Boardman-Smith Funeral Home

Boardman-Smith Funeral Home, located at 800 South Grand Avenue West in Springfield, Illinois, stands as the oldest continuously operating funeral home in the area, with a storied history dating back to 1848. Originally founded as the Hutchinson Undertaking Company, the business was purchased shortly after the Civil War by Thomas C. Smith, an employee who renamed it Thomas C. Smith & Sons. Through two generations of the Smith family, the funeral home passed to stepsons Julian and Robert Boardman, who changed its name to Boardman-Smith Funeral Chapel. The firm moved to its current landmark location in 1958 and has since become part of the Butler family of organizations in 2015, which joined the Dignity Memorial network in 2023.

Boardman-Smith Funeral Home is renowned for its deep historical connections to President Abraham Lincoln and his family. Thomas C. Smith assisted in the preparation, movement, and burial of President Lincoln in 1865, and the funeral home has served the Lincoln family on multiple occasions, including Mary Todd Lincoln's funeral in 1882 and the disinterment of family members for tomb reconstruction in 1930. Today, the funeral home proudly displays an authentic replica of Lincoln's coffin, one of only five in the United States, along with Mary Todd Lincoln's original funeral arrangements, allowing visitors to connect with this remarkable piece of American history.

The funeral home offers a comprehensive range of services to meet the diverse needs of the Sangamon County community. These include traditional funeral services, cremation with various options (direct cremation, cremation with visitation, or cremation followed by a celebration of life), and green burials. Boardman-Smith is affiliated with the Butler Funeral Homes and Cremation Tribute Center group, which operates a state-of-the-art crematory that ensures custody of care and allows families to be present for the cremation process if they wish. The funeral home also provides specialized veterans' services, including honor guards, the playing of Taps, and participation in the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program. Additionally, a motorcycle hearse is available for those who wish to honor a loved one with a final ride.

Amenities at Boardman-Smith include a wheelchair-accessible entrance and parking lot, an onsite chapel, free parking, and prepayment plans to help families plan ahead and save on future costs. The funeral home works closely with Roselawn Memorial Park, a certified Green Burial Council cemetery, and offers grief support resources including a 24-hour compassion helpline and an extensive grief library. With a rating of 4.1 out of 5 from Google reviews and a dedicated team available 24/7, Boardman-Smith Funeral Home continues to provide compassionate, professional care to families celebrating and honoring the lives of their loved ones.