The US Mint unveiled it’s new designs for the Lincoln Penny to be issued next year, starting on February 12, 2009.  There are actually four designs, but the first honors Lincoln’s birth and childhood in Kentucky.  If you’re scratching your head trying to reconcile where it is you’ve seen it before, well, you don’t have to drive to Hodgenville Kentucky to figure it out.  The drive is as close as Foster Park.
The cabin was originally erected by Lincoln National Life Insurance Employees. Â In 2006, shortly before these photos were taken, it underwent a renovation and restoration. Â It is just inside Foster Park off the Old Mills Road entrance.
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History of the Lincoln Log Cabin Replica
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Another feature unique to Foster Park that was constructed in the early years of park improvements included the first replica of the log cabin in which President Abraham Lincoln was born. Initial planning for the building began in 1916, when the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company announced plans to fund the construction. (25)  That same year, the Park Board hired an architectural firm from Louisville to prepare the building plans and construction specifications. Construction was completed in 1917, and the cabin quickly became a popular attraction. The Park Board felt that not only was the cabin of “the greatest interest to all visitors at the park, both old and young,” but that it also taught a valuable lesson of patriotism. (26)  In 1920, the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company wanted to enhance the setting of the cabin within Foster Park and donated a twelve-foot cedar tree (Juniperus species) that was planted nearby. The cabin measured 17 feet by 13 feet and had a single door, measuring five feet, eight inches tall. As documented in historical images, a small plaque was also erected next to the cabin. (See Figure II.10.) The interior of the cabin was decorated with period furniture and artifacts obtained from areas near Lincoln’s birthplace, donated by a local doctor. (27)  While the cabin was constructed from 1916-1917, an official dedication ceremony was held on August 22, 1920. (28)  The ceremony drew a considerable crowd from the community, further increasing awareness of the park. Originally, the log cabin was erected within the woodland; however, in 1936, it was moved to site near the park entrance to make it more accessible to the public. The period furnishings were also removed from the cabin at this time due to vandalism. (29)  For the next 70 years, the Lincoln log cabin remained untouched within the park landscape until it was renovated in 2006. The Lincoln Financial Group donated $5,000 of the $11,065 cost to replace the roof with waterproof shake shingles, replace deteriorated logs and chinking, add a support beam for the extra weight of the roof, and coat the interior and exterior with waterproof and bug-proof materials. (30)
– Source:Â Foster Park CLR final report; page II.6
Related websites:
AFW Photos
US Mint Press Release
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