A replica of the coffin in which President Abraham Lincoln is buried was on display at Ellsworth Funeral Home August 24, 2012, during their Open House celebrating 100 Years of Service.
It is one of five replicas made 10 years ago by the Batesville Casket Company of Indiana. The coffin was built on the only known surviving 1865 photograph of the one in which President Lincoln is shown lying in state.
Four of the five coffin replicas travel the nation for display at funeral homes and the fifth remains as part of the permanent collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois.
President Lincoln’s coffin was the most elaborate of that time. His coffin was constructed of solid walnut, lined with lead and completely covered in expensive black cloth. It was 6 feet, 6 inches long and was decorated with sterling silver handles and sterling silver studs extending the entire length of its sides. Though the coffin appears austere compared to modern caskets, the original was custom made for the president and featured a removable two-part top and a lead lining. The replica does not contain lead. The distinction between a coffin and a casket is that a coffin has six sides (diamond shaped) and a casket has four sides.