(Pictured from left: M. G. Nelson Family Foundation representatives M.G. Nelson, Tricia Becker, Mark Nelson, Lincoln Home NHS Superintendent Tim Good, Foundation President & CEO Erin Carlson Mast and Board Chair Sergio 'Satch' Pecori.)
New youth-centered exhibit will diversify and expand visitor opportunities
CHICAGO, (August 2, 2022) - The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”) announced it received a six-figure gift from the M.G. Nelson Family Foundation to create a new visitor experience for young people at Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield. The donation covers the total project cost, including interpretive planning, design, fabrication and installation of exhibits in the Corneau House. Corneau House is located across the street from the Lincoln Home and currently not open to the public. The youth-centered exhibits will focus on the historic neighborhood, importance of community and provide new perspectives on the life of President Lincoln. The Foundation has engaged McCullough Creative for the design-build and the project will take approximately one year to complete.
“We’re extremely grateful to the Nelson family for their generous donation. For years, people would visit Lincoln’s home but were not able to fully explore the surrounding homes that made up the community when Abraham Lincoln lived here,” said Erin Carlson Mast, the Foundation’s President & CEO. “This will be the first time in the site’s history that a space is designed specifically for a youth audience. Our hope is that creating this new experience will better serve the young people who already visit and provide even more reason for people of all ages to learn about the life and legacy of one of our country’s most influential presidents.”
The Lincoln Home National Historic Site contains more than a dozen buildings within a four-block, 12-acre boundary. No public areas will be closed for this project. Upon completion of the Corneau House’s exhibit installations, visitors will be able to enter and explore, with a focus on exhibits that are geared towards youth 10-14 years old. The exhibit will draw from many sources including the research of Bonnie Paull and the late Richard “Dick” Hart, which was instrumental in dispelling the myth of the lack of diversity in the community during Lincoln’s time.
“After years in the making, the Lincoln Presidential Foundation is finally able to make this project a reality for us at the Lincoln Home. Since our official partnership began in March of this year, we have already been able to elevate our work to preserve President Lincoln’s legacy nationally. I’m looking forward to future success together,” said Tim Good, Superintendent of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
About the Lincoln Presidential Foundation
Established in 2000, the Lincoln Presidential Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit public charity headquartered in Illinois. The Foundation’s purpose is to support, sustain, and provide educational and public programming, research, and access to historic places and collections, related to the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, in cooperation with other entities. Its vision is the global protection and expansion of freedom and democracy inspired by the life and work of President Abraham Lincoln. Learn more at lincolnpresidential.org
# # #
Media Contact:
Haley Hartmann
haley@reputationpartners.com
815-382-1415