Ford’s Theatre Collapsed in 1893 and Took 22 Lives With It
On June 9, 1893, the floors of Ford’s Theatre pancaked into the basement, killing 22 federal clerks 28 years after Lincoln was shot in the same building.
Abraham Lincoln
Boston Corbett: Lincoln’s Avenger in Washington
On May 17, 1865, Sergeant Boston Corbett took the stand at the Washington Arsenal and walked the military commission through the night he shot John Wilkes Booth in a Virginia barn. This is the DC chapter of his strange life.
The U.S. Capitol During the Civil War
A rare photograph captures the Capitol’s cast-iron dome still half-built during the early days of the Civil War, scaffolding climbing into the sky.
Mary Surratt Boarding House is Now a Chinese Restaurant
Mary Surratt’s boarding house at 604 H Street NW, where John Wilkes Booth plotted Lincoln’s assassination, is now the Wok and Roll.
The Old Naval Hospital on Capitol Hill
Lincoln signed off on a naval hospital in 1864. By the time it opened on Capitol Hill in 1866, the war it was built for was already over.
The Program for April 14, 1865 at Ford’s Theater – The Night President Lincoln Was Assassinated
Take a look at the program from April 14, 1865 at Ford’s Theater – the night President Lincoln was assassinated. You can see the characters, actors and the ticket prices for the show. Incredible to think of what that audience experienced that night.
Sketches of Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination
The Library of Congress has a large collection of graphic arts created over the course of two centuries. They depict famous locations and subjects. There are a large number dedicated to capturing the assassination and aftermath of President Lincoln. Below are an assortment, with descriptions. The text below this work says, “President Lincoln’s Last Reception, … Read more
Celebrating the 152nd Anniversary of the D.C. Emancipation Act
This week marks the 152nd anniversary of the D.C. Emancipation Act, which ended slavery in the District of Columbia and ultimately freed almost 3,000 slaves in Washington. Celebrate with a parade and other events, and read the transcript of the bill here.
Lincoln’s Second Inauguration, 1865: A Photograph from the Capitol Steps
This photograph captures Abraham Lincoln’s second inauguration on March 4th, 1865, just weeks before his assassination. The crowds stretch down Pennsylvania Avenue. The Capitol dome, completed just the year before, looms behind the platform.