Nancy Lincoln Inn, historic building in LaRue County, Kentucky, United States
The Nancy Lincoln Inn is a hotel in Kentucky built in 1928 from unhewn chestnut and pine wood and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The single-story structure features five bays, a gabled roof, stone foundation, and limestone chimney, with four companion cabins nearby that were constructed at the same time to house guests.
The inn was built in 1928 to serve travelers arriving on newly paved roads who wanted to visit Lincoln's birthplace. James Howell operated it from opening until 1946, and his family has maintained the property continuously since, preserving its original character.
The inn is named after Nancy Lincoln, the mother of the future president, tying the place directly to local heritage. Visitors notice how the simple furnishings and handcrafted details reflect the traditions of early 20th-century hospitality in Kentucky.
The inn sits close to Abraham Lincoln's birthplace site and is easily accessible for visitors exploring local memorials. Guests should know that the cabin units lack indoor plumbing and use an outside bathhouse, a feature authentic to buildings of that era.
In 1934, the National Park Service viewed the property as visually intrusive and planted red cedar trees to block the view of the inn from the memorial cabin. This conscious effort to keep the structure hidden from visitors' sight lines shows how the place was intentionally downplayed to keep focus on Lincoln's birthsite.
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