Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois President Abraham Lincoln’s career as a lawyer and politician was discussed as scenes recorded July 17-19, 2008, were shown of two Lincoln sites in downtown Springfield, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield from age 28 until he left for Washington in 1861 as a 52-year-old president-elect. The restored Lincoln-Herndon law offices is where Lincoln honed his craft as a circuit-riding lawyer and launched his political campaigns. Just across the street is the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln first served as a state legislator, then later launched himself into the national spotlight with his House Divided speech in 1858, and then two years after that located his presidential transition offices there. Photographs were also shown. close