Decatur House

Decatur House
North side of Decatur House as restored 2006–2008.
Decatur House is located in Central Washington, D.C.
Decatur House
Decatur House is located in the District of Columbia
Decatur House
Decatur House is located in the United States
Decatur House
Location748 Jackson Pl., NW.
Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°54′0.2″N 77°2′17.4″W / 38.900056°N 77.038167°W / 38.900056; -77.038167
Area< 1-acre (0.40 ha)
Built1818
ArchitectBenjamin Henry Latrobe
Architectural styleFederal
Part ofLafayette Square Historic District (ID70000833)
NRHP reference No.66000858
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966[1]
Designated NHLDecember 19, 1960[2]
Designated NHLDCPAugust 29, 1970

Decatur House is a historic house museum at 748 Jackson Place in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It is named after its first owner and occupant, the naval officer Stephen Decatur Jr.[2] Built in 1818, the house is located at the northwest corner of Lafayette Square, about a block from the White House.

In 1836, new owners built an outbuilding on the property at the back which was in part used for slave quarters. Until the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, weekly auctions of enslaved black persons were held in the house's backyard, now a wedding venue.[3][4][5] The building currently houses a museum, as well as the National Center for White House History, operated by the White House Historical Association.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ a b "Decatur House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  3. ^ Bishop, Jim (2013-10-22). The Day Lincoln Was Shot. Harper Collins. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-06-137487-6.
  4. ^ "Make History Your Story". WHHA (en-US). Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  5. ^ "Triumph and Tragedy at Decatur House". 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2024-02-08.