Though he may have passed on long ago, former (and legendary) President Abraham Lincoln is going green. Or at least his vacation home is: President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, D.C.—which is actually a gothic revival mansion—was made a national monument in 2000 and when the National Trust for Historic Preservation began a multi-million dollar renovation to prepare the Beaux Arts Center beside the cottage to function as a visitor’s center, they not only restored it to its former glory, they also brought it into the 21st century with eco-friendly elements.

Where existing sections of the structure were no longer able to function, recycled and recyclable material was used. To reduce the need for electric lighting and up the energy efficiency, large restored windows were installed that would provide natural lighting during daylight hours. Low-flow plumbing will keep water use minimized and low VOC paints will help provide better indoor air quality.

These “greenovations”, in addition to the others undertaken by the National Trust, earned the Center certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), as well as LEED’s Gold rating, making the Visitor Education Center (VEC) at Lincoln Cottage the first National Trust Historic Site to receive LEED certification. The project would possibly have earned an even higher rating but was completed before the release of the LEED 2009 certification specifications, which gives even more points to existing and historic buildings completing green makeovers.

With older homes often being the least energy efficient, the VEC will hopefully serve as inspiration for both historical sites and privately-owned old homes across the country, demonstrating that they can be renovated in ways which make them more energy efficient but retain—and even add to—the vintage qualities.

If you own or rent an older home, use this as a reminder to check for ways your might be using more energy than necessary. Specifically, look into sealing any areas where you might be losing heat from your home; cracks and gaps near windows, doorways and floorboards let out air and can be a big culprit in higher energy costs.

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