Case-E

Following his assassination in 1865, Abraham Lincoln’s home at Eighth and Jackson became a popular site and shrine for mourners, rallies, tourists, and gatherings. In 1887 Robert Lincoln sold his family home to the State of Illinois for one dollar on the condition that it be maintained and free to the public. Custodians of the home offer an interesting history.  Lincoln’s mentor and first law partner John Stuart’s great granddaughter moved into the home in 1924.  Virginia Stuart Brown, a native of Springfield, returned from Chicago when Illinois’s Department of Public Works selected her as custodian.  Brown brought family antiques, furniture, and other relics associated with Abraham Lincoln to the home.  The jewelry of her Aunt Virginia Lockwood Stuart and her grandmother Mary Williams Dement were some of those antiques.  The sterling silver belt buckle and purse clasp were manufactured by William B. Kerr & Co., a 19th century jewelry designer.  The brooch, bracelet, and earring were made of human hair, a practice which flourished in the Victorian era to honor loved ones.

Lincoln’s First Law Partner’s Legacy Lives On

Gifted by Virginia Stuart Brown

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