The Gothic Revival style cottage, part of the Soliders' Home, served as Lincoln's residence from June to November 1862-1864. Think of it as a Civil War-era Camp David. The cottage was built by Washington banker George Riggs in 1842. The National Trust for Historic Preservation spent $15 million restoring the home, which opened to the public in 2008. The historic property is located on the campus of the current-day Armed Forces Retirement Home at the corner of Upshur St., N.W. and Rock Creek Church Rd., N.W. The tour of the cottage requires a ticket, and advanced purchase is recommended. I reserved our tickets on-line before going.
History of Lincoln's Cottage and the Soldiers' Home
The story of the Soldiers' Home dates to the antebellum era, when key military and political leaders pushed for the establishment of a residence for retired and disabled soldiers. Gen. Winfield Scott, who was general-in-chief of the Union Army at the start of the Civil War, exacted a tribute of $150,000 from Mexico during the Mexican War and set aside $100,000 of this money for a soldiers' home. Robert Anderson, future commander of the Federal garrison at Ft. Sumter, was also instrumental in the effort to provide for the nation's elderly and disabled soldiers. Senator Jefferson Davis, who later became President of the Confederacy, was the primary mover on Capitol Hill. He introduced legislation to create a "U.S. military asylum," which finally became law in March 1851.
North side of President Lincoln's Cottage. A statue of Lincoln and his horse is located to the left of the photograph. |
Wartime view of the south side of the cottage from Mary Todd Lincoln's personal photo album (courtesy of National Park Service). As Mrs. Lincoln told a friend in July 1862, "We are truly delighted with this retreat." |
Current view of the south side of the cottage |
Close-up view of the life-sized sculpture of Lincoln and his horse in front of the cottage's north side |
Historical marker in front of the Lincoln statue pictured above |
Lincoln took advantage of his time at the Soldiers' Home to reflect on the issues facing the nation, including the momentous policy of emancipation. Lincoln likely worked on revisions to the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at the cottage over the course of the summer of 1862. The President also held meetings at the cottage to discuss military affairs, including the removal of Gen. George B. McClellan from command. The President apparently visited the Soliders' Home for one last time on April 13, 1865, just one day before he was assassinated at Ford's Theatre.
Tour of Lincoln's Cottage
The Colonel and I started our tour of the cottage at the Visitor Education Center, which features four informative permanent exhibits covering the history of the Soldiers' Home, Lincoln as commander-in-chief, wartime Washington, and the Lincoln family at the Soldiers' Home. Not surprisingly, the display on Lincoln's presidency places a heavy emphasis on emancipation, and the exhibits do a thorough job of walking visitors through the entire story of emancipation, including such topics as contraband, the First and Second Confiscation Acts, and the 13th Amendment. This effort at public education goes beyond the simplistic "Lincoln freed the slaves" story that so many tourists likely learned in school.
After viewing a short audiovisual presentation at the Visitor Center, we headed to the cottage for our guided tour. The building contains 34 rooms, but we saw only a fraction of them during the hour-long tour. The National Trust has opted on a minimalist approach to furnishing, which leaves the visitor to reflect more on the spirit of the place than on historical trappings. The guide tied the cottage into the larger picture of Lincoln's life and presidency, including his beliefs on equality of opportunity and slavery. Once again, there was an emphasis on emancipation, and the guide even highlighted the role of U.S. Colored Troops in winning the war. The National Trust also supplemented the tour with multimedia technology. Unfortunately, on the day I was visiting, a glitch in a video projection distracted a bit from the flow of the tour, but overall the technology was well-integrated into the guide's narrative.
As we left the cottage, I felt that I had come away with a better understanding of the place that the Soldiers' Home occupied in Lincoln's presidency. The National Trust really has done the country a valuable service in preserving and interpreting this treasure for future generations. Visitors to our nation's capital, as well as local residents, should not miss the opportunity to check out this historic site.
Sources and Additional Information
President Lincoln's Cottage maintains a website with an excellent overview of the history of the Soldiers' Home and Lincoln's time there. Additional information, including hours of operation and directions, can also be found on the website. Tickets for the tour can be purchased here.
Parking is located on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, a welcome relief from the challenges of parking on DC city streets.
For additional information on Lincoln and the Soldiers' Home, check out these sources:
The Lincoln Institute, "Soldiers' Home," Mr. Lincoln's White House; National Park Service, "President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home," Discover our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary: American Presidents; National Park Service, "President Lincoln's Cottage: A Retreat," Teaching with Historic Places Lesson Plans; National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home.
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