A suite of bedroom furniture once used by Abraham Lincoln during a Pittsburgh stopover while on the way to his 1861 inauguration will be moved to where it can do the people of Western Pennsylvania some good -- on display at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center.

In a 9-4 vote Tuesday, Allegheny County Council agreed to transfer ownership of the furniture from Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum and Memorial to the history center in the Strip District.

It was not a vote without controversy. Councilman Matt Drozd, R-Ross, argued that because the bedroom set had been donated to the county four-score-and-who-knows-when, it should always remain in county ownership. "I feel that this is taking gifts away from the people of Allegheny County," he said, as if the furniture were about to be shipped off to, well, Cleveland.

Fortunately, Mr. Lincoln's bed is going no farther than Western Pennsylvania's premier museum devoted to regional history. It will be prominently displayed and maintained by a staff trained to preserve such artifacts.

In the end, more than just Pittsburghers will appreciate the display of the furniture used by Abraham Lincoln. The man who became arguably our greatest president slept here, and the proof will be plain to see.