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What are Lincoln Logs®?

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Although there are many toys that encourage children to explore and grow by building-blocks, Legos®, and K’NEX®, for example — Lincoln Logs® have the distinction of having been designed by an architect as well as a toy designer, John Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. After the abrupt end of his apprenticeship to his father, John Wright turned to toy design, focusing first on blocks for construction and birds cut out with a jigsaw. After that came Lincoln Logs®.

Wright said that the shape of thelogs reflected an earthquake-proofing element that his father had introduced into the structure of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, which was designed and built from 1907 to 1915. The Lincoln Logs®, designed in 1916, were patented by Wright’s business, J. L. Wright Company, on 31 August, 1920, and the name was trademarked in 1923.

Lincoln Logs® were patented by John L. Wright in 1920.
Lincoln Logs® were patented by John L. Wright in 1920.

The original sets were made entirely of wood, and doors and windows were formed by the absence of logs, rather than by attaching parts to represent those elements. Because they are made to interlock, Lincoln Logs® offer additional skill coordination practice for children over and above that of building blocks. With the addition of special pieces, including doors and windows, and accessories, such as people and wheels, the possibilities for imaginative play have been further expanded.

John Wright said the shape of Lincoln Logs were inspired by the structure of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.
John Wright said the shape of Lincoln Logs were inspired by the structure of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

In 2003, in connection with the Centennial Celebration of the Toy Industry Association, a list of the hundred best-loved and most creative toys of the twentieth century was released. The toys are not ranked, but are listed in order of the year they were introduced. And there, between the Raggedy Ann doll introduced in 1915 and the Radio Flyer Wagon® introduced in 1917, are the Lincoln Logs®.

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to Sports&Hobbies about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

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Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to Sports&Hobbies about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

apolo72

Didn't they start making lincoln logs out of plastic too? I prefer the real wood lincoln logs over those lame plastic ones!

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    • Lincoln Logs® were patented by John L. Wright in 1920.
      By: Mike Mozart
      Lincoln Logs® were patented by John L. Wright in 1920.
    • John Wright said the shape of Lincoln Logs were inspired by the structure of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.
      By: scion_cho
      John Wright said the shape of Lincoln Logs were inspired by the structure of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.