Abraham Lincoln quarterly. [Vol. 5, no. 3]

THE
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
QUARTERLY
VOL. V* SEPTEMBER, 1948 * NO. 3
Is the Lincoln Birthplace Cabin Authentic?
By Roy HAYS
THE authenticity of the purported Lincoln birthplace
cabin, now enshrined in the Memorial Building on
the Lincoln birthplace farm, just south of Hodgenville, Kentucky, has been questioned for many years. The
writer is a native of Louisville and remembers expressions of
doubt as to the genuineness of the cabin. Indeed, the National Park Service has never represented it to be other than
the "traditional" Lincoln cabin, and its i6-page booklet on
the A braham Lincoln National Historical Park declares:
""In the light of the inconclusive evidence available at the
present time [ 1941]1, it is impossible to make any definite and
accurate, statement concerning the origin of the alleged
Lincoln birthplace cabin now preserved in the Lincoln Memorial Building." Considering the facts available, this is a
remarkable understatement of the case.
The original Lincoln birthplace cabin was torn down
prior to 1840. Jacob S. Brother, who resided on the Lincoln
farm from 18,97 to 1840, made a statement that his father
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