Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices

The Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices at 209 South Sixth Street occupy the third floor of a brick commercial building directly across from the Old State Capitol. Lincoln's law practice was the foundation of his financial stability and his reputation in Springfield, and the office has been restored to its 1840s–1850s appearance with period legal books, documents, and furniture.

Guided tours begin in the federal courtrooms on the floors below, which have also been restored and contain displays on 19th-century legal practice. The building is a relatively quick visit — about 45 minutes — but it adds essential context to the Lincoln story for anyone who wants to understand his life before the White House. The site is operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency; entry is free.

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A story
Lincoln and his law partner William Herndon shared a third-floor office in this building from 1843 to 1852, one of Lincoln's most productive periods as a lawyer. Herndon was the opposite of his partner in almost every way — talkative, theorising, alcoholic — but the partnership worked. After Lincoln's death, Herndon spent the rest of his life interviewing people who had known Lincoln and gathering their recollections, ultimately writing a biography that many historians consider the most important primary source on Lincoln's pre-presidential life, despite its controversial portrayal of Mary Todd.