DIRECTOR’S LETTER
Dear Friends,
Tremendous changes are afoot at President Lincoln’s Cottage! We’re nearing completion of our new programming and exhibit space in two weeks; launching our Q&Abe podcast by the end of June; and preparing to unveil the Open Field Project, a new distance learning initiative, thanks to the generosity of our dear friends and supporters. Last month we capped off another successful Lincoln Ideas Forum and our annual Bourbon & Bluegrass event is coming up soon. We’ll also be marking the bicentennial of Walt Whitman’s birth with an event in May. Whitman wrote a lengthy essay called “I See the President” that offers an artistic perspective on Lincoln’s daily life, chronicling the daily scene that Whitman saw of President Lincoln commuting from the Cottage to the White House. More than a catalog of events, the essay attempts to understand the man, and determines that no contemporary technology could accurately capture his essence. “None of the artists or pictures has caught the deep, though subtle and indirect expression of this man’s face. There is something else there. One of the great portrait painters of two or three centuries ago is needed,” Whitman wrote. While we are not portrait masters, through our research and programming, we strive to paint a complete picture and reveal the truth about Lincoln, while working diligently to share the knowledge and inspiration we need to work toward improving our communities, our nation, and the world.
In closing, I give special thanks to our colleague, Jenny Phillips, who has been responsible for publishing this newsletter for nearly three years. This edition of the newsletter is her swan song at the Cottage. She’s moving on to a new opportunity in PR and we wish her the best!
Thank you for your support,
Lincoln Ideas Forum Recap
On April 12, 2019, President Lincoln’s Cottage hosted our fifth annual Lincoln Ideas Forum. The theme was voting rights, as we explored the historic contexts of citizenship, voting rights, and the Constitution, alongside the contemporary repercussions of debates over who gets elective franchise. Click here to read the speakers’ abstracts, think about key questions, and view photos of the event. And don’t forget to keep the conversation going with #LincolnIdeas.
New Spaces Available for Rent!
Last month we unveiled over 25,000 square feet of new historic spaces that are now available to rent. We’ve updated our website and packages to reflect the new spaces, perfect for a corporate retreat, private dinner, performance space, staff outing, photo shoot, and more. Inquire by emailing [email protected].
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Cottage Conversation: The Presidents
WHEN: May 23, 2019
Join us as Susan Swain from C-SPAN discusses the new book The Presidents, which is organized in the order of the results of C-SPAN’s 2017 Historians Survey on Presidential Leadership.
“Democratic Vistas:” Lincoln and Whitman Themed Tour
WHEN: May 25, 2019
TIME: 5 PM (tour length is 1.5 hours)
Admission: $30 per guest*
*Admission includes a glass of wine or beer
As part of the Walt Whitman 200 Festival, President Lincoln’s Cottage is hosting a unique Walt Whitman and Lincoln themed tour. For this one evening, President Lincoln’s Cottage staff will collaborate with author and historian Garrett Peck to provide historical content and poetry that bridge both Whitman and Lincoln’s time in Civil War Washington.
Memorial Day Program
WHEN: Memorial Day, May 27, 2019
Commemorate Memorial Day with guided tours of the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery. Visited by President Abraham Lincoln, the Soldiers’ Home National Cemetery is notable for being the first national cemetery (est. 1861) and for serving as the final resting place for John Logan, who formalized Memorial Day celebrations in 1868. Tours of the cemetery will highlight the history of the Soldiers’ Home Cemetery, notable people buried there, and the history of Memorial Day.
There will be a wreath laying ceremony at 10 am, followed by tour of the cemetery at 10:45 am and 12:30 pm. All activities are FREE, but we ask you reserve your spot in advance.
Cottage Conversation: DC Monument Man: The Life and Art of Daniel Chester French
WHEN: June 12, 2019**
Join us as Harold Holzer discusses his new book, DC Monument Man: The Life and Art of Daniel Chester French.
**Please note, this date has been changed! Originally in April, this Cottage Conversation has been moved to June 12 due to a scheduling conflict. Please note June 12 is a Wednesday evening.
Knob Creek Added to 2019 Bourbon & Bluegrass
We’re excited to announce that Knob Creek will be the exclusive bourbon sponsor for our Bourbon & Bluegrass fest, June 1 & 2, 2019. This year we’re offering more time, more bands, and more activities, including: beer tastings with 3 Stars Brewery, a beard grooming station brought to you by the Barbers of Hell’s Bottom, exterior preservation tours, lawn games, a variety of food vendors, a special VIP option to hang out in the Governor’s Mansion, and more!
Don’t miss out our most popular event of the year.
Tickets are on sale now!
Questions? Email: [email protected]
For more information on the event, click here.
Staff Spotlight: A Day in the Life of an MPA
As part of a series, and inspired by Harper’s Bazaar’s 24 Hours with [celebrity’s name], we’ve asked our Museum Program Associates (MPAs) to walk us through a typical day at President Lincoln’s Cottage — even if every day is unique. MPAs are the people visitors interact with the most. Greeting, leading tours, answering questions, and engaging with visitors all day long can be both inspiring and exhausting!
Whether it’s herding children wearing Lincoln hats, pitching memberships, moving chairs, or plugging events, we’ll walk you through each MPA’s day, where they are, what they’re doing in the morning, afternoon, and night!
First up is MPA Lydia Miller.
News and Awards
- Curbed D.C. listed the Cottage as “101 things to love about Washington, D.C.”
- Petworth News featured President Lincoln’s Cottage in its annual April Fools joke article, “President Lincoln’s Cottage to Convert to AirBnB”
- The DCist published a follow-up article on the Petworth News joke
- President Lincoln’s Cottage was mentioned in the Journal & Courier, a part of the USA Today network.
- The DC Line highlighted President Lincoln’s Cottage’s Brews & Qs event, where we collaborated with the Chicago Brewseum, Powers Farm & Brewery and Lost Lagers to create the beer “Cabin & Cottage.” This event, complete with beer and presidential trivia, was the official D.C. launch of a new beer, Cabin & Cottage.
SUPPORT PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S COTTAGE
Support our educational programs, preservation efforts and public events by making a contribution to President Lincoln’s Cottage. Donate online today.
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