Lincoln Tomb Upgrade

Above, the Lincoln Tomb burial chamber. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This morning, I came across a website of The Visual Journal with photographs of the upgrade of the tomb of President Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary and sons Edward, William and Thomas that took place in 1900-1901.

According to the site:

Just over 20 years after the new monument for Abraham Lincoln was dedicated on October 15, 1874, it needed repair. Not just a new roof and gutters like a house of the same age might; we’re talking a total rehab. The foundation had settled, the terrace was sloping and cracks had begun to appear. Gov. John Tanner in the spring of 1899 recommended the entire structure be dismantled, the foundation removed and a new one dug to the depth of solid rock. He urged the General Assembly to appropriate $100,000 for the project, which it did, and work began in November that year. Today’s picture shows the project underway. On May 10, 1900, the caskets containing the remains of President Lincoln and his family were removed and placed in a temporary vault built especially for the duration of the project. To protect the security of the Lincoln family’s final resting place, a cement vault was built beneath the floor of the catacomb. On September 26, 1901, the President’s remains and those of his family were returned to the new vault under the tomb. File/The State Journal-Register 

Above, yours truly in front of the Lincoln Tomb in 2016.

I visited Lincoln's Tomb in November 2016 and it is a place where people interested in Lincoln and history should visit. At the time of my arrival at the tomb, a group of elementary school students were just finishing their field trip visit there. After they left, I pretty much had the place all to myself along with a very helpful docent guide.

To see the historical photographs of the upgrade, go here.