By Erin Carlson Mast, Morgan Little, and Jasper Collier
This is the 100th entry on the President Lincoln’s Cottage blog! In celebration, the next 10 posts will feature lists of 10 notes for a total of 100 things to know about President Lincoln’s Cottage.
Upcoming lists will focus on architecture, the visitor experience, the Lincoln Family, famous visitors, folklore, and nearby attractions. Please feel free to share your ideas for other lists!
10 Basic Facts about President Lincoln’s Cottage
1. Abraham Lincoln lived at the Soldiers’ Home for a full 1/4 of his presidency with his wife Mary and youngest son Tad.
2. President Lincoln commuted daily from the Soldiers’ Home to various points in the city center while living at the Home.
3. Lincoln is 1 of 4 U.S. presidents who lived at the Soldiers’ Home while in office (Buchanan, Hayes, and Arthur are the other 3).
4. President Lincoln’s Cottage is a National Monument (designated in 2000) and National Historic Landmark (designated in 1973), yet is not run by the National Park Service or other federal agency.
5. President Lincoln’s Cottage is run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private, non-profit, membership organization, by agreement with the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
6. The Cottage is on the 272 acre campus of the Armed Forces Retirement Home (formerly “Soldiers’ Home”), an independent federal agency that is home to approximately 1200 veterans here in Washington, D.C.
7. The Lincolns did not own the Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home, they were invited to reside there seasonally by the Soldiers’ Home Board of Commissioners.
8. President Lincoln’s Cottage rests on the 3rd highest area in Washington, D.C. , which gave it strategic importance during the Civil War.
9. Lincoln first visited the Soldiers’ Home shortly after his inauguration and rode out here the day before his assassination, therefore his connection to the Soldiers’ Home bookends his presidency.
10. President Lincoln’s Cottage opened to the public for the first time on President’s Day, 2008.
Ms. Mast is the Curator at President Lincoln’s Cottage. Ms. Little and Mr. Collier are 2008 Summer Interns at President Lincoln’s Cottage.
Categories:Archive, Visitor Tips
Tags:Abraham Lincoln, President Lincoln's Cottage
