Strevell - Lincoln House Restoration Project

The Jason W. Strevell house, located on Livingston Street in Pontiac, is the last remaining home in Livingston County known to have hosted Abraham Lincoln. In 2008, the building, which had been divided up into apartments, was threatened with demolition. Several Pontiac families, aware of the historic significance of the building, bought the home to save it. In 2009, ownership of the home was transferred to the Livingston County Historical Society. Since then, the house has been evaluated by several experts in historic restoration, and a plan was formulated to return portions of the home to their pre-Civil War condition.

The restoration was complete in the spring of 2018. Starting May 2019, the house is now home to the new exhibit "Nine Days in April: The Lincoln Assassination and the Press." This exhibit features major newspapers and their headlines from the period immediately following Abraham Lincoln's assassination as well as newspapers contemporary to Lincoln's life. It offers fascinating insight to the culture of the time and the importance of print media.

The house is open to the public the third Saturday of the month May through October. Additionally, it has a meeting space available for local groups to rent. For more information, contact the Livingston County Historical Society.

Below are photos taken at various stages of the restoration process at the Strevell House.

You can support the restoration of the Strevell House by making a monetary gift, or by purchasing a memorial brick. The walkway leading up to the home's front door is made of four sizes of bricks that can be engraved with a dedication, a memorial, or a tribute to a person or group. For more information on the Memorial Brick Program or on making a tax-deductible gift in support of the Strevell House Restoration Project, contact Pontiac Tourism at (815) 844-5847, or download and print the Memorial Brick Order Form.