Lincoln Heritage Scenic Highway
Historic Downtown Springfield, KY

Visit historic downtown Springfield, home to the 1816 Courthouse where Abraham Lincoln's parents' original marriage bond was found. This historic Courthouse is the oldest courthouse still in use west of the Allegheny Mountains. Among the records, which date from 1792, is the marriage certificate of Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, parents of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, as well as many other Lincoln family documents. Replicas of the marriage documents are on display. Lincoln searched in vain in 1858 for proof of his parents marriage and died thirteen years later never knowing the truth of his legitimacy. "In Sacred Union", the bronze sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, stands on the plaza of the Washington County Judicial Center looking toward the historic 1816 Courthouse. The Kentucky Arts Council, with funding from the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, awarded the City of Springfield money to commission the sculpture to commemorate the 200th birthday of our 16th President.