Thursday January 29, 2009
Lincoln Legacy and Legend
Presidenti Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth President, led our country through the Civil War, only to be assassinated less than a week after the war ended, making him our first President to be assassinated. He was elected President in 1860 and re-elected in 1864. The Lincoln Memorial serves as a lasting monument to his character and strength. Listed below are a number of sites in Washington, DC, that are associated with Lincoln's presidency and assassination.
| Ford's Theatre/Petersen House (202) 426-6924 511 10th Street, NW (between E and F Streets), Washington, DC Ford's Theatre and museum: Closed for renovation until February 2009 |
|
|
The site of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April of 1865 has been open to the public since 1968. The building itself has a colorful history, having started as a Baptist church. After Lincoln’s assassination, the theatre was closed, but served intermittently as a museum, office space and storage facility. A restoration effort started in 1954 brought the theatre back, and theatrical events still performed on its stage. At the museum located in the theatre, you will find artifacts related to the assassination, including the gun and knife used by John Wilkes Booth in the attack. The Petersen House, where the mortally-wounded Lincoln was taken after the attack and later died, is located directly across the street from the Theatre. |
Garrett Farm Home Site Median strip on Virginina Highway 301, south of Port Royal |
|
 |
On April 26, 1865, it was on the porch of the Garrett farm house that John Wilkes Booth died, after being shot in the neck while hiding out in the nearby barn. The home and barn are no longer standing, having been abandoned many years ago. And the site of the farm is now located between the northbound and southbound lanes of Virginia Highway 301. A small sign on the northbound side alerts passing motorists of the glimpse of where one of the most famous assassins in history met his end, just twelve days after killing one of the most important U.S. Presidents. |
Lincoln Memorial West End, National Mall, Washington, DC |
|
 |
A solemn remembrance of the legacy of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, this is a must for Civil War buffs. It is located at the west end of the National Mall, and resembles a Greek Doric temple. Its 36 columns represent the states of the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. It has been the site of many historic gatherings and speeches, including 1963's "I Have A Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An exhibit in the basement of the memorial highlights civil rights efforts. |
Lincoln's Cottage 140 Rock Creek Church Rd, NW, Soldier’s Home Grounds, Washington, DC November 1-March 31: 10am-3pm Monday-Saturday; 12-3pm Sunday April 1-October 31: 10am-4pm Monday-Saturday; 12-4pm Sunday Closed January 1, Thanksgiving, December 25Admission charged; advance purchase strongly recommended |
|
 |
This cottage, opened to the public in 2008, gives an intimate, never-before-seen view of Abraham Lincoln, who spent most of the summers during his presidency in this cottage, commuting to the White House daily by horseback or carriage. The cottage, formerly known as "Anderson Cottage and located on the grounds of the Soldier's Home, was designated a National Monument in 2000, and opened for public tours in February 2008 after a seven-year, $15 million restoration project. |
Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House (301) 645-6870 14940 Hoffman Road, Waldorf, MD 20601-4359 April-November: 11am-4pm, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays Admission charged |
|
 |
The home of Dr. Mudd was the second stop on John Wilkes Booth's escape from Washington, DC, after he assassinated President Lincoln. It was here that Mudd set Booth's broken leg and provided a bed for the night. The home, built in 1857, was home to several generations of the Mudd family, and was occupied by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Dr. Mudd until the mid-1970s. Many of the furnishings are antiques that once belonged to Mrs. Mudd. |
Surratt House and Tavern (301) 868-1121 9118 Brandywine Road, Clinton, MD 11am-3pm Thursdays, Fridays; 12-4pm Saturdays, Sundays; closed federal holidays Admission charged |
|
 |
In the fall of 1864, the Surratt family become part of a kidnap plot by John Wilkes Booth. However, Booth ultimately assassinated President Lincoln on April 14, 1865. Booth stopped at the Surratt Tavern in Maryland on his escape from Washington, DC, to retrieve weapons and supplies that had been hidden there by Mary Surratt. She was ultimately tried and convicted by a federal military court and became the first woman to be executed by the federal government. Today the home and tavern are open as a museum that recaptures the mid-19th century life there and focuses on its involvement in the assassination conspiracy. |
