Lincoln Homestead

Historical Marker #526, located in Springfield, Kentucky, references the marriage of Abraham Lincoln's parents in Washington County in 1806.

The original marriage bond between Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks is housed at this site in the Washington County Courthouse. In the election of 1860, Lincoln's political opponents made accusations that he was illegitimate, a possibility that Lincoln himself considered. Searches were conducted in Larue and Hardin counties to no avail, and the question of Lincoln's legitimacy was not settled until 1901 when the original bond was rediscovered in the Washington County Courthouse.

In 2009, a Lincoln statue was erected across from the Washington County Courthouse.

The marker reads:
The certified marriage bond of Thomas Lincoln to Nancy Hanks, parents of Abraham Lincoln, is on file here in Washington Co. Courthouse. Here also preserved is full account of the wedding. Lincoln Homestead State Park, seven miles north, now marks the site of log house where marriage was performed June 12, 1806 by the Reverend Jesse Head, Methodist pastor.

Erected June 23, 1963.

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