Lincoln's Tomb gets eco-friendly upgrade

SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Capital Development Board says the grass won't be the only thing “green at the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site in the near future.

The board has awarded a contract to install a geothermal heating and cooling system at the site in Springfield's Oak Ridge Cemetery creating an energy-efficient replacement for the existing heating and cooling system, which was last upgraded in the early 1990s.

CDB Executive Director Jim Reimer said Friday the Illinois Jobs Now project should start by the end of October and be complete by late spring of next year.

The geothermal system will take advantage of the constant year-round underground temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit to heat the tomb site in winter and cool it during the summer.