Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin on the Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville, in what was then Hardin County (now LaRue County), Kentucky.

Quick Scoop: Lincoln’s Birthplace

  • Place: Sinking Spring Farm, near Hodgenville, Kentucky.
  • County at the time: Hardin County (the area is now LaRue County).
  • Setting: A small frontier log cabin, reflecting his humble beginnings.
  • Date of birth: February 12, 1809.

A Bit of Context

Soon after his birth, Lincoln’s family left Sinking Spring Farm due to land title problems and moved a short distance to Knob Creek Farm, also in Kentucky, where he spent several early childhood years. Later, when he was seven, they moved to Indiana, where he grew up on the edge of the American frontier and had very limited formal schooling.

Today’s Historic Site

The location of Sinking Spring Farm is preserved as the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in LaRue County, Kentucky, which maintains memorials and reconstructed structures to mark the site. Visitors can see the symbolic birth cabin and learn about Lincoln’s early life and family background there.

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