New Fort Wayne home planned for extensive Lincoln collection

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A planned project will move several thousand letters, documents and photographs related to Abraham Lincoln to a prominent location in Fort Wayne’s main library.

The collection was once part of the city’s Lincoln Museum that was closed in 2008 by the Lincoln Financial Foundation. The documents were then moved to the basement of the downtown Allen County Public Library, while busts, artwork and personal items went to the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis.

The family of former Lincoln Financial CEO Ian Rolland is donating $1 million toward creating the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research on the library’s main floor. Organizers hope a fundraising campaign will collect $5 million.

Library director Greta Southard says the new centre is aimed at increasing attention for the collection among students and researchers.