First Resting Place of Abraham Lincoln

First Resting Place of Abraham Lincoln. . Abraham Lincoln was laid to rest here, in Oak Ridge Cemetery's public vault, during services held May 4, 1865. Government officials, members of the military, foreign diplomats, and private citizens gathered to witness the ceremony., Over the following months visitors in the thousands came to pay their respects. A New Yorker found that the "stone doors of the sepulchre were open, and the sentry permitted people in small parties to approach the iron grating and view the coffin within. It was draped in black, and festooned with garlands of flowers and evergreen shrubs. . . . Sadness pressed heavily upon me at the scene.", The president's casket, along with that of his son William, who had died at the White House in 1862, remained here until December 1865. They then were moved to a newly-built temporary tomb, located about midway up the ridge., Built in 1864, this receiving tomb, like those found in many American cemeteries, served "those who in their bereavement are not immediately prepared to site a Lot for the final resting place, also those who are awaiting the arrival of friends." Oak Ridge remodeled and enlarged the vault in 1891.