Lincoln, Abraham, Memorial Garden
Also known as: Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center
Why it's listed
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden occupies about 61 acres along the southeast side of Lake Springfield, roughly 11 miles from central Springfield, Illinois. The garden began in 1932 when the Springfield Civic Garden Club asked to create a woodland memorial to Lincoln on the new lake's shore. Landscape architect Jens Jensen designed it without charge and helped choose the site, a stretch of former farmland with varied terrain. His plan uses only plants native to the states where Lincoln lived, arranged along naturalistic trails with meadows, groves and lakeside plantings. Eight stratified limestone council rings, earthen bridges, granite entrance boulders, stone fountains and a split rail fence of white oak give the grounds a rustic character. Later additions include wooden benches, a Nature Center built in 1965 and a rebuilt Walgreen Bridge. The nomination describes the garden as Jensen's last major public work and as an example of his Prairie style design, which influenced later landscape architects and conservation thinking in the Midwest.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the garden as Jensen's last great public work, designed without fee and with near-total control over site selection and planting. It shows his Prairie style principles using native plants, stratified limestone council rings and naturalistic trails. It also reflects Jensen's influence on later landscape architects and the conservation movement.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 92001016, listed August 12, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2301 E. Lake Dr., Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Sangamon County |
| Listed | August 12, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001016 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Jens Jensen (landscape architect) |
| Architectural style | Prairie School or Landscape Architecture |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Largely as originally laid out by Jensen; remains a garden and conservation area with a Nature Center and trails in current use. |
| Acreage | 61 |
| Coordinates | 39.70666, -89.59986 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 92001016.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q610145
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.