Lincoln Pioneer Village facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lincoln Pioneer Village
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From 9th Street, in July 2011
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 Location in Indiana
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| Location | Junction of 9th St. and Eureka Rd., Rockport, Indiana |
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| Area | 1.8 acres (0.73 ha) |
| Built | 1935 |
| Built by | WPA/FERA |
| Architect | George Honig |
| Architectural style | Split log cabin |
| NRHP reference No. | 98000305 |
| Added to NRHP | April 20, 1998 |
The Lincoln Pioneer Village is a special memorial located along the Ohio River in Rockport, Indiana. It honors President Abraham Lincoln, who spent many of his boyhood years in Spencer County, Indiana. This village was built in 1934 and 1935 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA was a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression.
George Honig, an artist and sculptor from Spencer County, designed this memorial. He also supervised the building of the village. The project was supported by the Spencer County Historical Society and the Rockport City Council. In 1998, the Lincoln Pioneer Village was officially recognized as a historic district. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which lists important historical sites in the United States.
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Exploring Lincoln's Boyhood Home
Rockport is the main town in Spencer County. It's about 17 miles from where Abraham Lincoln grew up. When he was a young man, Lincoln often visited Rockport. He would borrow books from a lawyer named John Pitcher. Lincoln also started his famous flatboat trips to New Orleans from this area. These trips were a big part of his early life.
The Lincoln Pioneer Village was built near the boat landing that Lincoln used for his flatboat journeys. A wooden fence, called a stockade, surrounds the village. Inside, you'll find replicas of buildings from Lincoln's time. These include the old Little Pigeon Baptist Church, a log cabin school house, an inn, several homes, and even a law office.
What You'll See in the Village
The cabins in the village look like the homes of people who lived in the Little Pigeon Creek Community. This was the community where Lincoln was raised. The buildings are filled with items from the frontier times. You can see spinning wheels, butter churns, handmade chairs, iron pans, tables, beds, and dishes. These items show what daily life was like for pioneers.
Some of the homes represent specific people from Lincoln's life:
- His sister, Sarah Lincoln Grigsby, and her husband, Aaron Grigsby.
- James Gentry, a local merchant and farmer.
- Josiah Crawford, a neighbor who hired Abraham and Sarah Lincoln for work.
The Aunt Lepha Mackey Cabin is also very important. It represents the home of a Rockport woman who taught African American children. At that time, these children might not have had a chance to go to school otherwise. Mackey's cabin was the site of the first school for African American children in southern Indiana. The village also has a replica of John Pitcher's law office and the William Jones store.
Buildings in the Village
The Lincoln Pioneer Village has many different buildings. Each one helps tell the story of pioneer life and Abraham Lincoln's early years.
- Administration Building and Museum Room
- John Pitcher Law Office
- Azel Dorsey House
- Daniel Grass House
- Aunt Lepha Mackey House
- Gentry Mansion
- Former Home of Rueben Grigsby
- Pigeon Creek Baptist Church
- Brown's Inn
- Lincoln Cabin
- Market and Barter House
- Grandview Blockhouse
- Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Crawford House
- William Jones store
See also
- Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
- Lincoln State Park, a state park with buildings from the Little Pigeon Creek Community
- Little Pigeon Creek Community, the place where the Lincolns lived from 1816 to 1830
