It doesn't impress like George Washington's plantation on the Potomac, but Lincoln's home in downtown Springfield,Illinois, 36           （prove）irresistible to visitors since it opened  to the public.Beautifully restored（修复）to its 1860 appearance,the house was Abraham and Mary Lincoln's home for 17years.In 1844 they bought it  37     ＄1,200 and some land from Charles Dresser, who performed their 38    ( marry) ceremony in 1842.

When the house was built,it was much 39   （small）than it is today.Mary's niece wrote,"The little home 40    (paint)   white .It was sweet and fresh. Mary loved it. She was extremely  pretty, and her house was a reflection of 41    （she）,everything in good taste and inperfect order.

Although Mary loved flowers, 42    she nor her husband was known as a gardener.Along-time neighbor said they never planted trees and only kept a garden for one year. Mary's sister,Frances Todd Wallace,often came over 43         （plant）flowers in the front yard.

44      Lincolns enlarged the house to a full two stories in 1856 to meet the needs of their  growing  family. Three  of the four Lincoln sons were born here. After Lincoln was elected President of the US in 1861, they rented the house and  45        （sell）most of their furniture.