Field Photos

Photos

Archeological Testing at the Carrigan and Burch Properties, Lincoln Home NHS, May 2006

The Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois was established to commemorate the life and work of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and to preserve his home at Eighth and Jackson Streets and the surrounding neighborhood. Abraham and Mary Lincoln purchased the house in 1844 and lived there until February 1861, when they moved to Washington, D.C. following Lincoln’s election to the presidency. While the Lincoln Home itself has been well maintained over the years, many of the other original houses in the neighborhood are now gone, including the house immediately next door to the north (Carrigan house) and the house directly across Eighth Street to the west (Burch house).

The Midwest Archeological Center recently completed archeological test excavations at the Carrigan and Burch properties as part of a larger effort to research the history and appearance of the Carrigan and Burch houses, which may be reconstructed in the next several years. Multiple episodes of building construction, modification, adaptive reuse, repair, and demolition have taken place at the two properties over the past 150 years, resulting in an archeological record that is complicated, particularly at Carrigan. The Carrigan house was built around 1840 and enlarged several times in subsequent years. It was replaced by the Irwin house around 1880, which in turn was demolished in the early 1920s. The lot then apparently remained vacant until the 1960s, when the nearby Corneau house was temporarily moved to this property.

Several sections of the original Carrigan house foundations, front and back cellars, a cistern, and other associated architectural features have now been identified archeologically at the site. Interestingly, it appears that the back portion of the Carrigan house was adaptively reused as part of the later Irwin house. Historic photographs indicate that the Carrigan barn stood in the southeast corner of the lot, an area now largely covered by a modern building and concrete pad. However, the northwest corner of the barn is thought to have extended a short distance into the present open yard. A cluster of deteriorated brick fragments partially exposed at that location during testing may represent the remains of the barn foundation.

The Burch house was constructed in the 1840s and stood until 1916-1917. A commercial building was then constructed on the front half of the property and later enlarged. A two-story apartment building was also constructed on the rear of the property in the early 20th century. Unfortunately, little evidence of the original Burch house has survived. Two short sections of the Burch house foundation have been identified archeologically, together with the remains of two chimney bases or supports, an interior well, and the bottom portion of a cistern.