A 19th century dining experience as honest as Abe himself
The Lincoln Room reflects Dawn Manor’s connection to President Abraham Lincoln, a close friend of the mansion’s original builder, Captain Vanderpoel. Rich with character, the room pays tribute to their friendship and to a pivotal time in American history.
As the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln is most known for leading the country through the Civil War and signing the Emancipation Proclamation. He served as president from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.
Abraham Lincoln and Dawn Manor
Abraham Lincoln was a friend of Dawn Manor’s original owner and builder, Abraham Vanderpoel. Vanderpoel himself was very involved in politics. He was a signer of the Wisconsin Constitution and a member of the Wisconsin Assembly in 1850. Some area historians believe that Lincoln had actually visited Dawn Manor at one point. Although unconfirmed, Lincoln is reported to have been in Wisconsin in the 1850’s, including speaking at the 1859 State Fair in Milwaukee.
When the Civil War started in 1861, Vanderpoel answered President Lincoln’s call for troops and formed a regiment in Wisconsin Dells that went on to fight at Vicksburg and participate in Sherman’s march. Vanderpoel fought in the Civil War until he resigned from the army due to illness in 1862.
This is not the first Lincoln Room in Dawn Manor. After purchasing Dawn Manor in 1946, Helen Raab began restoring it and, inspired by the stories from around the area of Lincoln’s connection to the manor, she created a Lincoln Room on the second floor. The room included two portraits of Lincoln – one of younger Lincoln and one of older President Lincoln – painted by her husband, George Raab, and copies of some of Lincoln’s papers.
These George Raab originals of the Lincoln family parlor and of the 16th president were done to honor the friendship that original builder and owner of Dawn Manor, Abraham Vanderpoel had with Abraham Lincoln. The portraits hung in the Lincoln Room of the old mansion that Helen Raab created to recognize the assumed connection between Vanderpoel and Lincoln.
