Lincoln's Washington
Abraham Lincoln's legacy is alive and well in the nation's capital. Join James Schwartz, the editor of Preservation magazine, for a fascinating tour of the sites Lincoln knew well - from the restored Victorian cottage where he retreated with his family each summer, to the immaculately-preserved art gallery he saw from the windows of the White House. Then check out a slideshow and the story, "In Search of Lincoln's Washington," in the current issue of Preservation.
Stop One: U.S. Capitol Building
The U.S. Capitol is a building Lincoln knew very well, both as a congressman and later as president. When he first arrived in Washington in 1861, the building did not look like it does today because the dome was not completed.
Stop Two: The Washington Monument
Construction of the Washington Monument began while Lincoln was still a congressman from Illinois, but it was halted due to a lack of funds. During his presidency, Lincoln would have only seen a stub of what the monument is today. Looking closely at the color of the stone, one can see a line about one third of the way up where the construction was halted.
Stop Three: The Winder Building
The Winder Building is an office building in downtown Washington, D.C. The building is considered one of the District's first skyscrapers. It was used as an executive administration office, and during the Civil War it was the headquarters of the U.S. Quartermaster.
Stop Four: The Renwick Gallery
Now part of the Smithsonian Institution, the Renwick Gallery was used to house Union Army uniforms and records during Lincoln's presidency. Designed by James Renwick, whose work also includes the Smithsonian Castle and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, it originally housed the artwork of William Corcoran.
Stop Five: The White House
No visit to our nation's capital would be complete without a stop at the White House. While the White House was clearly Lincoln's most famous residence, it is only one of two buildings that the he called home while living in Washington.
Stop Six: President Lincoln's Cottage
President Lincoln's Cottage is located on the United States Soldiers and Airmens Home about twenty minutes north of the White House. Lincoln and his family spent their summers here to remove themselves from the heat of the city. With its rolling hills and pastoral setting, the cottage and its surrounding grounds offered the president a retreat from the pressures of his job and the ongoing Civil War.
Stop Seven: Ford Theatre
The final stop of our tour brings us to Ford's Theatre in downtown D.C. Lincoln enjoyed the theatre and the relief it provided him from the stress of leading a nation at a time of war. It was here at Ford's Theatre that the president was shot by the actor and disgruntled Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865.
Comments
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Submitted by Ed Milan at: April 28, 2011
Great tour of Lincoln's haunts and the host was wonderful. How about a tour of the inside of some of these places as a follow-up. Thank you for sharing this tour with us.
Submitted by UWYO Student at: February 25, 2009
This was a great tour, with excellent information and a great host, but I was frustrated by the poor audio production quality.
Submitted by Dana & Dorothy at: February 8, 2009
Thanks for the great quick tour. Loved the personal touch from the Editor. Just finished a 2 week tour of Washington D.C. and surrounds in October 2008. You shared facts and places we had missed. We'll be coming back for more
Submitted by Chris at: January 11, 2009
Nice tour. I enjoyed Lincoln's Cottage tour recently and also enjoyed the visitor center and the new statue of Lincoln which is beautiful.
Submitted by Charlie at: January 11, 2009
Nice job! Thank you for taking the time to better familiarize ourselves with DC...it is appreciated!
Submitted by walkertomm at: January 10, 2009
Why so static? Move the camera around a little bit to give more dimension to the scene!
Submitted by whs1112 at: January 10, 2009
I found the tour to be most interesting. Thank you for keeping history alive. My one comment would be if you do something similar again the filming should be done in the early morning hours. The street noises were very distracting.
Submitted by Ann at: January 10, 2009
That tour was wonderful, I learned alot about washington, I've only been there once for a brief time, Now I would love to come back to visit these site.. Thank you so much for your time and effort in our historical site. I now work at a building that is 100 years old this year We are trying to get our location as a historical site. I will be going to your web site to learn more on how to do this THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Submitted by Linda J at: January 9, 2009
Wow! Thanks so much for the great tour! Now I am more anxious than ever to come back to D.C. and visit the newly renovated Lincoln's Cottage and Ford's Theatre. Thank you for all your efforts on behalf of our nation's historical treasures.
Submitted by Barb at: January 9, 2009
Thank you! My daughter was born on 2/12 and the celebration of Lincoln's inauguration on 1/18 is my son's birthdate. We will be celebrating Pres. Lincoln and Pres. Obama.