Near Hodgenville in Larue County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Boundary Oak
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Site
Photographed by Connor Olson, July 27, 2024
1. Boundary Oak Marker
The Boundary Oak was one of the most significant features of Sinking Spring Farm. Until its death in 1976, the great white oak remained the "last living link" to Abraham Lincoln. The tree, thought to be 25 to 30 years old at Lincoln's birth, was located less than 150 yards from the cabin where he was born.
Oak trees often served as boundary markers and survey* points for determining property lines because they could live well beyond 200 years. The tree served as a boundary marker in the original farm survey.
Captions:
Original diameter of the Boundary Oak
Thomas Lincoln, Abraham's father, paid $200 cash for the Sinking Spring Farm in 1808
Before its death in 1976 and its removal in 1986, the Boundary Oak reached six feet in diameter and 90 feet high with a crown spread of 115 feet.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Horticulture & Forestry. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1808.
Location. 37° 31.823′ N, 85° 44.284′ W. Marker is near Hodgenville,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Sinking Spring (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named The Sinking Spring (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Memorial Building (about 300 feet away); An Enduring Symbol (about 300 feet away); An Idyllic Frontier Scene (about 300 feet away); Nancy Lincoln Inn (about 500 feet away); Abraham Lincoln Birthplace (about 700 feet away); Grave of Frontiersman / South Fork Baptist Church (approx. 1.9 miles away).
Photographed by Connor Olson, July 27, 2024
2. Site of Boundary Oak
Another marker is no longer nearby. The Boundary Oak (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Also see . . .
1. Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Site (National Park Service). (Submitted on October 11, 2025, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
2. Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park on Wikipedia. (Submitted on October 11, 2025, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 29, 2025
3. Boundary Oak Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2024, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 299 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 28, 2024, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. 3. submitted on October 11, 2025, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
