In early 2000, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency began planning for the construction of a new presidential library and museum complex to commemorate the life of Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s sixteenth president, and one of Springfield’s favorite citizens.  The site for the proposed Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum complex was a three-block area located in Springfield’s downtown commercial district within sight of the Old State Capitol (Blocks 1, 2, and 12 of the Original Town Plat, City of Springfield).  In compliance with both Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and Section 707 of the Illinois State Agency Historic Resources Preservation Act, it was the responsibility of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency to assess the impact of the proposed construction activity associated with the Lincoln Presidential Library on the historic resources within the proposed project area.  As the project area was located within an urban environment—and completely encapsulated by the built environment (buildings and pavements), a traditional Phase I archaeological survey was not possible.  In an effort to assess the proposed construction activity on the potential below-ground subsurface resources within the project area, the IHPA contracted with Fever River Research to conduct a literature search to identify potential archaeological resources that might be expected within the project area.  This report, which summarizes the results of the literature search, also presented an historical context for the early settlement of Springfield as well as a predictive model for potential archaeological sites within the three-block project area.  Subsurface archaeological investigations (consisting of a hybrid Phase I survey and Phase II testing strategy) were recommended for each of the three individual blocks within the greater project area.