The Rolland Center
For Lincoln Research
Welcome to the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research
The center is free and open 7 days a week
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Events & Programs
04/08/26
ON DISPLAY
Scandal In the Capital
Whispers in Wartime
In a city where rumors could destroy reputations overnight, scandal revealed how the Civil War touched every corner of Washington society. A new temporary exhibit shines light on four scandals that sparked heated gossip in our nation’s capital, the nerve-center of the war effort.
At the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research in the Allen County Public Library’s Main downtown location, this free exhibit is available April 8, 2026, through August 11, 2026. We invite visitors into the whisper network that rocked Washington, D.C., amidst our country’s greatest crisis.
12/20/25
ON DISPLAY
The Lincolns at Home
Take an intimate look at this historic first family, which through times of peace and times of war found comfort and companionship in one another. Journey through the family’s years in their hometown of Springfield, Illinois, to their time in the White House amidst the nation’s greatest crisis. Explore highlights from the Lincoln family’s own photo album, which contains more than 600 photographs and is held right here in the Rolland Center. The exhibit can be viewed during normal library hours from December 20, 2025, through the end of 2026; there is no cost to visit.
5/20/26
VIRTUAL PROGRAM
Linking Lincoln | Sons of Lincoln: Four Boys in a Tumultuous Era
Sons of Lincoln: Four Boys in a Tumultuous Era explores the lives of Abraham Lincoln’s four sons—Robert, Edward, William, and Thomas—from their early years in Springfield, Illinois, to their time in the White House and beyond. From the long and complex life of Robert to the shorter lives of Edward, William, and Thomas, their stories reveal a family shaped by both opportunity and loss.
Join us to discover how the four Lincoln sons experienced childhood, family, and legacy against the backdrop of a rapidly changing nation.
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NOW
ON DISPLAY
Lincoln Collection Items
The Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection and the Friends of the Lincoln Collection opened the Rolland Center for Lincoln Research in January of 2022. The Center provides a space to explore the Lincoln Collection through a variety of physical displays, digital kiosks, and even a projection room that shows collection items in 180 degrees.
Meeting Dates - 2025
(4th Thursday of each month* at 3:00pm)
Date | Location | Agenda |
|---|---|---|
* Meeting held on third Thursday of the month due to holiday.
Regular meetings will be held at the branch location indicated and livestreamed on the ACPL youtube page.
The Rolland Center Virtual Tour
Rolland Center Showcase
Winkler, H. Donald, 1932-
Stealing secrets : how a few daring women deceived generals, impacted battles, and altered the course of the Civil War
The New York Times disunion : modern historians revisit and reconsider the Civil War from Lincoln's election to the Emancipation Proclamation
Robertson, James I., Jr. (James Irvin), 1930-2019
Soldiers Blue and Gray
Foner, Eric
The fiery trial : Abraham Lincoln and American slavery
Egerton, Douglas R