President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home National Monument
| President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home National Monument | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
  |
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| Location | Washington, D.C., USA |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 2.3 acres (9,300 m²) |
| Established | July 7, 2000 |
| Governing body | Armed Forces Retirement Home |
President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home National Monument preserves historic structures of the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home (now part of the Armed Forces Retirement Home), located in the Petworth and Park View neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. The Home was founded in 1851 for veterans of the Mexican-American War. It sits adjacent to two historic cemeteries, Rock Creek Cemetery and United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery (the forerunner of Arlington National Cemetery).
President Abraham Lincoln and family resided seasonally on the grounds of the Home to escape the heat and political pressure of Washington, as did President James Buchanan before him. The historic Lincoln Cottage, built in the Gothic revival style, was constructed from 1842 to 1843 as the home of George Washington Riggs, who went on to establish the Riggs National Bank in Washington, D.C. Lincoln lived in the cottage June to November 1862 through 1864. Lincoln wrote the second draft of the Emancipation Proclamation here. Mary Todd Lincoln fondly recalled the campus; in 1865, she wrote, "How dearly I loved the Soldiers' Home."
The Soldiers' and Airmen's Home stood on 251 acres atop the third highest point in Washington. The Home was designated a
National Historic Landmark on November 7,
1973, and listed on the National Register of
Historic Places on February 11, 1974. In 2000 the
cottage was named one of the 11 Most Endangered on the National Trust's
list. Then about 2.3 acres (9,300 m²) of the Home was proclaimed a
The Lincoln Cottage will open to the public on February 18, 2008, as a National Trust historic site. A reproduction of the Lincoln desk on which he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation was commissioned by the Trust for use in the Cottage at a cost of $21,999.99. The original drop-lid walnut paneled desk is in the White House in the Lincoln Bedroom. The desk is the only surviving piece of furniture, that is known to to have been placed in the White House and the Cottage, during the Lincoln era. It will be placed in the second floor Emancipation room.
The Lincoln cottage also served as the summer White House for Presidents Chester A. Arthur, Rutherford B. Hayes and James Buchanan. [1]
See also
References
- Preservation Vol 59, Number 1, Jan/Feb 2007, page 6
External links
- Official website: President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home National Monument
- Armed Forces Retirement Home: Washington, D.C.
- National Trust: President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home National Monument
- Presidential Proclamation 7329 of July 7, 2000
- National Historic Landmark information
- Aerial view of exterior restoration of Lincoln Cottage at the Soldiers' Home
- Letters from Mary Todd Lincoln
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