American Chestnut Trees to be Restored

Date: August 23, 2007
Contact: Sandy Brue, 270-358-3137

To honor the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth and to provide a living legacy of the bicentennial celebration, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site will plant several large American chestnut trees on site, November 2, 2007. This free event, open to the public, will begin about 10 a.m.

Families in rural America, including the Lincoln family, once depended heavily upon the American chestnut for food and shelter. These trees grew straight and tall and were rot-resistant, making the wood desirable for building everything from log cabin homes to split-rail fences. The small nuts were sweet and fed entire families as well as many species of wildlife.

Visitors to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site have the opportunity to view five structures directly adjacent to the site built with American chestnut logs. The Nancy Lincoln Inn and four small cabins were constructed from large chestnut logs and red-heart pine. Built by James R. Howell between 1928 and 1929, these buildings, open to the public, are still owned and managed by the Howell family.

This project is a joint venture made possible by donations from the Kentucky Association of Professional Surveyors and The American Chestnut Foundation. Participants are invited to a reception following the planting.

For additional information about this event call Sandy Brue, Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHS [phone] or www.nps.gov/abli. For additional information about the American chestnut restoration, call Meghan Jordan [phone] or www.acf.org. For information about the Kentucky Association of Professional Surveyors call Jim Riney [phone] or visit www.kaps1.com.