist trade. The Lincoln Trail was 

established in the 1930s as a way for 

travelers to follow the same route that the 

Lincoln family took through Kentucky, 

Indiana, and Illinois; part of the trail ran 

along Highway 31E and the Knob Creek 

farm. 

Hattie Howell Howard was one of the many 

in the area seeking to both memorialize 

Lincoln and create a career in tourism. 

Hattie already had a family connection to 

Lincoln tourism. Her brother James R. 

Howell owned a successful restaurant and 

gift shop next to the birthplace memorial 

called the Nancy Lincoln Inn, which he 

operated until his death in 1957. 

Hattie and her husband Chester bought 380 

acres containing the original Knob Creek 

farm on August 26, 1931 from John W. 

Crady, along with Crady’s adjacent 62.5 

acre tract. Chester Howard came from an 

established family that had founded 

Howardstown in 1833 and started a 

successful distillery supply store, the income 

from which provided the funds for the Knob 

Creek farm purchase. 

The Lincoln Boyhood Home 

At Knob Creek, the Howards planned a site 

that would serve both as a memorial to 

Lincoln and a business profiting from the 

growing tourist trade. They enlisted the help 

of Louis A. Warren, a historian and former 

editor for the LaRue County Herald in 

Hodgenville. Warren became an expert in 

all things Lincoln and searched local 

courthouse records for information with 

which to separate factual occurrences from 

traditional stories. The result of his efforts, 

Lincoln’s Parentage and Childhood, was 

published as a book in 1926. He argued that 

not only had the fertile bottomland of the 
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Knob Creek farm increased the prosperity of 

the Lincoln family, but that the landscape 

had had an impact on Lincoln’s 

personality.17 Warren and Howard both 

argued that the Knob Creek site was 

tremendously significant, even more so than 

the birthplace site, because of Lincoln’s 

personal remembrances of the farm. Warren 

wrote in Lincoln’s Parentage and 

Childhood: 

The Knob Creek home on the highway from 

Louisville to Nashville was the first home that 

Abraham remembered and the home which 

exerted the greatest influence on his young life. 

This site was the most picturesque of the three 

home-sites that Thomas and Nancy had occupied, 

situated as it was between the forks of Knob 

Creek, the fertile bottoms extending from the 

home in three different directions. The knobs of 

mountainous proportions, with their steep inclines 

to the creek-bed below, offered all that nature 

could provide to challenge the adventurous spirit 

of a growing boy. 

The original Lincoln cabin at Knob Creek 

supposedly had been dismantled in the 

1870s, reportedly by Steve Thompson and 

his son Robert. In 1895 a newspaper writer 

said that the logs from the original Knob 

Creek cabin were used by Charles Rapier to 

build a stable at his farm, later washed away 

by a flood. Thus, the Howards had to start 

anew. In 1931 they dismantled a single-pen 

log cabin thought to date from the early 

1800s from the Gollaher farm, which was 

included in the land purchase. With the logs 

they constructed a cabin said to resemble 

Lincoln’s. Their neighbor Robert 

Thompson, who said that he remembered 

the Lincoln family’s cabin, assisted the 

Howards in the construction. The result was 

a one-room cabin situated near Highway 

31E, with one door and window on the east 

wall, a fireplace on the north wall, and a 

small loft accessed via a peg ladder. 

 

17 Sculle, 27. 

Figure A-8 Postcard of replica cabin, undated 

(KyGenWeb Special Collections)

The Tavern 

Construction on an adjacent building was 

begun soon after the cabin was completed. 

Meant to accommodate visitors’ requests for 

refreshments at the site, this tavern, 

reportedly built with logs taken from the 

farm’s forests, cost $4,200 to build and also 

had gas pumps to serve the tourist trade. 

Figure A-9 Tavern, undated but presumed c. 1933 

(photo courtesy of Mary Brooks Howard)

The tavern consisted of a large room on the 

first floor, with public restrooms and a 
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kitchen. Upstairs were three rooms and a 

private bathroom, which served as the 

residence of the site manager. The site was 

operated as Abraham Lincoln’s Boyhood 

Home. 

In 1934 a nightclub was established in the 

tavern. Open from late April to late 

October, live entertainment and dancing 

were events enjoyed by tourists and locals 

alike. This use provided additional revenue 

to the site, until LaRue County prohibited 

liquor sales in November 1942, at which 

time the nightclub closed. Under the 

management of Fred Howard, the tavern 

was converted to a museum and gift shop in 

the early 1950s. Howard purchased local 

historical artifacts for display in the cabin 

and tavern, including a slave trap, arrowhead 

collection, guns, tools, household artifacts 

from Lincoln’s era, and other Americana.18 

Kentucky crafts were sold in the gift shop, 

along with souvenirs. Hattie and C.F. 

Howard officially sold the site with 200 

acres to Fred Howard on October 20, 1964. 

Figure A-10 Photo of tavern bar, undated (photo 

courtesy of Mary Brooks Howard) 

 

18 Ibid, 40. 

Site Managers 

The Howard family administered the site for 

seventy years, usually with the manager 

living in the quarters above the tavern. 

Hattie and Chester’s son Paul Howard 

managed the site starting in 1932, when he 

graduated from the University of Kentucky; 

he was the only manager not to live on-site. 

Helen Howard Peake, the eldest daughter of 

Hattie and Chester, managed the site in two 

separate periods between 1935 and 1949; 

Millburn Howard, the next son, also 

managed for a time. Nell and Earl W. 

Everly, the only non-family managers, came 

in 1940. Fred Howard, the youngest son of 

Hattie and Chester, began managing the site 

in 1950; his wife Mary Brooks Howard 

assumed management duties upon his death 

in 1980.

Growing Significance 

The Boyhood Home became a successful 

tourist site and began to garner recognition 

for its significance in Lincoln’s life. 

Beginning in 1942, the Boy Scouts used the 

site as a stopping point on their Lincoln 

Heritage Trail from Elizabethtown to 

Hodgenville. Stanley Kubrick’s film, Mr. 

Lincoln, was shot in part at the picturesque 

Knob Creek farm in 1952; the site also 

served to represent the Indiana frontier in 

the film. In 1958 the Boyhood Home was 

included in a re-enacted trip of the Lincoln 

family’s journey from Hodgenville to 

Indiana. 

Changing Hands 

Mary Brooks Howard, daughter-in-law of 

Hattie and Chester Howard, tried to sell the 

site in 1981 and 1985 for an asking price of 

$1 million. The highest offer received was 

$250,000. Low visitation was part of the 

reason for the attempted sale. In 1985 only 

16,283 paid visitors were recorded at the 

Boyhood Home, while 300,000 visited the 

Birthplace National Historic Site in 

Hodgenville. 
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When no better offers were made, the site 

and its contents were put up for auction. On 

January 11, 1986, a group of Howard family 

members submitted the top bid for the site 

and contents together at $120,500, after no 

bids were submitted for the property or 

contents separately. The family members 

established Lincoln Boyhood Home, Inc., 

with fifteen members. They officially reopened the site on April 1 of that year, after 

some cleaning and painting work. Fabian 

Howard, the son of Fred and Brooks, took 

over management duties. The group also 

built an open picnic pavilion and log 

restrooms. It was then estimated that 30,000 

to 40,000 people visited the Boyhood Home 

site annually. 

National Register Nomination 

Under the management of the Lincoln 

Boyhood Home, Inc., a new nomination of 

the site to the National Register of Historic 

Places was submitted in 1988. The first 

nomination attempt in 1981 had been 

unsuccessful. In that nomination, the period 

of significance had been listed as Lincoln’s 

boyhood, though the site did not actually 

contain any structures from that period. 

When the nomination was reworked to 

highlight the site’s prominent role in LaRue 

County tourism and its stature as a 

monument to Lincoln, the nomination was 

successful. The Boyhood Home site was 

officially listed on the National Register of 

Historic Places as a district on October 4, 

1988. The cabin and tavern are the two 

contributing buildings, while a modern 

pavilion (c. 1988) and shed (c. 1950s) are 

listed as non-contributing. 

 

A Secure Future 

Though the Howard family had reacquired 

the property, they were concerned about the 

long-term future of the Boyhood Home site. 

Offers to buy the site had come from 

philanthropist Philip R. Jonsson and author 

Judy Potts, but the family had refused, 

favoring a more stable preservation of the 

site, preferably with the National Park 

Service. A group called the Friends of Abe 

Lincoln formed to lobby for legislation to 

allow the Park Service to accept the property 

if it were donated. Congress authorized the 

acquisition of the site on November 6, 1998, 

with the stipulation that it be accepted by 

donation only. Various state and local 

organizations contributed funds to the cause, 

including a $500,000 appropriation in the 

Commonwealth of Kentucky’s 2001-02 

budget authorized by Governor Patton. The 

land was purchased by a group called 

Preservation of Lincoln’s Kentucky 

Heritage, Inc., for $1 million. The site was 

then donated the National Park Service as 

stipulated in the authorization. The NPS 

officially assumed management duties on 

November 6, 2001, when it became a unit of 

Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site 

(ABLI). The dedication ceremony took 

place on February 12, 2002. 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit 

The earliest letters of report written by NPS 

staff after the 2002 transfer indicated 

moisture problems in the tavern and cabin, 

and suggested stabilization work. This work 

was accomplished in September 2003. In 

October 2004, a ground-penetrating radar 

survey was undertaken in an attempt to 

locate features from the Lincoln period, such 

as privy pits, wells, trash dumps, or the 

original cabin site. Thirteen grids were 

studied by a crew from NPS SEAC, 

covering 10,017 square meters. 

Unfortunately, no significant features were 

located. 
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Figure A-11 Boyhood Home site, December 2005 

In 2003 work was begun on a new General 

Management Plan for ABLI. Public 

meetings were held in November of that 

year, and the majority felt that the natural 

and historic landscape was the primary value 

at the Boyhood Home unit. Alternatives 

were published in a newsletter in fall 2004, 

with a draft GMP and environmental impact 

statement due in 2006. Alternative A is 

referred to as the “no action alternative.” 

Alternative B considers rehabilitation of the 

tavern for visitor services and park 

operations, restoration of the cabin, and 

marking of the original cabin site if it is 

located. Alternative C builds on Alternative 

B, but opens the cabin to the public, and 

adds more trails, restrooms, signs, and 

picnic tables. Alternative D considers 

removal of the tavern and replacement with 

a modern visitor information building, and 

construction of an “outdoor pioneer lifestyle 

exhibit.” 

A small office was placed at the site 

between the cabin and tavern, and is staffed 

from April thorough the last week of 

October. Though the tavern and cabin are 

both currently closed to the public, visitors 

are welcome at the site. Like Louis Warren 

and the Howard family, the NPS brochure 

for the Knob Creek site places significance 

in the landscape and location, stating that 

young Abe would have experienced a 

diversity of both nature and ideals at the 

Knob Creek Farm. 

Other Studies 

Two additional studies provide a wealth of 

information about the Boyhood Home site. 

Keith Sculle’s 2005 article “The Howard 

Family Legacy at the Knob Creek Farm” 

provides insight into the daily operations of 

the site under the Howard family 

management. In 1998 Kent Brown 

completed a study on the land titles of 

Thomas Lincoln, including information 

from tax records and court records, which 

confirm the Lincoln family’s ties to the site. 
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2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.B.1 

B. CHRONOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT AND USE 

Initial Construction and Early Operation 

Construction of the Lincoln Tavern began in 

1931, three years after Hattie and Chester 

Howard purchased the Knob Creek farm. 

The Howards had completed the 

construction of a replica cabin on the 

property in 1930, and visitors began to 

request a place for refreshments.1 A family 

tradition, as reported by Milburn Howard, 

holds that an architect or builder had 

prepared a set of plans for the tavern. 

Chester Howard rejected the design, 

however, and proceeded with his own. 

Family lore also says that the logs for the 

building were reportedly harvested from 

trees on the property. The tavern, completed 

in 1933, offered a restaurant as well as gas 

for travelers. Early photographs, including 

one dated 1933 (Figure B-1) and an undated 

photograph in the possession of Mary 

Brooks Howard (Figure B-4), indicate a split 

wood shingle roof. The site, including the 

cabin and the tavern, was operated as 

Abraham Lincoln’s Boyhood Home by the 

Howard family. 

Figure B-1 Cabin and tavern looking west, 

September 23,1933 (photo by Beuer) 

The tavern consisted of one large room on 

the first floor, called the dance hall or 

 

1

 Keith Sculle, “The Howard Family Legacy at the 

Knob Creek Farm,” Journal of the Abraham Lincoln 

Association (Vol. 26, No. 2, 2005), 33. 

simply the hall. A stone fireplace was at the 

south wall of the hall, and two alcoves at 

opposite ends of the east wall flanked an 

exterior entrance porch. Double sash doors 

gave entry to the hall from the sheltered 

front porch. Double-hung wood windows in 

groups of two or three provided natural 

light. An awning window was situated high 

on the wall on both the north wall and the 

west wall, near the northwest corner. 

Undated, but presumably early family 

photographs of the interior reveal that very 

early on a bar was in place near this corner 

of the hall. The bar reportedly was used 

originally in the Seelbach Hotel in 

Louisville.2

 The flooring was milled, 

tongue-and-groove pine, and columns, 

beams, and joists were exposed round logs. 

The log structure of the building was 

exposed in the interior rooms of the first 

floor, and sticks mounted on the wall of the 

hall provided for hanging displays such as 

guns and other artifacts. Overall, the 

interior of the hall and the exterior of the 

tavern reflected a rustic appearance 

compatible with the adjacent cabin and rural 

setting. 

Figure B-2 Photo of bar on west wall of hall, 

undated (courtesy of Mary Brooks Howard) 

 

2

 Millburn Howard, interview with Joseph K. 

Oppermann, FAIA, 10 March 2006. 
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Figure B-3 Postcard of the Lincoln Tavern Interior, undated 

( from “The Howard Family Legacy at the Knob Creek Farm” by Keith A. Sculle) 

Men’s and women’s restrooms as well as a 

kitchen were accessed at the west wall of the 

hall, through varnished five-panel doors. 

These rooms had linoleum tile flooring and, 

like the hall, had exposed log walls and 

ceilings. A sash door in the kitchen served 

as a back entrance to the building, leading to 

a screened-in porch. 

A partial basement was accessed from the 

kitchen and extended under the central 

portion of the large hall. A gas furnace in 

the basement provided heat for the building. 

Water service was provided from a well, and 

there was a water pump and propane water 

heater in the basement. A sump pump was 

in the southwest corner of the basement, at 

the foot of the stairs to the kitchen; a 

bullfrog was known to live in the sump for 

many years. 

The upstairs rooms typically served as the 

residence of the manager of the Boyhood 

Home site and were accessed by a wood 

staircase from the kitchen. Three main 

rooms were lit by dormer windows, and a 

bathroom was located in the gable end 

above the kitchen. Double-hung windows, 

the same as those used in the first floor, 

were used in pairs or alone. These 

residential rooms had tongue-and-groove 

pine flooring, and random sized wood wall 

studs and ceiling framing, sheathed with 

fiberboard panels. Fiberboard, made of 

organic material, usually from wood 

products, became readily available in the 

early twentieth century. It was also 

relatively inexpensive and became a popular 

interior surface material during the Great 

Depression. 

Figure B-4 Southeast oblique of tavern, undated 

(courtesy of Mary Brooks Howard) 
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The fiberboard wall surfaces of the second 

floor were likely with wallpaper soon after 

construction, if not from the time of initial 

construction. Several generations of 

wallpaper are still in place on the walls; 

Brooks Howard reports that they all were 

installed prior to 1950. 

1950s: Conversion to Gift Shop 

Fred Howard began to manage the site in 

1950, eventually resulting in the longest 

tenure of any site manager. Fred and his 

wife Mary Brooks Howard lived in the 

quarters on the second floor of the tavern 

from June of 1950 until October 1953, when 

their son was born. Under Fred’s 

management, the tavern was converted to a 

museum and gift shop in the early 1950s. 

The wood entry porch was replaced with 

concrete, and new composition shingle 

roofing was installed. New beech flooring 

was installed in the hall; it was mopped with 

red oil periodically as a finish. The bar’s 

mirror was removed, though the cabinets 

remained. A paneled stud wall was 

constructed to enclose one of the hall 

alcoves, which functioned as an office. An 

L-shaped counter was also built near the 

door to receive visitors. Spotlights were 

installed in the hall c. 1955, to supplement 

the original schoolhouse globes suspended 

along the center beam of the room. 

Figure B-5 East elevation of tavern, undated 

(courtesy of Mary Brooks Howard) 

Fred Howard also improved the residential 

spaces of the tavern. The kitchen cabinets 

and peninsula were installed in the 1950s, as 

was the shower and tub in the second-floor 

bathroom. 

In 1953 the furnace in the tavern failed. The 

following year two ceiling-mounted 

kerosene heaters were installed in the hall 

and the old furnace was left in place. 

After Fred Howard’s death in 1980, his wife 

Brooks assumed management duties at the 

Boyhood Home site. She directed the 

installation of a concrete ramp at the front 

porch for handicapped accessibility. 

1986: New Ownership 

The Boyhood Home site was sold at auction 

in January 1986 to a group of Howard 

family members, who formed the Lincoln 

Boyhood Home, Inc. Fabian Howard served 

as the on-site manager and lived in the north 

room of the second-floor quarters; the other 

two rooms were used for storage. Fabian 

used a kerosene heater in his small quarters. 

The family enclosed the screened-in porch 

on the west side of the tavern with rough-cut 

vertical board siding in 1988, at which time 

the exterior pavilion was also constructed. 

Fluorescent lighting was installed in the hall. 

Sheet vinyl was installed in the two firstfloor restrooms. 

In 1998, the group hired a roofer to install 

new composition shingle roofing on the 

tavern. 

2001: National Park Service 

After transfer of the site to the National Park 

Service in late 2001, stabilization work was 

the first priority. In September 2003, 

interior bracing was added in the hall to 

support the second floor. In addition, the 

original front doors were placed in storage 

and solid wood doors installed in their place. 

The original pendant light fixtures in the hall 
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were removed, and temporary lighting was 

installed. 

Several items were removed from the tavern 

in 2004 by the Howard family, at the request 

of the NPS. The bar was removed, along 

with artifacts including tools, guns, and 

traps. The Howard family is still in 

possession of these artifacts and is 

considering their sale. 

Figure B-6 View of added bracing inside hall, 2005 
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2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.B.5 

Chronology 

1778 Thomas Lincoln, Abraham’s father, is born in Virginia to Abraham and 

Bersheba Lincoln. 

1782 Thomas Lincoln moves to Jefferson County, Kentucky, with his parents. 

c. 1796 Thomas Lincoln moves to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. 

 

1801 Thomas Lincoln purchases and settles on land in Cumberland County, 

Kentucky. 

1806 Thomas Lincoln marries Nancy Hanks. 

1807 February 10 Sarah Lincoln is born to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. 

1808 December Thomas Lincoln purchases and relocates to the Sinking Spring farm in 

 LaRue County, Kentucky. 

1809 February 12 Abraham Lincoln is born at Sinking Spring farm to Thomas and Nancy 

 Lincoln. 

1811 A dispute over the Sinking Spring land title forces the Lincoln family to 

move to Knob Creek farm when Abraham is two years old. Thomas 

Lincoln did not buy this land; rather, he leased 30 acres from the owner, 

George Lindsey. 

c. 1811 A son, Thomas, is born to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln; he dies in infancy. 

1815 Thomas Lincoln unsuccessfully tries to buy Knob Creek farm. Litigation 

regarding the title to Sinking Spring continues. 

George Lindsey, Thomas Lincoln, and other leaseholders are served with a 

notice of ejection from the Knob Creek land by people in Pennsylvania 

with a prior claim. The matter goes to court, and Lindsey prevails. The 

Lincolns are allowed to stay as the “tenant in possession.” 

1816 Lincoln family leaves Knob Creek farm after the court finds that Thomas 

has no claim to the Sinking Spring land. The Lincolns and their two 

children move to Spencer County, Indiana, where recent surveying has 

made land titles more stable. 

1818 October 5 Nancy Lincoln dies. 

1819 December Thomas Lincoln marries Sarah Bush Johnston. 

1830 The Lincoln family moves to Illinois. 
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1831 Abraham makes his home in New Salem, Illinois, where he reads law and 

 keeps a store. 

1832 Lincoln is defeated in his first bid for the state legislature. 

1833 The Howard family founds Howardstown, Kentucky, where they own a 

store for distillery supplies. 

1834 Lincoln is elected to the Illinois state legislature. 

1836 Abraham Lincoln is admitted to the bar, having been completely self- 

 taught. 

1837 Lincoln moves to Springfield, Illinois. 

1847 Lincoln begins a single term in the United States House of 

Representatives. 

1854 The Missouri Compromise is repealed, heightening the growing tension 

 regarding slavery. 

1856 Lincoln joins the newly formed Republican Party. 

1858 Lincoln is nominated as Republican candidate for the Senate from Illinois. 

He debates Democratic opponent Stephen Douglas over the slavery issue. 

1860 Lincoln is nominated as the Republican presidential candidate. 

 December 20 South Carolina is the first state to secede from the Union. 

1861 January- Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas secede 

 March 4 from the Union. 

 March 4 Abraham Lincoln assumes office as President. 

 March 4- Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia secede from the 

 November Union. 

1863 January 1 The Emancipation Proclamation is issued. 

c. 1865 Tradition states that Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace cabin at Sinking Spring 

farm is dismantled and the logs are used in a nearby house. 

1865 April 9 Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders to Union General Ulysses 

 S. Grant at the Appomattox courthouse in Virginia. 

 April 14 President Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth on Good Friday at Ford’s 

Theater in Washington, D.C. 
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April 15 Abraham Lincoln dies in a house across the street from the theater. 

1867 Congress authorizes Lincoln Memorial Association to raise funds for a 

 monument in Washington, D.C. 

c. 1870 Tradition states that Lincoln’s Knob Creek cabin is torn down. 

1874 The first Lincoln monument—a tomb marker—is dedicated in Springfield, 

Illinois. 

1889-1890 Several books on the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln are published. 

1896 A cabin reputed to be the original Sinking Spring cabin is exhibited at 

Tennessee Centennial Exposition and New York’s Central Park. 

1904 The Lincoln Monument Commission is established by the Kentucky 

 legislature. 

1905 Robert Collier purchases the Sinking Spring farm at a public sale and 

establishes a nonprofit Lincoln Farm Association to construct a memorial 

there. 

1909 February 12 President Theodore Roosevelt lays the cornerstone of the memorial 

building designed by John Russell Pope at Lincoln’s birthplace site. 

May 31 A statue of Lincoln by sculptor Adolph Weinmen is dedicated in 

Hodgenville, Kentucky. 

1911 November 9 The completed memorial building is dedicated by President William 

Howard Taft. 

1920 James R. Howell builds Nancy Lincoln Inn next to the birthplace site and 

 memorial building. 

1922 The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., is dedicated. 

1926 Highway 31E opens and increases tourism in Kentucky. 

Historian Louis A. Warren publishes a book on the life of Abraham 

 Lincoln. 

1928 Hattie Howell Howard and her husband Chester purchase 380 acres 

including the Knob Creek farm. 

1930 The Howards move to a farmhouse across from Knob Creek site. 
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1931 The Howard family constructs a replica of Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood 

home cabin using logs from the Gollaher cabin under the guidance of 

Robert Thompson, who remembers the original cabin. They begin to 

operate the Knob Creek site as a tourist destination known as Abraham 

Lincoln’s Boyhood Home. 

Because visitors to the cabin frequently request refreshments, the 

Howards begin construction of a tavern. 

1932 Son Paul Howard begins to manage the Boyhood Home property. 

1933 The birthplace Memorial Building at Sinking Spring Farm is acquired by 

the National Park Service. 

The tavern, including a restaurant and gas station, opens to the public. 

1934 A nightclub with live entertainment and dancing opens in the tavern. 

1935 Helen Howard Peake takes over management of the Boyhood Home. 

1939 August 11 Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace is named a National Historical Park. 

1940 The Boyhood Home is managed by Nell and Earl W. Everly. 

1942 Boy Scouts begin to use the site as a halfway stop on the Lincoln Heritage 

Trail from Elizabethtown to Hodgenville, Kentucky. 

1942 The nightclub is closed when liquor sales are prohibited in LaRue County. 

1950 Fred Howard takes over management. The tavern is converted to a 

museum and gift shop. 

A new beech floor is installed in the hall, on top of the original wood 

floor. 

The bar’s mirror is removed. 

The wood front-entrance porch is replaced with a concrete porch. 

New composition shingle roofing is installed. 

A shower and tub is installed in the private bathroom on the second floor. 

 

1952 Stanley Kubrick films part of Mr. Lincoln, a biographical movie, at the 

 Boyhood Home site. 

The southeast alcove in the hall is partitioned off with a new paneled wall. 
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 New cabinets, counters, and peninsula are installed in the kitchen. 

1953 The original gas-fired heater fails. 

1954 Two gas-fired unit heaters are installed in the hall, suspended from the 

ceiling. 

1955 c. Additional lighting in the form of tear-drop pendants is added in the hall. 

1958 The Boyhood Home is included in a reenacted trip of the Lincolns’ 

journey from Hodgenville, Kentucky, to Indiana. 

1959 September 8 Lincoln’s birthplace is named Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site. 

1966 October 11 Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site is listed on the National Register 

 of Historic Places. 

1980 Fred Howard’s wife, Mary Brooks, begins management of the Boyhood 

Home after his death. 

1981 Knob Creek’s nomination to National Register fails because the site 

contains no original buildings from Lincoln’s boyhood, the declared 

period of significance. 

Brooks Howard unsuccessfully tries to sell the site, asking $1 million. 

1982 Concrete ramp added to front entrance porch. 

1985 16,283 paid visitors come to the Boyhood Home, while 300,000 visit the 

nearby birthplace. 

1986 January 11 The Boyhood Home site and contents are put up for auction; a group of 

Howard family members submits the highest bid of $120,500 for both. 

April 1 The Boyhood Home reopens. Julian Howard, Fred and Brooks’s son, 

manages the site. 

1988 Lincoln’s Boyhood Home is listed on the National Register of Historic 

Places for its significance to LaRue County tourism. 

A picnic pavilion and log restrooms are built on site. 

Original screened porch at west side of tavern is enclosed. 

Sheet vinyl flooring is installed in the first-floor restrooms. 

1998 Composition shingle roofing is installed at the tavern, along with new 

galvanized steel gutters and downspouts. 
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2001 Preservation of Lincoln’s Kentucky Heritage, Inc., acquires the Boyhood 

Home. 

November 6 The National Park Service takes over management of the site, now the 

Boyhood Home unit of Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHS. 

2002 February 12 The formal ceremony of transfer to the NPS is held at the Boyhood Home. 

2003 September The cabin and tavern are stabilized, and temporary electric service is 

installed. 

New front doors are installed at the tavern; the originals are placed in the 

hall for storage. 

The log pavilion is torn down. 

2004 The bar and other artifacts are removed from the hall by the previous 

owners at the request of the NPS. 

October A ground-penetrating radar survey of the site is unsuccessful in locating 

Lincoln-era features. 

2006 A new General Management Plan draft is discussed at its final public 

hearing in May prior to publication. 
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2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.1 

C. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

General Description 

The Lincoln Tavern is a one-and-one-half 

story, five-bay log building built in 1932-33 

as part of a site commemorating Lincoln’s 

boyhood home. The building faces 

southeast towards Highway 31E and was 

sited to complement the adjacent replica log 

cabin and to attract tourists. Generally 

unaltered, the exterior is unhewn logs with 

saddle- and V-notching with cement 

chinking set on a foundation of hollow core 

concrete block. The main block has a 

composition-shingle hipped roof with 

projecting one-story front-gabled end bays, 

two gable dormers at the front, two at the 

rear and a gable dormer at each side. On the 

south side is a prominent limestone block 

chimney. 

Figure C-1 Tavern from the southeast 

Across the three central bays of the main 

(east) façade is a one-story shed porch 

supported by unhewn log posts and flanked 

by the projecting side bays. The porch floor 

was replaced with concrete in the 1950s, and 

a concrete handicap ramp was added in 

about 1982. The central entrance has 

replacement double doors installed in 2003. 

Windows of the main block are triple, 

paired, and single window units of doublehung, four-over-four sashes. These doublehung, four-over-four light window units 

appear in the gable dormers and on all 

facades with the exception of eight-light 

awning sashes in two windows near the 

northwest back corner and a modified fourlight fixed sash in a south-facing dormer 

over the stairs. 

Projecting from the rear façade is a one-andone-half-story gable wing with interior brick 

chimney; attached to the south of this gable 

wing is a one-story shed wing containing 

public restrooms, and a one-story shed 

porch, now enclosed. The enclosed porch 

has vertical board siding and a metal roof. 

All the other roofing materials are 

composition shingle. The exterior windows 

consist of pairs of the original double-hung, 

four-over-four sash units, some of which 

have been modified, and a modern 

aluminum sash unit in the 1988 enclosure of 

the porch. 

Figure C-2 Tavern from the southwest 

Inside the main block is a large open room 

built as a tavern for tourists and local 

residents. The interior retains its exposed 

logs and exposed round log ceiling joists. A 

row of log posts supports the central ceiling 

beam; the posts are supplemented by 

temporary diagonal 4 by 4 braces, installed 

in 2003. On the south wall is an arched 

fireplace of limestone blocks with a pouredin-place hearth. In the early 1950s the beech 
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floor was installed on top of the original 

wood floor, and the south gable bay was 

partitioned with pine board paneling to 

create an office space. The tavern had 

served as a local “watering hole” until 

LaRue County’s 1940s prohibition against 

liquor sales led to its conversion to a 

museum and gift shop. In 2001 the property 

was donated to the National Park Service, 

which closed the commercial operation. In 

2004 at the request of the NPS, the previous 

owners removed the wood bar from along 

the west wall of the room, along with the 

many pioneer-era artifacts that hung on the 

walls and from the display canopies. 

In the rear gable ell is a kitchen with stairs to 

the basement mechanical room and another 

run of stairs to the second floor. The kitchen 

was updated in 1952 with the addition of a 

peninsula, countertop, and cabinets 

extending from the center of the north wall 

and a countertop with double-sink and 

cabinets added to the west wall at the 

southwest corner of the room. A door, the 

original rear exterior door, leads from the 

kitchen to the former porch, originally 

screened but enclosed in 1988. The new 

room retains the porch’s original concrete 

floor. 

The upper story has three rooms and a 

private bathroom in the rear ell, built for 

residential use by the original owners. The 

two southernmost rooms were later used as 

supply rooms for the gift shop; only the 

north room remained in residential use. The 

building is currently vacant. 

Construction Characteristics 

Structural Systems 

Foundation Walls & Piers: The foundation 

walls and piers are cast-in-place concrete. 

The cast-in-place concrete walls are topped 

with two courses of eight-inch concrete 

masonry units. The masonry units are a 

“panel” type 8 inches high by 16 inches long 

by 4 inches deep; the exposed face has 

smooth surfaces, the four perimeter edges 

chamfered to form a raised panel 6 inches 

high by 14 inches long. 

Figure C-3 Concrete masonry units and vent 

Cast iron vents with a diamond-pattern grille 

measuring 8′′ by 14′′ are located periodically 

at the perimeter of the crawl space, taking 

the place of one concrete masonry unit. A 

coal scuttle is located on the west elevation 

of the rear ell. 

Figure C-4 Basement interior showing cast-in-place 

concrete and concrete masonry units 

Exterior Walls: In the original building 

(except the south and west walls of Room 

105, an early screened-in porch enclosed in 

ca. 1988), logs stripped of their bark are 

stacked horizontally and joined at 
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intersecting walls using the sharp notch style 

of log construction. Samples taken 

randomly from several of the logs identified 

the wood species as yellow poplar 

(Liriodendron tulipifera). 

Figure C-5 Log joinery and chinking 

Small sections of limestone approximately 

one half inch wide by varying lengths are set 

in a diagonal pattern as the “stone chinking” 

or “filler” between the logs. 

The “mud chinking” or “mortar chinking” is 

a sand and Portland cement mortar troweled 

over the filler to close the gaps between the 

logs. 

Figure C-6 East-facing dormer 

The dormers are formed with conventional 

stud framing and sheathed on the sides with 

well-worn, wood shingles that are probably 

original. The gable ends of the dormers are 

formed with logs stacked horizontally. 

The exterior walls of the storage room, 

Room 105, are comprised of conventional 

framing sheathed with rough-cut boards set 

vertically in a modified board-and-batten 

manner, as shown in the detail drawing 

below. 

 

Figure C-7 Vertical board siding 

Figure C-8 Vertical board siding detail drawing

Flooring Systems: The first floor framing 

of the building consists of 2′′ by 7 1⁄8′′ deep 

joists spaced at 16′′ on center. 

The floor of the basement room is a pouredin-place concrete slab, as is the floor of the 

storage room, Room 105. The concrete floor 

of the storage room is the floor of the former 

screened-in porch. The previous owners 

believe both floors to be original features of 

the building. 

The porch deck of the front entrance porch 

is poured-in-place concrete. It was installed 

in the early 1950s when the original wood 

porch deck was replaced. 
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The second floor above Room 102 is 

supported by a spine of posts and beams 

extending north-south the full length of the 

room. The posts are 10 inches in diameter 

set approximately 16 feet apart. The beams 

consist of 10 inch diameter round logs. This 

spine supports the second-floor framing of 6 

inch to 8 inch diameter log joists spaced at 

24′′ on center. Similar log joists spanning 

north-south support the second floor above 

the kitchen. 

 In 2003 the National Park Service added a 

temporary framing system of 6′′ by 6′′

conventional lumber to provide 

supplemental support to the beams of the 

spine in Room 102. 

 Figure C-9 Log joists, beams, and posts, with 

modern temporary supports 

Roof Framing: The roof structure of the 

original building consists of wood sheathing 

supported by 1 5⁄8′′ by 5 1⁄2′′ deep rafters 

spaced 24 inches on center. Many of the 

sheathing boards appear to be recycled 

material. Most of the roof framing and deck 

are concealed by fiberboard and cardboard 

materials nailed to the underside of the 

rafters. 

The roof structure of the screened-in porch, 

now the storage room, consists of apparently 

salvaged deck boards of random widths 

supported by conventional framing with 

rafters measuring 1 1⁄2′′ by 5 1⁄2′′ set 24 inches 

on center. 

Figure C-10 Rafters and sheathing visible in attic 

Exterior Features 

Roof and Rainwater Collection/Dispersal: 

The roofing material of the original building 

is composition shingle installed in 1998. 

A modern, steel-panel roofing material is on 

the storage room. This roofing material was 

installed in 1988 when the screened-in porch 

was enclosed. 

Aluminum flashing is used at the dormers 

and the secondary chimney at the back of 

the building that vented the basement 

furnace. The galvanized flashing at the 

primary chimney located on the south 

elevation appears to have been retained from 

a previous roofing campaign. 

The machine-formed, half-round gutters and 

round downspouts are made of galvanized 

steel. They were installed in 1998 when the 

current composition shingle roof was 

installed. Remnants of the previous gutters 
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and downspouts of same design and material 

are stored in the hall. 

Figure C-11 Composition shingle roofing and 

galvanized steel gutters and downspouts 

Chimneys: The building has two chimneys. 

One is relatively small, straightforward in 

design, and easily unnoticed at the rear of 

the tavern. Its purpose, strictly utilitarian, 

was to vent the basement furnace. Set inside 

and against a section of the building’s west 

wall, it rises directly through the kitchen, 

Room 101, and the attic kneewall space of 

the bathroom above, Room 201, exiting on 

the north side of the gable roof. Made of an 

early twentieth-century, red-brown, pressed 

brick, it is just two bricks wide in both 

directions, measuring approximately 1′-5′′

by 1′-5′′, as it rises some three feet above the 

roofline without variation of its simple 

rectilinear form. It is capped with a simple 

metal rain diverter. 

Figure C-12 Brick chimney at kitchen 

The other chimney is large, handsomely 

proportioned in its massing, and prominently 

located on the exterior of the south 

elevation, highly visible to travelers along 

the adjoining highway. It is a major 

architectural feature inside the tavern as 

well, where it provides a large fireplace at 

the center of the south wall of the hall, 

Room 102. The chimney is constructed of 

broken-face blocks of limestone in irregular 

sizes, measuring from 5′′ to 7′′ in height and 

from 10′′ to 19′′ in width. The footprint of 

the base measures 4′-10′′ by 7′-3′′. As it 

approaches the roof the chimney tapers to 

approximately 4′-0′′ wide. A corbelled row 

of stones accentuates the top. 

Figure C-13 Limestone chimney on south wall 

Fascia Boards: The fascia board of the 

original building is a plain, unmodified 

plank board measuring 1 1⁄2′′ by 5′′. The 

fascia board of the shed addition is also a 

plank board; it measures 1 1⁄2′′ by 6 1⁄2′′. 

None of the fascia boards appear to have had 

trim. 

Walls: The stacked round logs of the 

original building’s exterior walls not only 

serve as part of the structural system but 

also, exposed as they are, constitute the 

exterior appearance. 
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The exterior stud walls enclosing the storage 

room, Room 105, are sheathed with two 

rows of overlapping, plank boards. Set in a 

vertical pattern, the rough-cut, square-edged 

boards of each row measures from 9 1⁄4′′ to 

10 1⁄4′′ by 1 1⁄8′′. The boards of the outer row 

are spaced approximately 4 1⁄2′′ to 5 1⁄2′′

apart, each gap exposing the face of a plank 

board of the second row. 

 

Doorways: The main entrance doorway is 

located off the porch at the center of the east 

elevation. The doorway is framed for 

double doors. The current wood slab doors 

(also called flush doors) and door framing 

were installed by the National Park Service 

as a security measure in 2003. Each door 

measures 2′-9′′ wide by 6′-8′′ tall by 1 3⁄4′′

thick. 

Figure C-14 Modern front doors 

The original sash doors are in generally 

good condition and are stored in the hall, 

Room 102. Each door measures 

approximately 2′-10′′ wide by 6′-9′′ high by 

1 3⁄8′′ thick. Though the doors are now 

painted, it appears that they were originally 

varnished. 

Figure C-15 Original front door, stored in the hall 

A secondary doorway is at the rear of the 

building. It is located in the west exterior 

wall of the storage room. It is a modern, 

metal door unit installed in 1988 when the 

screened-in porch was enclosed to become 

the current storage room. Its six-panel door 

measures 3′-0′′ wide by 6′-8′′ high, with 

modern casings. 

Figure C-16 Original rear doorway in kitchen 

It should also be noted that the original rear 

doorway, which exits from the south side of 

the kitchen, is still intact. The door is a 
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six-light sash door with three panels below, 

now painted to obscure the glass. It became 

an interior doorway when the screened-in 

porch into which it exited was enclosed. 

The door casing of the two original exterior 

doorways is made up of plank boards 

measuring 4 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

Windows: The window units of the original 

building are wood. Some consist of a single 

sash; these always occur as a single window 

unit apart from other windows. Other 

window units consist of double-hung sash; 

these occur as a single unit, paired units 

separated by a mullion, or three units 

divided by two mullions. 

Figure C-17 Paired double-hung unit 

The window muntins of the double-hung 

sash window units appear in three 

variations, the variation based on the width 

of the flat center field of the interior section. 

Two muntin types typically appear in each 

sash of the double-hung sash units. 

Figure C-18 Muntin details 

The single sash window units have just one 

muntin type. The two, single-sash window 

units of the first floor hall have the Type B 

muntin. These sashes are hinged at the top, 

and swing inward. The single-sash, window 

unit on the second floor above the stair 

landing was a four-light sash that now is a 

one-light version. This fixed sash was not 

accessible to determine the original muntin 

type. 

 

Figure C-19 Single sash awning unit 

Porches: The inset front porch is framed on 

the sides by two small projecting corner 

pavilions to the north and to the south, and 

above by the low sloping roof extending 

from the east exposure of the building’s hip 

roof. Measuring approximately 40′-0′′ in 

width and 8′-0′′ deep, the porch is centered 

on the symmetrical east elevation, the 

building’s most prominent façade, the one 
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2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.8 

facing towards the highway. The original 

wood deck was severely deteriorated by the 

early 1950s when the current poured-inplace concrete porch was installed. 

Other Features: A poured-in-place 

concrete wheelchair ramp is located on the 

south end of the main entrance porch. It was 

added in 1982. It does not meet current 

design standards. 

In the chinking above the main entrance 

doorway, are two round imprints. Both are 

three inches in diameter. Both are reversed 

images. The one to the south reads, 

“SOUVENIR PENNY OF CHICAGO”; the 

other reads, “LINCOLN ESSAY MEDAL 

AWARDED TO.” 

Figure C-20 Imprint above main entrance doorway 

Two wall-mounted incandescent light 

fixtures were mounted on the east façade of 

each projecting pavilion. One was placed on 

each side of the triple grouping of window 

units. Portions of these early, if not original 

fixtures, remain; other remnants are stored 

in the hall, Room 102. 

Figure C-21 Early light fixture on east façade 

Interior Features 

Room 001: This, the single basement level 

room, is immediately below the kitchen 

(Room 101) and part of the hall (Room 

102.) It measures approximately 18′-7′′

wide by 31′-0′′ long and houses the 

mechanical and electrical equipment for the 

building. 

Figure C-22 Basement plan with Room 001 shaded 

• Flooring: The floor is a poured concrete 

slab that dates to the original construction of 

the building. 

• Walls: Poured-in-place concrete topped 

with two courses of architectural concrete 

masonry units constitute the perimeter walls 
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of this room. These walls also form the 

foundation walls for three sides of the 

kitchen (Room 101). 

• Doors: A set of wood stairs along the 

south wall leads to the sole doorway, 

connecting with the first-floor kitchen. 

• Windows: There are no windows in this 

room. 

• Ceiling: The underside of the first-floor 

joists and flooring constitute the ceiling. 

The height from the top of the concrete slab 

to bottom of the first-floor joists is 

approximately 6′-0′′. 

• Baseboards: No baseboards are present. 

• Finishes: There are no finishes applied to 

the concrete flooring slab, concrete walls, or 

wood first-floor joists/underside of floor 

boards. 

Figure C-23 Room 001, looking northwest 

• Mechanical Systems: A gas-fired, unit 

heater is suspended from the floor joists 

above near the center of the room. 

Galvanized vent pipe connects to the brick 

flue. When the heater failed in 1953, it was 

abandoned in place. 

Near the center of the room a metal grille is 

installed in the first-floor flooring above. 

The grille measures 1′-2′′ by 1′-4′′. A 

second floor grille measuring 2′-8′′ by 2′-8′′

is located further east. The purpose of these 

grilles was to allow heated air to rise to the 

rooms above. 

• Electrical Systems: Electrical service 

enters the building from a service line to the 

northwest. A panel box is located on the 

north wall near the northwest corner.

The electrical wiring is surface mounted. 

Most of it appears to be original. Some 

wiring recently installed by the National 

Park Service in 2003 provides temporary 

service. Utility lights mounted on the 

bottom of the floor joists above provide the 

lighting of this room. 

Figure C-24 Room 001 

• Plumbing Systems: A water heater is 

located along the west wall, next to the brick 

chimney flue. 

• Other Features: A brick flue for venting 

the furnace is located adjacent to the west 

wall. The footprint of the flue is 

approximately 1′-5′′ by 1′-5′′.

A sump pump and pit are located near the 

southwest corner of the room.

A mobile dehumidifier installed by NPS is 

currently located near the center of the room 

and drains to the sump pump pit. 
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Room 101: The kitchen is square in plan 

and measures approximately 20′-0′′ by 20′-

0′′. The height of the room from floor to 

bottom of exposed ceiling joists is 10′-6′′. 

The kitchen is located outside of and 

centered on the west wall of the hall, Room 

102. 

Figure C-25 First floor plan with Room 101 shaded 

 • Flooring: The flooring consists of 9′′ by 

9′′ linoleum tiles, which are original. 

• Walls: The log construction of the four 

perimeter walls is exposed. In the southeast 

corner, a tongue-and-groove board partition 

wall forms an enclosure for the stairway 

leading to the basement and a partial 

enclosure for the stairs leading to the second 

floor. 

Figure C-26 Room 101, looking southwest 

• Doors: At the west end of the south wall 

a six-light, three-panel door leads to the 

storage room, Room 105. This doorway is 

the original rear entrance and this is the 

original rear door. The door measures 2′-

10′′ wide, 6′-9′′ tall, and 1 3⁄8′′ thick. 

This doorway retains both of its original 

steel, five-knuckle, 4′′ wide by 3 1⁄2′′ high 

hinges with decorative ball pins. The door 

retains its original steel mortise lock and 

doorknobs. There are two modern 

deadbolts.

The door casing is made up of plank boards 

measuring 5 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

 

Figure C-27 Original mortise lock on original rear 

entrance door 

The door that opens from the stairway from 

the basement appears to be the original 

board-and-batten door. The door measures 

3′-3 1⁄2′′ wide, 6′-3′′ tall, and 3⁄4′′ thick. 
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The doorway retains two early, 3′′ by 3′′

steel butt hinges, face-mounted. The door 

has its original steel box lock and two white 

porcelain knobs. 

There is no door casing at this doorway. 

The door is flush with the board wall 

enclosure. 

Figure C-28 Door to basement, with original box 

lock 

The door that leads from the hall (Room 

102) is an original, wood, five-panel door. 

It measures 2′-9 3⁄4′′ wide, 6′-9 1⁄4′′ tall, and 1 

3⁄8′′ thick. It retains both of its original steel, 

five-knuckle, 3 1⁄2′′ by 3 1⁄2′′ butt hinges with 

decorative ball pin. It also retains its 

original steel mortise lock and doorknobs. 

The door casing is made up of plank boards 

measuring 5 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

• Windows: There are two pairs of doublehung sash window units in the room. One 

pair is located on the west wall and the 

second is centered on the north wall.

On the west wall, the south window unit has 

a 4/4 light configuration with both sashes 

having Type C muntins. The north window 

unit has a four-light top sash and one-light 

bottom sash. The top sash has Type B 

muntins; the bottom sash had Type B 

muntins which have now been removed. 

On the north wall, both window units have a 

4/4 light configuration with all four sashes 

having a Type A vertical muntin and a Type 

C horizontal muntin. 

Figure C-29 Window on north wall of kitchen 

The window casing of both sets of windows 

is made up of plank boards measuring 5 3⁄4′′

by 3⁄4′′. The casing is assembled so that the 

head casing sits square above the side 

casings and the side casings sit square atop 

the apron. A 3⁄4′′ stool extends 3⁄4′′ past the 

face of the casing. There is no evidence of 

trim pieces having been present. 
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Two-inch wide iron bars are mounted on all 

interior window casings for security. 

 

• Ceiling: Exposed second-floor, log floor 

joists and the underside of the second-floor 

flooring constitute the ceiling for this room. 

Figure C-30 Ceiling of the kitchen, showing exposed 

plumbing 

• Baseboards: No baseboards are present. 

However, a 3⁄4′′ quarter round shoe molding 

trims out the board wall stair enclosure. 

• Finishes: The logs of the perimeter walls 

are exposed and have no applied finish 

except for those logs inside the stair 

enclosure leading to the basement; these 

logs are painted.

The board-wall stair enclosure has a varnish 

finish.

The doors to the basement stairs and to the 

hall are varnished and appear to have always 

been varnished. Their door casings are also 

varnished. 

The door from the storage room and its 

casing are currently painted. However, 

physical evidence indicates they were 

originally varnished. 

The two pairs of window units are painted as 

are their casing elements. 

The hanging wall cabinet is painted. 

The bases of the kitchen counter and the 

peninsula are painted. 

The brick flue for the basement furnace is 

painted. 

Figure C-31 Wall cabinet on east wall of kitchen 

• Mechanical Systems: A metal floor 

register near the center of the room allows 

warm air to rise from the basement. A 

similar floor register in the second-floor 

bathroom immediately above (Room 201) 

allows warm air to rise to the second floor.

The brick chimney stack servicing the 

basement furnace extends through this room 

at the west wall. 

• Electrical Systems: Lighting is provided 

by a modern, multi-light, 2′-0′′ by 2′-0′′

fluorescent ceiling fixture. 

• Plumbing Systems: The stainless-steel 

double sink has both hot and cold water 

supply. 
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Early steel supply pipes and a cast-iron 

waste pipe for the second-floor bathroom 

enter this room along the west wall and 

travel along the ceiling to the south wall. 

• Other Features: At the south end of the 

west wall is an 8′-0′′ long section of modern 

kitchen counter and cabinets. It has a 

laminate counter top and a stainless-steel 

double sink.

A modern, peninsula counter and cabinet 

extends into the room from the midsection 

of the north wall. The counter top is butcher 

block and measures approximately 3′-7′′

wide by 9′-10′′ long. The open cabinet is 

10′′ deep and 5′-0′′ long. 

A wood wall cabinet with two pairs of sideby-side doors hangs on the east wall. This 

cabinet measures 1′-5′′ deep by 5′-6′′ wide 

and appears to be original. 

Room 102: This hall is the largest room of 

the building, measuring about 40 feet by 60 

feet, plus two alcoves of about 8 feet by 12 

feet each. These alcoves are off the 

northeast and southeast corners of the room. 

The southeast alcove has been separated 

from the hall with an eight-foot tall partition 

wall with cased doorway; the board paneling 

used to construct this partition was popular 

in the 1950s when it was installed. 

Figure C-32 First floor plan with Room 102 shaded 

• Flooring: The current flooring is tongueand-groove, beech boards measuring 1 1⁄2′′

wide by 3⁄4′′ thick. This flooring runs eastwest.

Underneath the current flooring is the 

original, a portion of which is exposed along 

the west wall near the north wall. The 

exposed section measures 1′-6′′ wide by 6′-2 

1⁄2′′ long, and was covered by the bar until it 

was removed in 2004. The original flooring 

runs north-south and is pine, but the tongueand-groove boards are wider, measuring 3 

1⁄4′′ wide by 3⁄4′′ thick. 

Immediately north of this exposed original 

flooring is a longer section of dissimilar 

flooring measuring 1′-9 1⁄2′′ by 11′-3 1⁄2′′. 

This area is covered by two boards, one 1′-

0′′ wide and the other 9 1⁄2′′ wide. 

Uneven wear marks on the floor indicate the 

location of the bar and other fixtures. 

Figure C-33 Room 102, looking northeast 

• Walls: The log construction of the four 

perimeter walls, as well as that of the two 

pavilion extensions, is exposed. 

An eight-foot tall, partition wall of pine 

paneling was installed in 1952 to create an 

office in the southeast alcove. The paneling 

measures 3⁄4′′ thick and has varying widths of 

11′′, 7′′, and 5′′. It is assembled in a vertical 

pattern and is nailed onto the west side of a 
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stud wall; no sheathing material is attached 

to the east side of the stud wall. The stud 

framing measures 1 1⁄2′′ by 3 1⁄2′′ and the 

studs are set only at the two wall ends and at 

the center opening that serves as a 

passageway.

Figure C-34 Section of paneling 

Figure C-35 Added paneled wall in Room 102 

• Doors: In addition to the doorway with 

an apparently original five-panel door that 

leads to the kitchen, there are two other 

interior doorways. One of the other 

doorways leads to the public men’s 

restroom, Room 103. The other leads to the 

public women’s restroom, Room 104. Both 

doorways have a five-panel door of the same 

design, method of construction, and trim 

details as the door to the kitchen. 

Apparently original doors, these two 

restroom doors also appear to be in their 

original locations. Both doors measure 2′-8′′

by 6′-7′′ by 1 1⁄4′′.

Both doors retain two original, steel, fiveknuckle, 3 1⁄2′′ high by 3 1⁄2′′ wide, butt 

hinges with decorative ball pins. 

Figure C-36 Door to women’s restroom, Room 104 

The door to the men’s restroom retains its 

original steel mortise lock and doorknobs; 

the door to the women’s restroom has a 

modern replacement locking mechanism and 

door knobs. 

The door to the women’s restroom also has 

replacement trim in the second-from-top 

door panel. 

The door casings of the three interior 

doorways and the door leading to the front 

porch are made up of plank boards 

measuring 5 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

• Windows: On each side of the main 

entrance doorway there is a pair of doublehung sash window units. Each window unit 

has a 4/4 light configuration with both 
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sashes having a Type A vertical muntin and 

a Type C horizontal muntin. 

On this same east elevation, each of the two 

corner pavilions has a grouping of three 

double-hung sash window units. Each 

window unit has a 4/4 light configuration 

with both sashes having a Type A vertical 

muntin and a Type C horizontal muntin. 

On the south wall of the hall, there is a pair 

of double-hung sash window units on each 

side of the fireplace. Each window unit has 

a 4/4 light configuration with both sashes 

having a Type A vertical muntin and a Type 

C horizontal muntin. 

Figure C-37 Paired double-hung window, with early 

sticks installed as display brackets above 

Approximately opposite, on the north wall 

there are two window openings. The east 

opening has a pair of double-hung sash 

window units. Each window unit has a 4/4 

light configuration with both sashes having a 

Type A vertical muntin and a Type C 

horizontal muntin. The west window 

opening has a single, eight-light, awning 

sash with Type B muntins. This window 

has two 2 3⁄4′′ butt hinges at its top rail, and a 

2′′ barrel bolt at the bottom. It appears to be 

a reused casement sash. 

On the west elevation is a similar feature. 

The window opening has a single, eightlight, awning sash with Type B muntins. It 

also has two 2 3⁄4′′ butt hinges at its top rail, 

but is missing its bolt closure. 

The window casings of all window units of 

this room are constructed the same. The 

casing is formed of plank boards measuring 

5 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. It is assembled so that the head 

casing sits square above the side casings and 

the side casings sit square atop the apron. A 

3⁄4′′ stool extends 3⁄4′′ past the face of the 

casing. There is no evidence of trim pieces 

having been present. 

• Ceiling: The exposed log second-floor 

joists and underside of the flooring 

constitute the ceiling. 

• Baseboards: No baseboards are present 

except at the 1952 partition wall. Along the 

west elevation of this wall, plank boards 

measuring 3⁄4′′by 3 3⁄4′′ form the baseboard. 

• Finishes: The logs of the perimeter walls 

and the two pavilion extensions have a 

varnish finish. The chinking is painted.

The doors to the two public restrooms and 

the door to the kitchen are varnished and 

appear to have always been varnished. 

Their door casings are also varnished. 

All the window units are painted as are their 

casing components. 

The floor and the baseboard along the 

partition wall are varnished. 

The three posts of the central spine 

supporting the second-floor joists are 

varnished. However, the interconnected log 

beams of the spine, the log second-floor 

joists and the underside of the second-floor 
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flooring do not appear to have had a varnish 

or other finish applied. 

• Mechanical Systems: An early, metal 

floor grate measuring 2′-8′′ by 2′-8′′ is set 

off-center of the room towards the kitchen. 

Above in the second-floor flooring is 

another grate measuring 1′-0′′ by 1′-6′′. The 

purpose of the two grates is to allow warm 

air from the basement mechanical room to 

rise to the floor levels above.

Two gas-fired unit heaters are suspended 

from the floor framing above. One is 

located in the northwest corner, the other in 

the southeast corner. These units were 

installed in 1954 when the forced air heater 

in the basement failed. 

Figure C-38 Unit heater in Room 102 

One electric fan is suspended from the floor 

framing above. It is located near the 

northeast corner of the room. 

• Electrical Systems: Eight modern, twobulb open fluorescent lighting fixtures 

provide the majority of lighting for the main 

section of the room. These fixtures were 

installed in 1988.

An enclosed modern, four-bulb fluorescent 

lighting fixture lights the northeast alcove. 

Like the other fluorescent lighting fixtures 

of the room, it was installed in late 1988. 

A modern, tear-drop design, incandescent 

lighting fixture illuminates the southeast 

alcove. Two additional modern, tear-drop 

design incandescent lighting fixtures provide 

supplemental lighting in the southeast 

quadrant of the room. These fixtures were 

added ca. 1955. 

A single utility light was installed at the 

center of the room in 2003 by NPS when 

temporary supplemental wiring was added. 

• Plumbing Systems: A water fountain is 

located in the west portion of the room, near 

the door to the kitchen. 

• Other Features: A large, stone fireplace 

is centered on the south wall. Measuring 7′-

3′′ across and 5′-1′′ in height, it is made of 

blocks of limestone. The mantel is formed 

by sections of the stone measuring 2′′ thick 

by 1′-4 1⁄2′′ deep and various lengths, the 

center portion rising in an arch reflecting the 

shape of the firebox lintel. The hearth, 

reportedly original, is made of poured-inplace concrete. A 1 1⁄2′′ strip of pine forms 

the perimeter of the hearth, its corners being 

joined with a miter cut.

Figure C-39 Fireplace in Room 102 
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Near the top of each of the three columns 

arranged in a north-south line down the 

center of the room, hangs a four-sided, 

pyramidal canopy. These canopies were 

installed in the early 1950s to display 

collections of early-settler tools and other 

items of everyday life. 

Figure C-40 Display canopy in Room 102 

Along the walls, at a height above that of the 

door and window lintels, are groups of 

brackets. Each bracket is formed from a cut 

section of a small tree limb with a shorter 

section of a clipped branch. These rustic 

hooks held more collected pioneer artifacts. 

Room 103: The men’s restroom, measuring 

about 10′ wide and 12′ long, is located next 

to the women’s restroom. Both public 

restrooms adjoin the west wall of the hall 

south of the kitchen. The height from top of 

floor to bottom of board ceiling is 7′-7 1⁄2′′. 

Figure C-41 First floor plan with Room 103 shaded 

Figure C-42 Room 103, looking northwest 

• Flooring: The floor is a poured concrete 

slab that dates to the original construction of 

the building. Adhesive residue remains, 

indicating a 9′′ by 9′′ tile once was applied. 

• Walls: The log construction of the three 

perimeter walls is exposed. The fourth wall, 

to the north, is a stud wall with a modern 4′-

0′′ by 8′-0′′ paneling embossed to resemble 

wood boards.

• Doors: The sole access is the doorway at 

the middle of the east wall. This doorway 

connects to the hall.

The door and hardware are discussed under 

Room 102. 

The door casing is made up of plank boards 

measuring 5 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

• Windows: On the west wall is a doublehung sash window unit. The window unit 

originally had a 4/4 light configuration with 

both sashes having a Type A vertical muntin 
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and a Type C horizontal muntin. Both 

sashes have been modified. In the bottom 

sash, the vertical and horizontal muntins 

have been removed. In the top sash, the 

horizontal muntin has been removed. 

Three 3⁄4′′ diameter steel bars have been 

installed vertically across the casing for 

security. 

The window casing of the one window unit 

of this room is made up of plank boards 

measuring 3 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings and the side casings 

sit square atop the apron. A 3⁄4′′ stool 

extends 3⁄4′′ past the face of the casing. 

There is no evidence of trim pieces having 

been present. 

• Ceiling: Exposed log floor joists and 

underside of the second-floor flooring 

constitute the ceiling. 

• Baseboards: At the north wall a 1 1⁄4′′ by 

6 1⁄2′′ plank board is the baseboard. No 

baseboards are present at the other three 

walls. 

Figure C-43 Room 103, looking northeast 

• Finishes: The exposed logs of three 

perimeter walls have been painted dark 

brown. The chinking has been painted white. 

The fourth perimeter wall, the north wall, 

has paneling with its mill finish of surface 

texture resembling a random-width board 

wall.

The door and the door casing are painted, as 

are the elements of the window unit. 

The entrance partition wall is painted, both 

the panels and exposed framing. 

The exposed second-floor log joists and 

underside of floor boards do not have an 

applied finish. 

• Mechanical Systems: No elements of a 

mechanical system are present.

• Electrical Systems: One 2′ by 2′

fluorescent fixture is presumed to date from 

1986. 

• Plumbing Systems: Plumbing fixtures 

include a lavatory, a flush toilet, and a 

urinal. All are located along the north wall.

• Other Features: An L-shaped partition 

wall just inside the doorway visually shields 

the interior of the room from view by those 

in the hall. This partition wall is made of 

wood studs measuring 1 5⁄8′′ by 3 1⁄2′′ with 5⁄8′′

plywood. On the east surface of the northsouth portion, 1⁄8′′ paneling has been applied 

over the plywood.

Room 104: The women’s restroom, 

measuring about 10-feet wide and 12-feet 

long, is located next to and north of the 

men’s restroom. Both public restrooms 

adjoin the west wall of the hall south of the 

kitchen. The height from top of floor to 

bottom of board ceiling is 7′-7 1⁄2′′. 
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Figure C-44 First floor plan with Room 104 shaded 

• Flooring: The floor is a poured concrete 

slab that dates to the original construction of 

the building. Adhesive residue remains, 

indicating a 9′′ by 9′′ tile once was applied. 

Figure C-45 Room 104, looking southwest 

• Walls: The log construction of the three 

perimeter walls is exposed. 

The fourth wall, the south wall separating 

this room from the men’s restroom, is a stud 

wall. The top portion is sheathed with 3 1⁄4′′

wood boards applied vertically. The bottom 

portion has the same 1⁄8′′ modern paneling 

with an embossed wood-board design as is 

found in the men’s restroom.

• Doors: The sole access is the doorway at 

the middle of the east wall. This doorway 

connects to the hall.

The door and hardware are discussed under 

Room 102. 

The door casing is made up of plank boards 

measuring 5 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

• Windows: On the west wall is a doublehung sash window unit. The window unit 

originally had a 4/4 light configuration with 

both sashes having a Type A vertical muntin 

and a Type C horizontal muntin. The 

bottom sash has been modified; both the 

vertical and horizontal muntins have been 

removed. 

Three 1′′ diameter steel bars have been 

applied vertically across the opening and 

four 1′′ bars horizontally. 

The window casing of the one window unit 

of this room is made up of plank boards 

measuring 3 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings, and the side casings 

sit square atop the apron. A 3⁄4′′ stool 

extends 3⁄4′′ past the face of the casing. 

There is no evidence of trim pieces having 

been present. 

• Ceiling: Exposed log floor joists and 

underside of the second-floor flooring 

constitute the ceiling. 

• Baseboards: At the south wall a 1 1⁄4′′ by 

6 1⁄2′′ plank board is the baseboard. No 

baseboards are present at the other three 

walls. 
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Figure C-46 Room 104 looking east 

• Finishes: The exposed logs of three 

perimeter walls have been painted dark 

brown. The chinking has been painted white. 

At the fourth perimeter wall, the south wall, 

the vertical boards of the upper section have 

been painted and the paneling below retains 

its mill finish of surface texture resembling a 

random-width board wall.

The door and the door casing are painted, as 

are elements of the window unit. 

The entrance partition wall and the toilet 

partitions are painted. For each of these 

partition walls, both the panels and exposed 

framing are painted 

The exposed second-floor log joists and 

underside of floor boards do not have an 

applied finish. 

• Mechanical Systems: No elements of a 

mechanical system are present.

• Electrical Systems: Four single-bulb 

incandescent fixtures are in place. 

• Plumbing Systems: A lavatory and two 

toilets are located against the south wall.

A four-inch diameter, cast iron waste pipe is 

located in the northwest corner of the room. 

• Other Features: Two sections of partition 

wall just inside the doorway visually shield 

the interior of the room from view by those 

in the hall. These partition walls and two 

others attached to the south wall to serve as 

toilet partitions are made of wood studs 

measuring 1 5⁄8′′ by 3 1⁄2′′ with 5⁄8′′ plywood. 

Room 105: This room was created in 1988 

when the screened-in porch was enclosed, to 

create a secondary service kitchen for use by 

groups renting the new pavilion. Now the 

storage room, it measures approximately 6′-

10′′ by 20′-0′′ with a top of floor to bottom 

of rafter height of 8′-9′′. 

Figure C-47 First floor plan with Rom 105 shaded 

• Flooring: The floor is a poured concrete 

slab that dates to the initial construction of 

the tavern.

• Walls: The log construction of the east 

and north walls, two original exterior walls 

of the building, is exposed. The screened-in 

south and west walls, enclosed in 1988, are 

constructed of wood studs and sheathed with 

plank boards of random width set vertically.
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Figure C-48 Room 105 looking south 

• Doors: The doorway to the exterior is a 

modern door unit installed in 1988. The 

doorway is described under Exterior 

Features.

The one interior doorway was originally the 

rear exterior doorway. It opens into the 

kitchen and is described under Room 101. 

Its door casing is made up of plank boards 

measuring 4 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

• Windows: A modern, aluminum, doublehung sash window is located approximately 

in the middle of the west wall. It was 

installed in 1988. The window measures 2′-

6′′ wide by 3′-0′′ high.

• Ceiling: The roof rafters and deck boards 

of random widths form the ceiling.

• Baseboards: No baseboards are present.

• Finishes: The two original walls on the 

east and south are painted brown. Both the 

logs and the chinking are painted. There are 

no other applied finishes in this room.

• Mechanical Systems: No elements of a 

mechanical system are present.

• Electrical Systems: There is a single 

incandescent fixture in the room. 

• Plumbing Systems: A stainless steel 

double sink is in the counter.

• Other Features: An 8′ long by 2′ wide 

wood counter and base cabinets are in place 

along the east wall, with wood wall cabinets 

above. Parts comprising the original floor of 

the cabin are currently stored in the room. 

Room 201: This room served as the private 

bathroom for the second-floor apartment. 

This bathroom dates to the original 

construction of the Tavern. The room 

measures 7′-5′′ by 15′-9′′. The height from 

top of floor to ceiling at its highest level is 

7′-1 1⁄2′′; the height from floor to the 

springline at the north and south walls is 5′-5 

3⁄4′′. 

Figure C-49 Second floor plan with 

Room 201 shaded 

• Flooring: The flooring material is 

tongue-and-groove pine boards measuring 3 

1⁄4′′ wide by 3⁄4′′ thick. This flooring runs 

east-west. Remnants of tile adhesive on top 

of this flooring reveal a pattern of 9′′ by 9′′

tiles that once were present.
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ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.22 

Figure C-50 Room 201, looking east 

• Walls: The walls of the room are 

sheathed with 5⁄8′′ fiberboard nailed to wood 

stud framing. 

• Doors: The one doorway in the room 

leads from the hallway, Room 202. The 

door, measuring 2′-3′′ by 6′-3′′ is constructed 

of 3⁄4′′ by 2 1⁄4′′ wood framing covered on this 

room’s side by 5⁄8′′ fiberboard. 

The door retains its two original, steel, fiveknuckle, 2 1⁄2′′ wide by 2 1⁄2′′ high butt 

hinges. A loop of wire serves as the door 

catch. 

The door casing is made up of plank boards 

measuring 3′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

• Windows: The only windows in the room 

are a pair of double-hung, sash window units 

in the center of the west wall. Each window 

unit has a 4/4 light configuration with both 

sashes having a Type A vertical muntin and 

a Type C horizontal muntin. 

The window casing is made of plank boards 

measuring 4 1⁄2′′ by 3⁄4′′ with a dividing 

mullion 5 1⁄4′′ wide. The unit is assembled 

so that the head casing sits square above the 

side casings and the side casings sit square 

atop the apron. A 3⁄4′′ stool extends 3⁄4′′ past 

the face of the casing. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

• Ceiling: The ceiling is composed of both 

horizontal and diagonal sections following 

the contours of the roof framing. The 

ceiling material is 5⁄8′′ fiberboard nailed to 

the framing.

• Baseboards: A wooden plank baseboard 

measuring 3⁄4′′ by 4 3⁄4′′ is present on all four 

walls. There is no evidence of a baseboard 

cap. A 3⁄4′′ quarter round shoe molding 

appears on all walls but the north one. 

Figure C-51 Room 201, looking southeast 

• Finishes: The perimeter wall and ceiling 

surfaces of fiberboard are covered with 

multiple layers of wallpaper, the earliest 

probably dating to the original 1933 

construction.

The shower enclosure is sheathed on three 

sides by plywood paneling embossed to look 

like wood boards. The shower trim boards 

are painted. 

The baseboards are painted. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.23 

The door and casing leading from the 

hallway, Room 202, is painted. 

The window unit and casing is painted. 

The floors have remnants of glue from the 

9′′ by 9′′ tiles. 

• Mechanical Systems: A 1′-0′′ by 1′-0′′

metal floor register is located near the center 

of the room.

• Electrical Systems: None are present. 

• Plumbing Systems: A toilet and lavatory 

are located along the south wall. The 

shower and tub along the north wall was 

installed ca. 1950.

• Other Features: No other significant 

features are present.

Room 202: This hallway contains the stairs 

to the first floor as well as serving as a 

passageway between the bathroom and the 

other rooms of the second-floor apartment. 

The passageway measures 5′-8′′ by 13′-3′′. 

The floor to ceiling height is 7′-2 1⁄4′′. 

Figure C-52 Second floor plan with 

Room 202 shaded 

• Flooring: The flooring material is 

tongue-and-groove pine boards measuring 3 

1⁄4′′ wide by 3⁄4′′ thick. This flooring runs 

east-west from the bathroom (Room 201) 

doorway to a line near the east edge of the 

stairs where the direction of the flooring 

changes to north-south.

• Walls: The walls of the room are 

sheathed with 5⁄8′′ fiberboard nailed to wood 

stud framing. 

Figure C-53 Room 202, looking west 

• Doors: The door that leads to the 

bathroom is described in Room 201. The 

door casing is made up of plank boards 

measuring 2 7⁄8′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

A doorway on the north wall opens out from 

the kneewall area. The door, like the one to 

the bathroom, has wood framing members 

measuring 3⁄4′′ by 2 1⁄4′′ and is sheathed on 

hallway side with 5⁄8′′ fiberboard. The door 

measures 1′-10′′ by 5′-1 1⁄2′′. The door 

casing is made up of plank boards 

measuring 2 7⁄8′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.24 

At the stair landing, there is a small boardand-batten door that opens into an attic 

space above the first floor restrooms. The 

door measures 2′-0′′ wide by 1′-11′′ tall, with 

two 2 1⁄2′′ by 2 1⁄2′′ butt hinges. It is 

composed of 3 1⁄4′′ wide by 3⁄4′′ thick tongueand-groove boards. It is secured by a 

cabinet latch. 

• Windows: There is a fixed, single-sash 

window in a small, south-elevation dormer 

above the stairs. It was originally a fourlight sash. The muntins are now missing 

and the sash is glazed as a single light. The 

sash measures 1′ by 8′′ wide by 2′-0′′ tall. 

Iron bars have been installed on the interior 

for security.

• Ceiling: The ceiling is composed of both 

horizontal and diagonal sections following 

the contours of the roof framing. The 

ceiling material is 5⁄8′′ fiberboard nailed to 

the framing.

• Baseboards: A wooden plank baseboard 

measuring 3⁄4′′ by 4 3⁄4′′ is present on all three 

walls. There is no evidence of a baseboard 

cap or shoe molding having been present. 

• Finishes: The walls and ceilings have 

multiple layers of wallpaper now painted 

over.

The wood baseboards are painted. 

The door and window unit and casing 

elements are painted. 

The wood floor has no applied finish. There 

is no evidence of carpeting. 

• Mechanical Systems: A metal floor grille 

measuring 8′′ by 1′-0′′ is located near the 

center of the room.

• Electrical Systems: A single incandescent 

fixture provides light. A smoke detector is 

installed. 

• Plumbing Systems: There are no elements 

of a plumbing system. 

Figure C-54 Room 202 looking southwest to stair 

• Other Features: As the stairs turn west 

going to the first floor, the second-floor 

flooring forms a ledge. Set back from the 

ledge is the fiberboard wall that seals off the 

kneewall space south of the bathroom.

The attic area behind the north partition wall 

is unfinished space. The flooring extends 

into this area but the interior has no applied 

finish material or finishes. The bare 

backside of the stud partition walls, roof 

rafters, and roof deck boards define the 

space. 

Room 203: This south room is the 

southmost of three large, general purpose 

rooms that are immediately above the hall of 

the first floor. The main portion of the room 

measures approximately 9′-11′′ by 15′-5′′

and has a floor to ceiling height of 8′-2′′. At 

the large, south dormer which encloses a 

space measuring 4′-8′′ by 6′-5′′, the floor-toceiling height is 6′-10 1⁄2′′. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.25 

Figure C-55 Second floor plan with 

Room 203 shaded 

• Flooring: The flooring material is 

tongue-and-groove, pine boards measuring 3 

1⁄4′′ width by 3⁄4′′ thickness. This flooring 

runs north-south.

• Walls: The walls of the room are 

sheathed with 5⁄8′′ fiberboard nailed to wood 

stud framing. 

Figure C-56 Room 203, looking southeast 

• Doors: A doorway on the north wall 

opens into the center room of the three 

general purpose rooms. This door that leads 

to the middle room is described in Room 

204. The door casing on this side is made 

up of plank boards measuring 1⁄2′′ by 2′′. 

The casing is assembled so that the head 

casing sits square above the side casings. 

There is no evidence of trim pieces having 

been present. 

A doorway on the west wall opens out from 

the unfinished attic area. The door is made 

of wood framing members measuring 3⁄4′′ by 

2 1⁄4′′ and is sheathed on the room side with 

5⁄8′′ fiberboard. The door measures 

approximately 1′-10′′ by 5′-7 1⁄2′′. The door 

casing is made up of salvaged tongue-andgroove floorboards measuring 3 1⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. 

The casing is assembled so that the head 

casing sits square above the side casings. 

There is no evidence of trim pieces having 

been present. The door has a pair of 2 1⁄2′′ by 

2 1⁄2′′ steel butt hinges and a carved wooden 

latch. 

A doorway on the east wall opens out from 

the attic area. The board-and-batten door is 

made of salvaged 3 1⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′ boards. The 

door measures approximately 1′-10′′ by 5′-

0′′. The door casing is made up of salvaged 

tongue-and-groove floorboards measuring 3 

1⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The casing is assembled so that 

the head casing sits square above the side 

casings. There is no evidence of trim pieces 

having been present. The door has a pair of 

2 1⁄2′′ by 2 1⁄2′′ steel butt hinges, a carved 

wooden latch, and a knob pull. 

Figure C-57 Room 203, looking northwest 

• Windows: There is a pair of double-hung 

sash window units in the south dormer. 

Each window unit has a 4/4 light 

configuration with both sashes having a 

Type A vertical muntin and a Type C 

horizontal muntin.
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ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.26 

The window casing is composed of plank 

boards measuring 4 1⁄2′′ by 3⁄4 with a dividing 

mullion 5 1⁄4′′ wide. The unit is assembled 

so that the head casing sits square above the 

side casings, and the side casings sit square 

atop the apron. A 3⁄4′′ stool extends 3⁄4′′ past 

the face of the casing. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

• Ceiling: The ceiling is composed of both 

horizontal and diagonal sections following 

the contours of the roof framing. The 

ceiling material is 5⁄8′′ fiberboard nailed to 

the framing. 

• Baseboards: A wooden plank baseboard 

measuring 1⁄2′′ by 5 3⁄4′′ is present on all four 

walls. There is no evidence of a baseboard 

cap or shoe molding having been present. 

• Finishes: The walls and ceiling have 

layers of wallpaper now painted over.

The baseboards are painted. 

The doors and door casings are painted. 

The pair of window units and casing 

elements are painted. 

 

The wood floor lacks an applied finish. 

There is no evidence of carpeting. 

• Mechanical Systems: No elements of a 

mechanical system are present.

• Electrical Systems: An early ceramic 

utility light with a bare bulb is mounted as a 

ceiling light.

• Plumbing Systems: No elements of the 

plumbing system are present. 

• Other Features: The attic area behind the 

east room wall is largely unfinished space. 

The flooring extends into this area. A 

section of cardboard with applied wallpaper 

forms an enclosure to the north and a fivepanel door matching others in the tavern is 

wedged on its side against rafters to provide 

an east terminus. Beyond these makeshift 

enclosing elements, the bare backside of the 

stud partition walls, roof rafters, and roof 

deck boards largely define the space. 

The attic area accessible behind the west 

room wall is enclosed space measuring 

about 3′-0′′ by 3′-0′′. The flooring extends 

into this area and presumably beyond. 

Sections of cardboard with applied 

wallpaper form west and south walls. The 

studs and backsides of the partition walls to 

the north and east are also wallpapered. 

Room 204: This room is the middle one of 

three large, general-purpose rooms that are 

immediately above the hall of the first floor. 

The main portion of the room measures 

approximately 19′-8′′ by 11′-11′′ and has a 

floor to ceiling height of 8′-2′′. At the large, 

east dormer which encloses a space 

measuring 6′-4′′ by 6′-10′′, the floor to 

ceiling height is 6′-8 3⁄4′′. At the smaller, 

west dormer which encloses a space 

measuring 3′-9′′ by 6′-8′′, the floor to ceiling 

height is 6′-8 1⁄2′′. 

Figure C-58 Second floor plan with 

Room 204 shaded 

• Flooring: The flooring material is tongueand-groove pine boards measuring 3 1⁄4′′

wide by 3⁄4′′ thick. This flooring runs northsouth.
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.27 

Figure C-59 Room 204, looking southwest 

• Walls: The walls of the room are 

sheathed with 5⁄8′′ fiberboard nailed to wood 

stud framing. 

• Doors: Into this room from the south 

room opens a five-panel door of the same 

design, method of construction, and trim 

details as the doors to the public restrooms 

and to the kitchen from the hall. (A 

matching door opens from this room to the 

north room.) Apparently original, this door 

also appears to remain in its original 

location. The door measures 2′-8′′ by 6′-8′′

by 1 1⁄4′′. It has two original, steel, fiveknuckle, 3 1⁄2′′ high by 4′′ wide, butt hinges 

with decorative ball pin. It also has its 

original steel box lock with porcelain 

doorknobs. 

The door casing is made up of plank boards 

measuring 4′′ by 3⁄8′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

Two board-and-batten doors also open into 

this room from attic areas to the east and 

west. Both doors are made of boards 

measuring 3⁄8′′ by 5 1⁄2′′ or 6′′ and battens of 

salvaged 3⁄4′′ by 3 1⁄4′′ floor boards. Both 

retain their steel, five-knuckle, 2 1⁄2′′ by 2 1⁄2′′

butt hinges. Neither door has a latch; both 

are 6′-0 1⁄2′′ tall. 

A doorway on the north wall opens into the 

north room of the three general-purpose 

rooms. This door is described in Room 205. 

The door casing on the Room 204 side is 

made up of plank boards measuring 3⁄4′′ by 4 

1⁄2′′. The casing is assembled so that the 

head casing sits square above the side 

casings. There is no evidence of trim pieces 

having been present. 

Figure C-60 Room 204, looking southeast 

• Windows: There is a pair of double-hung, 

sash window units in the east dormer. Each 

window unit has a 4/4 light configuration 

with both sashes having a Type A vertical 

muntin and a Type C horizontal muntins.

The window casing is composed of plank 

boards measuring 4 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′ with a 

dividing mullion 5 1⁄4′′ wide. The unit is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings, and the side casings 

sit square atop the apron. A 3⁄4′′ stool 

extends 3⁄4′′ past the face of the casing. 

There is no evidence of trim pieces having 

been present. 

There is a single, double-hung, sash window 

unit in the west dormer. The window unit 

has a 4/4 light configuration with both 

sashes having a Type A vertical muntin and 

a Type C horizontal muntin. 

The window casing is made of plank boards 

measuring 4 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The unit is 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.28 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings, and the side casings 

sit square atop the apron. A 3⁄4′′ stool 

extends 3⁄4′′ past the face of the casing. 

There is no evidence of trim pieces having 

been present. 

• Ceiling: The ceiling is composed of both 

horizontal and diagonal sections following 

the contours of the roof framing. The 

ceiling material is 5⁄8′′ fiberboard nailed to 

the framing. 

• Baseboards: A wooden plank baseboard 

measuring 3⁄8′′ by 6′′ is present on all four 

walls. There is no evidence of a baseboard 

cap or shoe molding having been present. 

• Finishes: The walls and ceiling have 

layers of wallpaper now painted over.

The baseboards are painted. 

The doors and door casings are painted. 

The window units and casing elements are 

painted. 

 

The wood floor has no applied finish. There 

is no evidence of carpeting. 

• Mechanical Systems: No elements of a 

mechanical system are present. 

Figure C-61 Light fixture in Room 204 

• Electrical Systems: An early three-bulb, 

cast-metal, ceiling fixture is located near the 

center of the room.

• Plumbing Systems: No elements of the 

plumbing system are present.

• Other Features: The accessible attic area 

to the east is framed by the wall studs and 

backside of the fiberboard sheathing of the 

middle room’s east wall, of the north wall of 

the east dormer, and of the south wall of the 

east dormer of Room 205. A section of 

cardboard with applied wallpaper forms the 

east wall. The roof rafters and underside of 

roof decking completes the enclosure. 

Wallpaper is applied to these surfaces. 

The accessible attic area to the west is 

framed by the wall studs and backside of the 

fiberboard sheathing of the middle room’s 

west wall, of the north wall of the west 

dormer, and of the south wall of the hallway, 

Room 202. A board wall of 3 1⁄4′′ wide 

boards placed horizontally forms the west 

wall. The roof rafters and underside of roof 

decking completes the enclosure. The west 

board wall is painted; the other portions of 

the enclosure are wallpapered. 

Room 205: This room is the northernmost 

of three large, general-purpose rooms that 

are immediately above the hall of the first 

floor. The main portion of the room 

measures approximately 16′-4′′ by 12′-7′′

and has a floor-to-ceiling height of 7′-6′′. At 

the large, north dormer which encloses a 

space measuring 6′-3′′ by 6′-5′′, the floor-toceiling height is 6′-9 1⁄2′′. At the large, east 

dormer which encloses a space measuring 

6′-4′′ by 6′-9′′, the floor-to-ceiling height is 

6′-11 1⁄4′′. At the small, west dormer which 

encloses a space measuring 3′-9′′ by 6′-5′′, 

the floor-to-ceiling height is 6′-10′′. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.29 

Figure C-62 Second floor plan with 

Room 205 shaded 

• Flooring: The flooring material is tongueand-groove pine boards measuring 3 1⁄4′′

wide by 3⁄4′′ thick. This flooring runs northsouth.

• Walls: The walls of the room are 

sheathed with 5⁄8′′ fiberboard nailed to wood 

stud framing. 

Figure C-63 Room 205, looking northwest 

• Doors: From the middle room into this 

room opens a five-panel door of same 

design, method of construction, and trim 

details as the doors to the public restrooms 

and to the kitchen from the hall. (A 

matching door also opens from the south 

room into the middle room.) Apparently 

original, this door also appears to remain in 

its original location. The door measures 2′-

10′′ by 6′-8′′ by 1 1⁄4′′. This door has two 

original steel, five-knuckle, 3 1⁄2′′ high by 4′′

wide butt hinges with decorative ball pin. It 

also has its original steel box lock with 

porcelain doorknobs. 

The door casing is made of plank boards 

measuring 3⁄4′′ by 4 1⁄2′′. The casing is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings. There is no evidence 

of trim pieces having been present. 

There are also three doors that open from the 

attic areas into this room. Each door is made 

of wood framing members measuring 3⁄4′′ by 

2 1⁄4′′ and is sheathed on the north room side 

with 5⁄8′′ fiberboard. Each door measures 

approximately 1′-10′′ by 6′-2′′. The door 

casing is made up of salvaged tongue-andgroove floorboards measuring 3 1⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. 

The casing is assembled so that the head 

casing sits square above the side casings. 

There is no evidence of trim pieces having 

been present. Each door has a pair of fiveknuckle, steel, 2 1⁄2′′by 2 1⁄2′′ butt hinges and 

a cabinet latch. 

• Windows: There is a pair of double-hung, 

sash window units in both the north and east 

dormers. Each window unit has a 4/4 light 

configuration with both sashes having a 

Type A vertical muntin and a Type C 

horizontal muntin. 

For both pairs of window units the casings 

are made of plank boards measuring 4 3⁄4′′ by 

3⁄4′′ with a dividing mullion 5 1⁄4′′ wide. The 

unit is assembled so that the head casing sits 

square above the side casings, and the side 

casings sit square atop the apron. A 3⁄4′′

stool extends 3⁄4′′ past the face of the casing. 

There is no evidence of trim pieces having 

been present. 

There is a single double-hung sash window 

unit in the west dormer. The window unit 

has a 4/4 light configuration with both 

sashes having a Type A vertical muntin and 

a Type C horizontal muntin. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.30 

The window casing is made of plank boards 

measuring 4 3⁄4′′ by 3⁄4′′. The unit is 

assembled so that the head casing sits square 

above the side casings, and the side casings 

sit square atop the apron. A 3⁄4′′ stool 

extends 3⁄4′′ past the face of the casing. 

There is no evidence of trim pieces having 

been present. 

• Ceiling: The ceiling is composed of both 

horizontal and diagonal sections following 

the contours of the roof framing. The 

ceiling material is 5⁄8′′ fiberboard nailed to 

the framing. 

• Baseboards: A wooden plank baseboard 

measuring 3⁄4′′ by 4 3⁄4′′ is present on all four 

walls. There is no evidence of a baseboard 

cap or shoe molding having been present. 

Figure C-64 Room 203, looking southeast 

• Finishes: The walls and ceiling have 

layers of wallpaper.

The baseboards are painted. 

The doors and door casings are painted. 

The window units and casing elements are 

painted. 

The wood floor lacks an applied finish. 

There is no evidence of carpeting. 

• Mechanical Systems: No elements of a 

mechanical system are present.

• Electrical Systems: An early two-bulb, 

cast-metal, ceiling fixture is located near the 

center of the room. 

Figure C-65 Light fixture in Room 203 

• Plumbing Systems: No elements of the 

plumbing system are present. 

• Other Features: The accessible attic area 

to the east is framed by the bare wall studs 

and backside of the fiberboard sheathing of 

the north room’s east wall, and those of the 

north wall of the east dormer. Sections of 

corrugated cardboard form partial enclosing 

walls to the east and north. The roof rafters 

and underside of roof decking form the 

overhead enclosure. 

The accessible attic area to the west, south 

of the dormer, is framed by the wallpapered 

wall studs and backside of the fiberboard 

sheathing of the north room’s west wall, of 

the south wall of the west dormer, and of the 

north wall of the hallway, Room 202. A low 

stud wall of wallpapered fiberboard forms 

the west wall. The wallpapered roof rafters 

and underside of roof decking complete the 

enclosure. 

The accessible attic area to the west, north 

of the dormer, is framed by the wallpapered 

wall studs and backside of the fiberboard 

sheathing of a section of the north room’s 

west wall, and of the north wall of the west 

dormer. A low stud wall of wallpapered 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.31 

fiberboard forms the west wall. A partially 

intact board wall is to the north. The roof 

rafters and underside of roof decking 

complete the enclosure. 

Utility Systems 

The site relies on a well for its water supply 

and a soils field for removal of waste. The 

tavern contains a kitchen, bathroom, and two 

public restrooms with running water and 

waste disposal. 

A water heater in the basement provides hot 

water. City water lines will soon be 

installed along US Highway 31E, providing 

the opportunity to improve both of these 

services. 

Electricity is available from power lines that 

parallel US Highway 31E. From its earliest 

days, the tavern has had electricity. The 

tavern receives electricity from an overhead 

supply line that enters the building at its 

northwest corner. A panel box along the 

north wall of the basement distributes power 

throughout all levels of the building. Most 

lines are early. All are surface mounted. In 

addition to lighting, the electricity powers 

the water heater, smoke-detection system 

and intrusion-detection system. 

Propane gas fueled an early unit heater in 

the basement. Floor registers allowed the 

heated air to rise to the first and second 

floors. When the heater failed in 1953, it 

was abandoned and two suspended heaters 

were installed in the most important room, 

the hall where customers gathered. A fan 

suspended from the ceiling of this room 

provided the only mechanical cooling. 

Movable kerosene heaters provided heat for 

the owners and staff. 

A large fireplace at the center of the south 

wall of the hall can provide a measure of 

heat for the occupants of this large room. 

Summary of Conditions 

At first glance, the building envelope 

appears to be not only largely intact as 

initially constructed but physically sound as 

well. Indeed, much of the exterior appears 

to be generally well maintained. However, 

closer inspection reveals a couple of serious 

concerns. First and foremost, deterioration 

in the log walls is widespread, and in some 

instances, it is fairly advanced. Both 

construction details and choice of materials 

have contributed to the deteriorated 

conditions. This is the most serious problem 

with the exterior of the building and, 

fortunately, there are proven remedies. 

The second concern is the water-shedding 

capacity of the roofing systems. Roofing 

systems form one of the most critical lines 

of defense for a building. While these are 

generally sound, except for a leak in the 

1988 metal roof over the storage room, there 

are suspect areas that should be monitored 

for durability and performance. These areas 

include the 1998 composition shingle 

roofing. It was installed with an excessive 

weather exposure that will hasten failure. Its 

flashing is also problematic. Aluminum is 

easily damaged, and it is used awkwardly to 

flash some critical roof penetrations which 

need a durable material and careful 

installation technique. 

Inside, there are inadequacies as well. The 

insufficient structural loading capacity in the 

main room, the hall, is apparent as one 

major concern. Temporary shoring is in 

place to support sagging beams supporting 

the second-floor rooms. Rectification is 

critical to the continued use of the second 

floor. 

The heating and cooling of the interior are 

also are serious deficiencies. Neither has 

been adequately addressed with the 

occupants in mind at any time in the past. In 

addition, insulation beyond the inherent 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part I.C Physical Description 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page I.C.32 

qualities of the original building material is 

virtually nonexistent. Improving thermal 

performance will be a challenge given the 

openness of the design and exposed 

structural elements. If housing of museum 

collections is an option, temperature control 

may be an even greater concern, as well as 

humidity and lighting control. 

Both the electrical and plumbing systems 

have considerable age to them. In addition 

to replacement due to age, both systems also 

need complete reassessment in terms of 

capacities. 

Accessibility to and within the facilities is 

another issue to be addressed. Access into 

the building is far from meeting current 

recommended standards of design for the 

handicapped. The public restrooms also 

need reconfiguration. 

Additionally, consideration needs to be 

given to other issues of life, safety, and 

welfare of the public involving emergency 

lighting, exit signage, emergency generators, 

security, and fire detection/suppression. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part II.A Introduction 

 2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page II.A.1 

PART II: TREATMENT & USE

A. INTRODUCTION

 

The rural countryside where Abraham 

Lincoln spent part of his youth appears in 

the early twenty-first century much the same 

as it did when young Lincoln was there two 

centuries earlier. It is a rolling landscape of 

thick woods punctuated with the open 

meadows of small farms. 

Since his assassination in 1865, Lincoln has 

held a special place of fascination in the 

American psyche. He was born of modest 

means and largely self-educated. He had 

had a moderately successful career in law 

and politics. He joined in 1856 the newly 

formed Republican Party established to 

oppose the spread of slavery. He became 

that party’s senatorial candidate two years 

later. He lost, but his debates with Stephen 

Douglas became legendary. Then, 

improbably, in 1860 the awkwardly tall 

attorney from Illinois became president at an 

important crossroads in his country’s 

history. The country soon fell, perhaps 

inevitably, into a terrible civil war. Lincoln 

issued the Emancipation Proclamation and 

prevailed upon the Union troops to fight 

until the Union was secure. His oratory was 

simple, direct, and morally powerful, in 

retrospect some of the finest prose ever 

written by any American. Lincoln was and 

is still considered to have been one of the 

country’s most important leaders. 

By the second quarter of the twentieth 

century, the automobile had become the 

preferred means of travel in America. Its 

widespread popularity made possible 

frequent movement of large numbers of 

people for purely recreational purposes over 

much longer distances than ever imagined. 

Automobile tourism became a major 

economic activity. 

People were arriving from all over the 

country to visit the birthplace of Abraham 

Lincoln near Hodgenville, Kentucky. 

Robert J. Collier, publisher of Collier’s

magazine, had raised the money to purchase 

farm of Lincoln’s birth, along with what 

were thought at the time to be the original 

cabin logs. He had established a nonprofit 

group to acquire the property and solicit 

designs for a memorial. An impressive 

design of John Russell Pope, one of the 

nation’s most prominent architects, had been 

erected. The new memorial complex had 

then been given to the federal government in 

1916. 

It was in this atmosphere of adulation and 

economic opportunity that the Howard 

family purchased the site of Lincoln’s 

boyhood home in 1931. The Lincoln cabin 

had long since disappeared but an elderly 

neighbor felt certain he remembered it. And 

the site hadn’t seen much development since 

young Lincoln lived there. In addition, the 

property adjoined a major highway. 

The Howard family took the logs from 

another cabin on their new property, one that 

was believed to date to the same period as 

the Lincoln occupancy, and guided by the 

memory of the neighbor, recreated a 

representation of the Lincoln boyhood cabin 

for all to see. Soon, they added the tavern to 

serve refreshments to visitors. The site 

manager lived in an apartment upstairs over 

the tavern. Year after year, the family 

members made repairs to the cabin. As 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part II.A Introduction 

 2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page II.A.2 

people came to see the cabin memorial, they 

stopped for refreshments and souvenirs that 

economically sustained the Howard family. 

This almost symbiotic relationship of cabin 

and tavern was critical to their mutual 

survival from the beginning and continued 

until the property was deeded to the federal 

government in 2001. The significance of 

this cultural phenomenon of tourism was 

formally recognized when the property was 

listed in the National Register of Historic 

Places in 1988. 

 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part II.B Ultimate Treatment and Use 

 2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page II.B.1 

B. ULTIMATE TREATMENT AND USE 

The undeveloped farmland at Knob Creek, 

much as it was when the Lincoln family 

lived on the land, attracted tourists and was 

a critical factor in the decision to promote 

the property for tourism. 

Figure B-1 View to fields west of tavern 

The “Lincoln cabin” is a representation of 

the one Abraham Lincoln would have 

known, assembled from the parts, 

sometimes modified, from another cabin and 

repaired over time with parts salvaged from 

still other cabins. The methods of salvage 

have been driven by utilitarian purpose 

without the documentation commonly 

associated with such disassembly by today’s 

standards. The choice of location and the 

design for the reconstructed memorial cabin 

was likewise based on a casual 

understanding of the original, without 

benefit of professional investigations. 

Furthermore, the resultant construction 

incorporated the salvaged pieces using 

1930s building techniques and materials. 

The original purpose of the tavern was 

economical: to tap into the occasion of the 

tourist visit by providing additional reasons 

to linger. The tavern offered refreshments 

and curios for purchase, and historical 

“artifacts” of farm living for viewing. A 

secondary use was living quarters, the 

upstairs being a residence for site personnel. 

Because this was a family owned and 

operated business, the residents were 

typically members of the family. Common 

1930s materials and techniques were utilized 

here also, including fiberboard panels and 

logs in the round. 

The two buildings are tangible artifacts of 

the popular 1930s interpretation of Lincoln’s 

life as a young boy and the development of 

tourism focused on this important historical 

figure. 

Both buildings retain a large amount of 

building material from the initial 1930s 

construction. Both buildings and the site 

have a considerable amount of 

documentation concerning the appearance of 

the complex at that time. Opportunities 

remain for additional investigation and 

testing of the building fabric of both 

buildings in order to gain an even better 

understanding of this period. Considering 

these circumstances, the following 

recommendation is made. 

The Recommended Ultimate Treatment 

includes the exterior and interior 

restoration of the cabin to its original 

1930s appearance; the exterior 

restoration of the tavern to its original 

1930s appearance; the interior restoration 

of the tavern’s principal public room, the 

hall, to its original 1930s appearance, to 

use as a visitors reception center; and the 

rehabilitation of the tavern’s other 

interior spaces for ancillary support areas 

and staff offices. 

This approach would have the following 

advantages: 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part II.B Ultimate Treatment and Use 

 2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page II.B.2 

• Interprets the buildings and site as 

tangible cultural resources in a manner 

that is consistent with the property’s 

nomination to the National Register of 

Historic Places. The cabin is 

representative of early, twentieth-century 

Americans’ understanding of what life 

must have been like for a young 

Abraham Lincoln. The complex is 

representative of burgeoning, early 

twentieth-century tourism based on the 

fascination with a nationally important 

historical personage; 

• The large size of the hall allows the 

tavern building to reflect its 1930s 

characteristics while incorporating other 

functions within the space, including 

current-day interpretations of young 

Lincoln’s life as well as the country’s 

evolving fascination with historical 

personages, and the advent of 

automobile tourism; 

• The hall also lends itself well to the 

inclusion of a visitors’ information desk, 

gift shop, and other important functions 

of a modern park; 

• The abundantly large restrooms lend 

themselves well for rehabilitation as 

modern ADA-accessible restrooms; 

• The abundantly large original kitchen 

can accommodate rehabilitation for 

modern staffing and ancillary functions, 

such as a handicapped accessible 

workstation, staff break room, and a 

food-preparation area for the occasional 

hosting of catered public events in the 

hall; 

• The large second-floor area lends itself 

well for rehabilitation for staff offices, 

staff restroom, and ancillary spaces; 

• The open, undeveloped space in front of 

and around the tavern and cabin is 

available for interpretation more 

consistent with the 1930s characteristics 

of the complex. 

Figure B-2 Postcard of Boyhood Home site, undated 

There would be disadvantages to this 

approach as well: 

• Presents a less than pristine appearance 

of the Lincoln farm site. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part II.C Requirements for Treatment 

 2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page II.C.1 

C. REQUIREMENTS FOR TREATMENT 

The Tavern and Lincoln Boyhood Cabin are 

addressed as a single complex in the park’s 

Draft General Management Plan. 

The National Park Service Cultural 

Resources Management Guideline (DO – 

28) requires planning for the protection of 

cultural resources on park property. 

In addition, Section 106 of the National 

Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) mandates 

that federal agencies, including the National 

Park Service, take into account the effects of 

their actions on properties listed or eligible 

for listing in the National Register of 

Historic Places and give the Advisory 

Council on Historic Preservation a 

reasonable opportunity to comment. 

Treatment of the building and site are to be 

guided by The Secretary of Interior’s 

Standards for Historic Preservation 

Projects, the Americans with Disability Act, 

and the International Building Code. 

Threats to public life, safety and welfare are 

to be addressed; however, because this is an 

historic building, alternatives to full 

legislative and code compliance are 

recommended where compliance would 

needlessly compromise the integrity of the 

historic building. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part II.D Alternatives for Treatment 

 2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page II.D.1 

D. ALTERNATIVES FOR TREATMENT 

In addition to the Ultimate Treatment 

discussed in Section II.B above, three other 

alternatives are discussed below. 

Alternative #1: Rehabilitate the exterior 

and interior of the tavern. 

This approach would have the following 

advantages: 

• Allows retention of modern features 

such as the concrete front entrance 

porch. Retention means cost savings in 

both saved demolition cost and less 

construction/maintenance costs than 

reconstructing the original wooden 

porch; 

• Allows retention or modernization of 

modern features such as the enclosed 

back porch; 

• Allows use of initially less expensive 

replacement materials such as 

composition instead of wood shingles; 

• Allows redesign of the hall to give 

greater emphasis to modern 

interpretations of the Lincoln occupancy; 

• Allows greater flexibility in the 

development of adjoining exterior spaces 

for parking and other park activities. 

This approach would have the following 

disadvantages as well: 

• Downplays or further removes 

characteristics of the complex that 

contribute to the listing of the property 

in the National Register of Historic 

Places, characteristics associated with 

major social trends of the 1930s; 

• Misses the opportunity to spotlight those 

1930s social trends of tourism and 

interest in historical personages, trends 

which are not now well-interpreted at 

many historic sites. 

Alternative #2: Restore the exterior and 

interior of the tavern to its 1930s 

appearances, incorporate functions 

comparable to the originals. 

This approach would have the following 

advantages: 

• Interprets the buildings and site as 

tangible cultural resources in a manner 

that is consistent with the property’s 

nomination to the National Register of 

Historic Places. The cabin is 

representative of early twentieth-century 

Americans’ understanding of what life 

must have been like for a young Abe 

Lincoln. The complex is representative 

of the burgeoning, early twentiethcentury tourism based on the fascination 

with a nationally important historical 

personage; 

• The large size of the hall allows the 

tavern building to reflect its 1930s 

characteristics and reestablish important 

period functions such, food service, gift 

shop, and display areas of “farm 

antiques;” 

• The abundantly large restrooms lend 

themselves well for modern ADAaccessible restrooms; 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Part II.D Alternatives for Treatment 

 2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page II.D.2 

• The abundantly large original kitchen 

can accommodate food-service activities 

as permitted by health officials and 

building code; 

• The second floor provides ample space 

for reuse as staff housing and business 

storage; 

• The open, undeveloped space in front of 

and around the tavern and cabin provides 

the opportunity for interpretation more 

consistent with the 1930s characteristics 

of the complex. 

There would be disadvantages to this 

approach as well: 

• Presents a less than pristine appearance 

of the Lincoln farm site; 

• May be difficult to secure and maintain 

the necessary permits for food-service 

activities; 

• May require expensive equipment for 

food-service activities; 

• May be difficult to find appropriate 

tenants for the residential portion. 

Alternative #3: Demolish Tavern. 

Construct modern interpretive center. 

This approach would have the following 

advantages: 

• Allows the flexibility to design an 

interpretive center around the currently 

anticipated park functions; 

• Provides the opportunity to design a 

facility to maximize energy efficiency. 

This approach would have the following 

disadvantages: 

• Adversely affects cultural resources 

which contribute to the property’s listing 

in the National Register of Historic 

Places; 

• Minimizes the opportunity to interpret 

the 1930s social trends which produced 

the cabin and tavern; 

• Disrupts the traditional functional 

relationship between the cabin and the 

tavern; 

• Introduces a major new feature to the 

site. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part II.E Recommendations 

 2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page II.E.1 

E. RECOMMENDATIONS 

General 

It is important to think of the cabin, tavern, 

and site as an inseparable complex, 

developed in the 1930s to operate as a single 

unit. These characteristics are inherent in 

the property’s listing in the National 

Register of Historic Places. 

Figure E-1 Current setting of tavern and cabin, 

2005 

Whatever the chosen treatment(s) for the site 

and the buildings, it is recommended that 

prior to the commencement of work, the 

complex be fully documented in accordance 

with Historic American Building Survey 

(HABS) and Historic American Landscape 

Survey (HALS) standards. 

Also, dendrochronology studies should be 

conducted for the log walls of both 

buildings. Oral histories hold that the logs 

of the tavern were harvested on site at the 

time of construction; the logs of the replica 

cabin taken from the Gollaher family’s cabin 

date to the early nineteenth century; and 

later repairs used salvaged cabin logs of 

unknown dates. Documentation of both log 

ages and wood species would be most 

valuable to compare with extant information 

and to prepare for future repairs and 

interpretation. 

It is further recommended that a Historic 

Paint and Finish Analysis be completed for 

each building, both to document the finishes 

before they incur any additional damage 

during repairs and to guide the further 

restoration and interpretive efforts. 

Finally, oral histories should be collected 

soon. There are quite a few family members 

who can shed light on the operation of the 

cabin and tavern. However, several are 

advanced in age and others are in poor 

health. 

Site 

As it is adapted for use as a national park 

facility, it would be desirable to promote an 

immediate setting for the cabin and tavern 

that resembles the original one of the 1930s. 

This would be the setting most compatible 

with the interpretive period of the buildings. 

Figure E-2 Tavern, undated but presumed c. 1933 

(photo courtesy of Mary Brooks Howard)
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part II.E Recommendations 

 2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page II.E.2 

Figure E-3 Tavern east elevation, 2005 

Tavern 

To achieve the recommended Ultimate 

Treatment the following actions should be 

taken: 

• Remove 1950s vintage concrete front 

entrance porch and 1980s vintage 

wheelchair ramp; reconstruct wood 

porch to match original 1930s design. 

Install wheelchair ramp or lift that meets 

American with Disabilities Act (ADA) 

design criteria for access to the firstfloor level spaces; 

• Remove porch enclosure at rear of 

building. Reconstruct original 1930s 

screened-in porch; 

• Remove 1990s vintage composition 

roofing. Install split shingle roofing to 

match the size and weather exposure of 

the original 1930s roofing; 

• As part of the stabilization repairs to the 

exterior wall logs, make Dutchmen 

repairs using wood of same cut, joinery, 

and wood specie(s) as the original 1930s 

logs; 

• Repair/reinstall original exterior lights at 

east pavilions; 

• Remove c. 2003 era double entrance 

doors at front of building; repair and 

reinstall the original doors; 

• Remove 1950s era pine board wall in the 

hall; 

• As part of the stabilization repairs to the 

center ceiling beam of the hall, make 

structural repairs as recommended in the 

structural report attached; 

• Remove the 1950s era tear-drop lights 

and 1980s era fluorescent lights of the 

hall. Reinstall the original incandescent 

lighting fixtures; 

• Acquire and reinstall in the hall the 

original 1930s vintage bar. Reconstruct/ 

install the bar mirror from photographs 

and physical evidence; 

• Remove modern door and window 

hardware in the hall; replace with 

hardware to match the original 1930s 

designs as evidenced by other examples 

in the room and physical evidence; 

• Rehabilitate two public restrooms to 

meet current building codes and ADA 

design criteria; 

• Rehabilitate the original kitchen space to 

meet new operational needs and code 

requirements; 

• Consider disconnecting but leaving in 

place the original 1930s vintage surfaceattached electrical wiring as a building 

artifact, evidence of the original system 

for interpretation purposes; install all 

new electrical service; 

• Install new central heating and cooling 

system but utilizing the original 1930s 

registers as located if possible; 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit Part II.E Recommendations 

 2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page II.E.3 

• Make permanent stabilization repairs to 

the basement’s 1950s era temporary 

repairs; 

• Rehabilitate the second-floor rooms for 

staff offices, restroom, and ancillary 

spaces. This may involve removing the 

original 1930s vintage fiberboard and 

cardboard wall materials; if so, preserve 

examples of original finishes, especially 

if they are removed in their entirety and 

strive to follow the wall configuration of 

the original floor plan and 

record/conserve samples of wallpaper 

finishes and fiberboard panels. Retain 

original doorway units in their original 

locations. Install insulation; 

• When building materials are to be 

removed, as in the cases of the 

fiberboard wall and ceiling panels and 

the kitchen flooring, a sample of each 

material should be removed, labeled 

with a unique number, catalogued, and 

retained in a stable environment, 

preferably on site; 

• Install sprinkler system; 

• Apply finishes to the restored areas as 

determined by the Historic Paint and 

Finishes Analysis. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY References 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • References-i 

REFERENCES 

Primary Sources 

“Auction: Selling Lincoln’s Boyhood Home.” The LaRue County Herald News, 9 Jan. 1986. 

Buono, Jon. 21 April, 2003. National Park Service, Southeast Regional Office. letter to Jim 

 Creech and Dan Scheidt. 

Eddins, Mary Jean.“Celebration Marks Deed Transfer.” Land, Air and Water, Spring 2002. 

Eddins, Mary Jean. “Two Projects Become a Reality.” Land, Air and Water, Winter 2002. 

Filson, John. The Discovery, Settlement, & Present State of Kentucky. Wilmington: James 

 Adams, 1784. 

General Management Plan/Alternatives Newsletter. National Park Service, U.S Department of 

 the Interior, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Kentucky. Issue 2, Fall 

 2004. 

“Historic Property To Go Under Gavel.” The LaRue County Herald News, 9 Jan. 1986. 

Howard, Mary Brooks. Interview by Joseph K. Oppermann, FAIA. Frankfort, KY. 28 February 

 2006. 

Howard, Millburn. Interview by Joseph K. Oppermann, FAIA. City, KY. 02 and 10 March 

 2006. 

“Lincoln National Helps Fund Purchase of Boyhood Home.” The LaRue County Herald News, 

 12 Dec. 2001. 

Manning, Stacy S. “New Haven Receives County Occupational, Recreational Funds.” The 

 Kentucky Standard, 28 March. 2003. 

McDonald, Bob. “Howard Family Members pay $120,500 to Keep Lincoln Property in Family; 

 Many are Surprised at Low Sale Price.” The LaRue County Herald News, 20 Jan. 1986. 

Raisor, Christine. “Knob Creek Officially Open.” The LaRue County Herald News. April. 1986. 

Sites, William H. 2 Feb, 2002. United States Department of Agriculture. letter to Gary Talley: 

 Chief of Operations, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHS. 

Slinker, John. “Boyhood Home Cabin, Tavern, Receive Nominations.” The LaRue County 

 Herald News, 3 Sept. 2003. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY References 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • References-ii 

Secondary Sources 

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Brochure. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. 

 2002. 

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace: Lincoln Boyhood Home at Knob Creek Brochure. National Park 

 Service, U.S Department of the Interior. n.d. 

Abraham Lincoln’s Boyhood Home Brochure. c. 1986. 

Blythe, Robert W., Maureen Carroll, and Steven H. Moffson . Historic Resource Study, Abraham 

 Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site. National Park Service, Southeast Regional 

 Office, Cultural Resources Stewardship, 2001. 

Brown, Kent Masterson. Report on the Title of Thomas Lincoln to, and the History of, the 

 Lincoln Boyhood Home Along Knob Creek in LaRue County, Kentucky. Atlanta: National 

 Park Service, Southeast Regional Office, 1998. 

Cagle, Brian. Public Health Assessment Report, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHS. National 

 Park Service, Southeast Regional Office. 12 Dec. 2001. 

Cotterill, R.S. History of Pioneer Kentucky. Cincinnati: Johnson & Hardin, 1917. 

Fehrenbacher, Don E., ed. Abraham Lincoln: A Documentary Portrait Through his Speeches and 

 Writings. California: Stanford University Press, 1994. 

Herndon, William H. Herndon’s Lincoln. Springfield, Illinois: The Herndon’s Lincoln 

 Publishing Company, 1888. 

“Historic Property To Go Under Gravel.” The LaRue County Herald News, 9 Jan. 1986. 

Hudson, Karen E. Architectural Evaluation: Lincoln Boyhood Home, Knob Creek Farm, LaRue 

 County, Kentucky. National Park Service, Southeast Regional Office, 1997. 

KyGenWeb Special Collections. Kentucky Postcards, Knob Creek. 

<www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/KyPostCards/KnobCreek/> November 2003. 

“Lincoln’s ‘Old Kentucky Home’.” County Line, March-April. 2002. 

Lounsbury, Carl R. An Illustrated Glossary of Early Southern Architecture & Landscape. New 

York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994. 

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Lincoln Boyhood Home. Athertonville, 

 KY: United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1988. 

National Park Service. Historic Structure Report, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Memorial 

 Building. Hodgenville, Kentucky, 2001. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY References 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • References-iii 

National Park Service. Historic Resource Study, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace. 

 <www.nps.gov/abli/hrs/hrs2c.htm > January 2003.

Nickel, Robert K. A Ground-Pentrating Radar Survey at the Knob Creek Farm Unit: Abraham 

 Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Kentucky. Tallahasee, Florida: Southeast 

 Archeological Center, National Park Service, 2005. 

Montell, William Lynwood and Michael Lynn Morse. Kentucky Folk Architecture. Lexington: 

 The University Press of Kentucky, 1995. 

Pitcaithley, Dwight T. “Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace Cabin: The Making of an American 

Icon.” In Myth, Memory, and the Making of the American Landcape, edited by Paul A. 

Shackel, 240-254. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2001. 

Sculle, Keith A. “The Howard Family Legacy at the Knob Creek Farm.” Journal of the Abraham 

 Lincoln Association, Vol. 26, No. 2 (2005): 23-48. 

Tarbell, Ida M. In the Footsteps of the Lincolns. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1924. 

Tarbell, Ida M. The Life of Abraham Lincoln. New York: Lincoln History Society, 1900. 

Warren, Louis Austin. Lincoln’s Parentage and Childhood. New York: The Century Company, 

 1926. 

Zall, Paul M. Lincoln on Lincoln. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1999. 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Appendix A 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page A-1 

APPENDIX A 

As-Found Floor Plans and Details 

1. Basement Plan 

2. First Floor Plan 

3. Second Floor Plan 

4. Door Panel and Muntin Profiles 




LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Appendix B 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page B-1 

APPENDIX B 

Interview Transcripts 

1. February 28, 2006 – Mary Brooks Howard 

2. March 2, 2006 – Milburn Howard 

3. March 10, 2006 – Milburn Howard 
TELEPHONE INTERVIEW 

Date: February 28, 2006 

Subject: Lincoln Boyhood Home 

 Cabin & Tavern 

Interviewee: Mrs. Fred (Mary “Brooks”) Howard 

 Previous Owner 

Interview by: Joseph K. Oppermann, FAIA 

 Historical Architect 

JO: Mrs. Howard, in calling for you I am afraid that I asked for Mary Howard but I 

now understand that you go by Brooks, not Mary. 

BH: Yes, everyone calls me Brooks. 

JO: And you were married to Fred Howard and lived above the Tavern, I understand. 

BH: Yes, we married in June, 1950 and lived in the apartment upstairs until October, 

1953 when our son was born. We never moved back to the apartment. Our house 

that we were building was ready by then and we moved to it. But Fred lived in 

the apartment for a while before we got married. 

JO: Could you describe the Tavern when you first lived there and the changes you and 

Fred made as well as changes by others? 

BH: I used to go there a lot before we got married. Everyone did. It’s really very 

much the same. 

 The screened-in porch is different now. It was enclosed as a storage room after I 

sold it in 1986. But as long as I can remember it was a screened-in porch. It was 

like that when the Tavern was first built, I believe. 

 Fred put in the shower upstairs in the apartment bathroom in about 1950, just 

before we got married and moved in. 

 He built that pine board wall in the hall about then too. It created an office off in 

that side area near the fireplace. It’s still there. 

 1 of 2 
 He must have put the cabinets with sink in the back of the kitchen along the west 

wall by the back door about the same time. Also the peninsula on the north wall. 

I can’t remember cooking in there without them. The wall cabinet on the east 

wall was always there. The flooring I can’t remember. 

 The two ceiling heaters were installed in the hall in early 1954. I remember 

because the big furnace in the basement burned out in 1953 about the time our son 

was born. We never replaced the furnace. Just left it there and those vents that 

were in the floors. Put the heaters in the hall instead of installing a new furnace. 

 Fred took the mirror off the bar in the early 1950s. The family story is that the 

bar came out of a Louisville hotel. 

 In the mid-1950s we put down a new floor on top of the existing floor in the hall. 

Those globe lights were always there in the hall. After 1986 the fluorescent lights 

were added. 

Outside, those lights that are on the front to the sides were there as long as I can 

remember. 

Fred died in 1980. I added the wheelchair ramp about 1982. It doesn’t meet 

codes today but it was an improvement when put in. I don’t remember about the 

concrete porch. Seems like it has always been there. 

Family members did install the composition shingle roof. I am not sure when. 

Don’t remember wood shingles being on there before. 

One story I remember hearing about the construction of the Tavern is that the 

mason was convicted of murder before he could complete the work. The family 

had to find someone else to finish. 

JO: What about the Cabin? 

MH: I remember that we put on a wood shingle roof in the mid-1950s. 

JO: There was a mason jar with a message inside found in 2003 by the contractor 

working for the National Park Service. The message says that the cabin was 

rebuilt. 

MH: That’s fictitious. They were doing repairs and did that as a prank. They certainly 

didn’t rebuild the cabin. 

 2 of 2 
TELEPHONE INTERVIEW 

Date: March 2, 2006 

Subject: Lincoln Boyhood Home 

 Cabin & Tavern 

Interviewee: Milburn Howard 

 Previous Owner 

Interview by: Joseph K. Oppermann, FAIA 

 Historical Architect 

JO: Mr. Howard, I understand that you were part of the group that bought the 

property at auction from your aunt, Brooks Howard, in 1986. 

MH: Yes, there was a group of us that got together to try to buy it. 

JO: Could you describe what changes the group made to the Tavern and when? 

MH: We did most of the work in the first few years and then the enthusiasm just sort of 

dropped off. 

 About 1988 we enclosed the screened-in porch. Just reused the concrete floor and 

enclosed the walls. Our plan was to have a counter with a sink and cabinets. 

Something for people to use without having to come inside if they rented the 

pavilion and grounds for a party. We built the pavilion then too. And the outside 

public restrooms. It never quite worked that way, though. People still wanted to 

come inside to use the kitchen. 

 About the same time we took out the tile floors in the two in public restrooms 

inside the Tavern. A bunch of the tiles were cracked or had missing pieces. We 

put sheet vinyl down as a replacement. The tiles matched the flooring tiles in the 

kitchen but those were in better condition and we left them in place. 

 We installed the fluorescent lights in the hall and kitchen. The globe lights had 

always been in the hall, as far as I know. My Uncle Fred installed the tear-drop 

lights in the hall to spotlight his exhibits of artifacts. 

 In 1998 we had a roofer replace the composition roof with a new composition 

roof. 

 1 of 2 
 Two years ago the National Park Service called and told us we had to remove the 

rest of our things. That they couldn’t be responsible for them. The artifacts that 

my Uncle Fred collected were just two weeks ago turned over to an antique dealer 

for selling. Some of the things that were originally on display in the Cabin may 

be donated to a museum. The bar is in my barn. 

JO: How about at the Cabin? 

MH: Every year we would go down to the creek to get mud for chinking the logs. It 

was an annual event. 

 At least twice we replaced logs in the chimney stack. Once we replaced the 

bottom log at the door to the Cabin. We would find other cabins in the area where 

we could salvage the logs we needed. 

 Never did anything to the wood shingle roof except put bleach on it to kill the 

moss. Uncle Fred put that shingle roof just before he died in 1980. 

 2 of 2 
TELEPHONE INTERVIEW 

Date: March 10, 2006 

 (Continuation of the Conversation of March 2.) 

Subject: Lincoln Boyhood Home 

 Cabin & Tavern 

Interviewee: Milburn Howard 

 Previous Owner 

Interview by: Joseph K. Oppermann, FAIA 

 Historical Architect 

JO: Mr. Howard, could you continue with your recollections of the Tavern and the 

Cabin? Any information you may have about the construction, use or changes 

over time would be helpful. 

MH: My family told me that the bar my grandfather installed in the Tavern had come 

out of the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville. After the sale of alcohol became illegal, 

he removed the mirror atop the bar and sold it to “Scorchy’ Greenwell who 

wanted it for his tavern in New Haven, KY. His place later burned and the mirror 

was lost in that fire. 

 The wood type of the flooring installed in the hall on top of the original is beech. 

It was not varnished or shellacked but oiled. Every year my cousins and I had to 

mop on “red oil.” 

There never was any heat in the upstairs apartment until my cousin “Fabe” 

Howard (nickname for Fabian) lived there after we bought the place. He lived in 

the north room for about 15 years and used the other two rooms for storage. He 

used a kerosene heater. In about 1990 our cousin Julian Howard, who worked for 

the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, salvaged a new natural gas furnace from one 

of the company’s buildings that was about to be torn down. Fabe hung it in the 

basement from the first-floor floor joists and hooked it up to the propane gas. He 

never switched out the natural gas valve for one designed for propane gas and the 

furnace clogged. Never worked after that. He just left it. That is the furnace in 

the basement now. Got pretty cold in the Tavern. Sometimes you would go in 

and Fabe’s dishes would be in the kitchen sink and the water would be frozen 

solid. But he never seemed to mind too much. 

 1 of 3 
Julian also got for us sinks out of a 1905 railroad building that was being 

demolished. We put them in the outdoor restrooms that we built but the Park 

Service removed them. 

In the basement is a propane gas water heater next to the brick flue. And next to 

it is the pump for the well water. Both work fine. 

There is a sump pump there, too, in the southwest corner of the room near the 

bottom of the stairs. For as long as I can remember there was a bull frog that 

lived in the sump. He would be sitting on the edge when you came down the 

stairs and would jump into the water and disappear. Next time you went down the 

stairs, he would be sitting there again. 

I’m pretty sure that there never was natural gas on the site. My father went to 

Columbia Military School in Tennessee and everything had to be just so-so. He 

always said that he was afraid of natural gas. I am pretty certain that the first 

furnace was coal burning. Next came propane with Uncle Fred and the heaters on 

the hall ceiling. 

Something else about the site. My cousins and I built the log pavilion on a piece 

of flat ground. The Park Service tore it down. But some older family members 

said that the reason it was flat was because it used to be a clay tennis court back 

when the Tavern was first starting out. 

 

JO: What about the Cabin? What about that Mason jar with a message in it saying 

the cabin was rebuilt? 

MH: It was in the summer of 1986. We had just acquired the property in January and 

we were anxious to get going. The cabin was in bad shape. We replaced part of 

the wood floor. Treated for termites. Replaced the bottom logs of the chimney. 

Got square logs from another cabin. When we had the floor up we thought we 

would leave a message. Someone got a mason jar out of the gift shop. We made 

up this story and put it under the flooring. Didn’t know it would be found so 

soon. 

 The next time we worked on the Cabin was about 1990. Using a log from another 

cabin we replaced the bottom log on the east side, where the door is. It needs 

replacing again. Replaced some of the smaller logs in the chimney, too. 

JO: What kind of wood is in the Cabin, do you think? 

MH: The logs are oak, I think. In the chimney it’s a combination of oak and cedar. 

The cedar holds up pretty well. The cedar is mostly in the smaller branches 

higher in chimney stack. 

 2 of 3 
 I don’t know if you have seen the picture of the Cabin in National Geographic 

Magazine. About 1963, I think it was. But if you look at the chimney, it doesn’t 

look like it does now. The logs of the chimney were much smaller than the ones 

in there now. 

JO: What about in the Tavern? Do you know what kind of wood is used there? 

MH: Mostly white oak, I believe. Except for some of those real long logs. They’re 

poplar. 

 

 3 of 3 
LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Appendix C 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page C-1 

APPENDIX C 

Structural Report 








LINCOLN TAVERN HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT 

ABLI Boyhood Home Unit, Hodgenville, KY Appendix D 

2006 • JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN – ARCHITECT, P.A. • Page D-1 

APPENDIX D 

Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Report 
RONALD W. BROWN, P.E. 

Consulting MEP Engineers 

3200 Southwest Freeway 

Suite 2121 

Houston, TX 77027-7525 

713 621 5660 

fax 713 621 5816 

cell 832 338 3300 

February 1, 2006 

Mr. Joseph K. Oppermann, AIA 

P.O. Box 10417 

Salem Station 

Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27108 

REF: MEP SYSTEM OBSERVATION 

 LINCOLN’S BOYHOOD HOME 

 HODGENVILLE, KENTUCKY 

Dear Mr. Oppermann: 

In accordance with your request, we have performed a visual observation of the "MEP" systems on 

the above referenced project. This was performed during the month of December 2005. 

The purpose of this project was to review the installation of the MEP systems in the tavern and 

cabin and issue a written report documenting our observations as to the nature of the construction 

and maintenance of the installed systems. 

In addition, our scope included recommending proposed solutions to any problems we may discover 

and estimating the cost of repair or replacement. 

Enclosed please find the results of this observation. Should you have any questions, please do not 

hesitate to call. Once again, thank you for utilizing our services and look forward to working with 

you again in the near future. 

Yours truly, 

Ronald W. Brown, P.E. 

Principal 

RWB/shg 

File 05-0062 E nclosure 
Mr. Joe Oppermann 

MEP Observation Report / LINCOLN’S Boyhood Home 

Page 2 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

I. PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF REPORT 

II. PROJECT INVESTIGATION 

III. LIMITATIONS OF REPORT 

IV. PICTURES 
Mr. Joe Oppermann 

MEP Observation Report / LINCOLN’S Boyhood Home 

Page 3 

 

Building MEP Observation Report 

LINCOLN’S BOYHOOD HOME 

HODGENVILLE, KENTUCKY 

I. PURPOSE/SCOPE: 

The purpose of the observation was to observe the readily visible components of the 

mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems installed in the Main Building and to 

provide a written report stating our professional opinion of the general quality of the 

workmanship and of the nature of the construction of the building. In addition, it was our 

purpose to develop a list of substandard quality of workmanship items or code violation 

items for the client's information. 

Due to the fact that the project was complete and there were numerous areas that were 

inaccessible, the observation consisted of reviewing any available "MEP" plans and 

observing systems that were readily visible or easily accessible. We cannot guarantee the 

continued operation of any item of equipment or system. We did not perform any capacity 

tests or detailed observation on each item of equipment. Our observation is only intended to 

be a rough overview of the installation and maintenance of the systems as installed. No 

attempt was made to determine the cause of any system malfunction. 

HVAC

The HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) systems' functions were observed as 

much as possible. All equipment should be annually serviced to assure that all components 

are functioning properly. 

Electrical

Outlets and light fixtures were randomly checked. Circuit breaker panel box covers were 

opened and wire sizes were inspected if possible. 

Plumbing

The plumbing functions were randomly checked. 
Mr. Joe Oppermann 

MEP Observation Report / LINCOLN’S Boyhood Home 

Page 4 

 

II. PROJECT INVESTIGATION 

A. GENERAL 

1. There are four significant buildings on the site. The Tavern, a small Log Cabin to 

the north, a small Pavilion, and a framed storage shed. In addition to these four 

buildings there is a small, Park Ranger building, located adjacent to the Tavern, 

which evidently is used as an office. 

2. There were no “MEP” drawings available for review. 

3. Each of the different buildings has a different type of HVAC system. The Tavern 

has a Gas Fired unit heater in the Basement. The Office Area has a small window 

unit. The Log Cabin and Pavilion does not have any HVAC system. 

4. Please note the Building has bare minimum insulation in the walls and roof area. 

We recommend the insulation system be upgraded. 

5. Please note the building does not have a vapor barrier installed. 

6. Please note there is also no attic ventilation provided. 

7. This report will respond to the condition of the MEP systems in the Tavern 

Building. 

B. Tavern Building 

1. GENERAL 

a. The building has two gas fired unit heaters on the ground floor and a forced air 

unit heater in the basement. 

b. . We could not discover the source of the gas. We understand there is a propane 

storage bottle on site, but we could not locate it. 

c. The forced air heater in the basement area appears to be non functional. 

2. GAS FIRED UNIT HEATERS 

a. The two gas fired unit heaters appear to be in fair working condition. 

b. These type of heating systems generally provide 20-25 years of dependable 

operation with proper maintenance. 

c. The gas fired unit heaters appear to be operational. However, the gas supply 

appears to have been abandoned. 

d. The unit heaters should provide minimum heat and freeze protection. 

e. If the HVAC system is upgraded and cooing is provided, then the Heaters may be 
Mr. Joe Oppermann 

MEP Observation Report / LINCOLN’S Boyhood Home 

Page 5 

 

removed from the site and heating can be provided with the new cooling units. 

3. FORCED AIR UNIT HEATER: 

a. The forced air unit heater system appears to be more than 20 years old, and is 

indicating signs of system failure. 

b. The unit heats the building by means of hot air rising thru a grille located in the 

first floor, then up thru another grille to the second floor. 

c. This system provides bare minimum building heating. We recommend the system 

be removed and upgraded 

4. OUTSIDE AIR SYSTEM 

a. There is no existing outside air system provided for this building. The building 

code permits operable windows to be utilized in lieu of having a ducted outside 

air system. The windows on this building are operable, but this permits 

uncontrolled outside air into the space. We recommend a conventional ducted 

outside system to the building thru the HVAC system. 

 

b. The amount of outside air is very controversial. ASHRAE has issued a standard 

(ASHRAE std. 62-2000) in which the amount of outside is specified. It states 20 

cfm per person. 

c. However, the Building Code states the building may remain as is with the 

assumption that the building meets the requirements of the Building Code in 

effect at the time the building was constructed. 

d. The majority of the controversy is: Do you leave the building as is, or do you 

upgrade the outside air quantity to meet the current building code. Please note the 

building code changed because the previous outside air quantity proved to be 

insufficient. 

e. As a Professional Engineer, we have to recommend the upgrade as recommended 

by the current Building Code in order to reduce our liability. 

f. The pricing exercise we provided includes the recommended upgrade. 

5. DUCTING SYSTEM 

a. The duct work that was visible was constructed with sheet metal. 

b. Obviously if there are new HVAC systems proposed and installed, the existing 

duct will be removed and not reused. It is not capable of being retro fit into the 
Mr. Joe Oppermann 

MEP Observation Report / LINCOLN’S Boyhood Home 

Page 6 

 

new systems. 

6. AUTOMATIC CONTROLS 

a. The control system consists of primarily self contained thermostats. 

b. The proposed HVAC automatic control system should be upgraded to a DDC 

system to permit remote monitoring and operation. 

7. PROPOSED NEW HVAC SYSTEMS: 

a. Provide two new ducted supply air and return air systems located in the basement 

to serve the first floor. The two new systems would be similar in design and 

duplicated in capacity to provide some sort of redundancy. 

b. Provide two new ducted supply air and return air systems located on the second 

floor that would serve the North side and South side of the building. The systems 

would be similar in design, and each sized to maintain temperature in their 

respective zones. There are areas on the second floor where the units could be 

located and permit access space for maintenance. 

c. Our preliminary calculations indicate 20 tons required on the first floor, and 15 

tons required on the second floor. 

d. We recommend Heat Pump units to reduce energy costs. The heat source should 

be electric to provide for removing the hidden propane storage bottles. 

C. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 

1. The Main Electrical service is located at the North West corner, exterior of the 

Tavern building. The electrical service is conventional overhead service from the 

North side of the site. 

2. The service size was unmarked but appeared to be 200 amps, at 120/240 volt, single 

phase. It does not appear to be overloaded. (Ref: Picture E-1 & E-2) 

3. The electrical service for the entire project is located here. 

4. The ground wire was reviewed and appears to be properly sized and installed. 

5. The electrical system has been added on to over the years. Very little of it is 

concealed. There was exposed wiring and some romex utilized in the project. This 

should be removed as soon as possible. It will be very difficult to conceal the 

wiring but a better attempt can be made. 
Mr. Joe Oppermann 

MEP Observation Report / LINCOLN’S Boyhood Home 

Page 7 

 

6. The light fixtures in the building may be upgraded to energy efficient fluorescent 

type. There should be automatic controls provided to operate the lights and maintain 

some security. 

7. There were no exit signs in the building. The pricing exercise included the cost of 

adding exit lights. 

8. There are no emergency egress lights in the building. 

9. There is no Emergency Generator associated with the site. 

10. There are no apparent problems with the electrical service. 

D. PLUMBING 

1. The plumbing systems are extremely old and appear to be barely serviceable. 

2. The water heater also has a minor water leak. 

3. Note the water source is well water and is supplied thru a water pressure booster 

system. This will be eliminated after the water source from the city is provided. 

4. The sanitary sewer system is a septic tank system, with the drain field located to the 

south. It was investigated but because of the concealed nature it could not be found. 

E. FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM 

1. There is no automatic fire sprinkler system provided for this building. 

2. There is a small Fire Detection system install but it could not be determined if it 

was functional or not. It appears to be a very minimal system. 

3. The Fire Alarm system had been evidently recently installed. It should be inspected 

by a qualified Fire Detection Contractor. It should also be annually serviced by a 

Qualified Fire Detection Contractor. 

III. LIMITATIONS OF REPORT 

Opinions and comments stated in the report are based solely on our visual survey. This 

observation does not constitute a guarantee or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding the 

current or future performance of any item inspected. 

We have inspected each item, available, to the best of our ability, and unless otherwise 

stated the systems were operating satisfactorily during our observation. 
Mr. Joe Oppermann 

MEP Observation Report / LINCOLN’S Boyhood Home 

Page 8 

 

The construction cost estimates included in this report are our approximations of the cost of 

the work in accordance with out professional opinion and previous experience of 

construction costs on projects of a similar nature. 

All construction cost estimates are approximations only and shall not be construed as a bid 

nor an offer to perform the work. The scope of work must be itemized prior to a firm price 

commitment and bids must be submitted by a qualified contractor. 

IV. PHOTOGRAPHS 

See Following Pages 

END OF REPORT 
As the nation’s principal conservation agency, the 

Department of the Interior has responsibility for most 

of our nationally owned public lands and natural 

resources. This includes fostering sound use of our 

land and water resources; protecting our fish, wildlife, 

and biological diversity; preserving the environmental 

and cultural values of our national parks and 

historical places; and providing for the enjoyment of 

life through outdoor recreation. The department 

assesses our energy and mineral resources and works 

to ensure that their development is in the best 

interests of all our people by encouraging stewardship 

and citizen participation in their care. The 

department also has a major responsibility for 

American Indian reservation communities and for 

people who live in island territories under U.S. 

administration. 

NPS D- 36 June 2006