National Register of Historic Places

Lincoln's New Salem Village

Petersburg, Menard County, Illinois
Listed
June 18, 1972
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
72000464

About this property

Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site is a reconstruction of the former village of New Salem in Menard County, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1831 to 1837. While in his twenties, the future U.S. President made his living in this village as a boatman, soldier in the Black Hawk War, general store owner, postmaster, surveyor, and rail splitter, and was first elected to the Illinois General Assembly. Lincoln left New Salem for Springfield in 1837. By 1840 the village was nearly abandoned, and other towns were developed. After Lincoln's death in 1865, historians and biographers collected the memories, documents, and plans of the village from former residents and neighbors of Lincoln, and the site's archaeological remains were studied. In 1921, a state park opened on the village site to commemorate Lincoln and Illinois' frontier history. The Civilian Conservation Corps built a historic recreation of New Salem based on its original foundations in the 1930s. The village is located 15 mi (24 km) northwest of Springfield, and approximately 3 mi (4.8 km) south of Petersburg.

Location

Petersburg, Menard County, Illinois
39.98154, -89.84217

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Petersburg Historic District
Listed
2 mi
Petersburg Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Early Republic
2.1 mi
Rogers, Col. Matthew, Building
Industrial
6.4 mi
North Sangamon United Presbyterian Church
Industrial
6.5 mi
Clayville Tavern
Early Republic
8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lincoln's New Salem Village listed on the National Register?

Lincoln's New Salem Village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Lincoln's New Salem Village?

Lincoln's New Salem Village is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Lincoln's New Salem Village?

The period of significance for Lincoln's New Salem Village is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Lincoln's New Salem Village?

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