President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home
- Year
- 2000
- City
- Washington, DC
President Lincoln's Cottage stands on the grounds of the Soldiers' Home, now the Armed Forces Retirement Home, near Petworth. Built in 1842-43 as the country home of George Washington Riggs, founder of Riggs National Bank, it became a seasonal retreat for Abraham Lincoln and his family from June to November each year from 1862 through 1864, escaping the summer heat and political pressure of downtown Washington as President Buchanan had before him. Lincoln drafted the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation there during his first summer in residence, and the cottage later served as the Summer White House for Presidents Hayes and Arthur. In 2000 the site was designated the President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home National Monument.
the building
Where the Proclamation began. During his first summer at the cottage in 1862, Lincoln drafted the preliminary version of the Emancipation Proclamation, working from the retreat he used to escape the pressures of the wartime capital.
the style
Built in 1842-43 in the Gothic Revival style as the country home of banker George Washington Riggs, before it became the presidential retreat where Lincoln, Hayes, and Arthur each sought escape from Washington during summer months.
significance
Designated the President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home National Monument in 2000, and separately recognized as a National Historic Landmark and individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
nearby
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church
- Park View School
- Petworth Neighborhood Library
- Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
- Blanche Kelso Bruce Elementary School
- Newton Theater