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L Verge · 05-05-2013, 11:35 AM

Kate,

The renovations at Ford's several years ago included cleaning up and totally changing Baptist Alley. It looks nothing like the wonderful old, cobblestoned alley that existed until then. Concrete now covers everything. The charm is gone, but I'm not sure that the drug dealers that I have interrupted before have left.

The passageway off of F Street to the alley itself is very narrow, and there are garbage trucks that come up or down it with just room to spare. Alleys are alleys, and they are generally not meant for tourists.

RJNorton · 05-05-2013, 12:54 PM

(05-05-2013 10:16 AM)L Verge Wrote: Roger,
I thought that the Rathbones and Harrises were all one big happy family that lived together once Mrs. Rathbone Henry's mother) married Mr. Harris (Clara's father).

Thanks, Laurie. So is that the building that still stands at 712 Jackson Place? (As I write this I am looking at a book titled Mr. Lincoln's City which was published in 1981.)

L Verge · 05-05-2013, 05:32 PM

I will have to double-check, but I don't believe that the original building still stands. Decatur House and one that Dolley Madison once occupied may be the only buildings original to the Square.

BTW: The Surratt Society will be holding its annual Fall Luncheon on Sunday, Sept. 15. The program will be presented by Dr. William Bushong of the White House Historical Association. He will be speaking on Lincoln's White House and the surrounding neighborhood. The July issue of the Surratt Courier will have complete information and reservation form.

Linda Anderson · 05-05-2013, 07:09 PM

The Benjamin Ogle Tayloe House is also original to the Square and still stands. Tayloe was Seward's next door neighbor when Seward was secretary of state.

Jim Garrett · 05-05-2013, 07:44 PM

Baptist Alley does not have much traffic, actually very quiet most times, however I would never recommend it except anytime except daylight.

My understanding is that Henry Rathbone's home on Lafayette Square was his home at the time of the assassination. I believe Joan Chaconas confirmed it with a city diectory. Also there was mention that Henry moved to a larger house, I don't rmember the address, but it wasn't the Lafayette Sq. address.

In Lafayette Square, you will encounter protesters. You usually don't have to worry about homeless people in Layette Square. Besides, sometimes that bum lying on the park bench has nice black shoes and an earpiece just like the Secret Service where. Very secure area. If you sneeze, a tree may say, "Bless you".

The Old Ebbitt has gone upscale. It is gorgeous inside, but it does have the bar out of the old location. I worked at the old location , 1427 F St. back in the 70's. I waited tables there on the 4th of July 1976. I was never so busy. Laurie, we owe ourselves lunch there sometime.

RJNorton · 05-06-2013, 04:47 AM

I am still confused (not unusual for me) about the location where the Lincolns picked up Henry and Clara. In Following in Lincoln's Footsteps, author Ralph Gary writes, "It is sometimes said that the Lincolns picked them (Henry and Clara) up at this house (712 Jackson Place) on April 14, 1865. But they were likely picked up at Senator Harris's house." Is Mr. Gary confused or were there two separate houses?

Linda Anderson · 05-06-2013, 10:23 AM

(05-06-2013 04:47 AM)RJNorton Wrote: I am still confused (not unusual for me) about the location where the Lincolns picked up Henry and Clara. In Following in Lincoln's Footsteps, author Ralph Gary writes, "It is sometimes said that the Lincolns picked them (Henry and Clara) up at this house (712 Jackson Place) on April 14, 1865. But they were likely picked up at Senator Harris's house." Is Mr. Gary confused or were there two separate houses?

Senator Harris was Clara Harris's father. Clara was probably still living at her father's house on April 14.

Laurie Verge · 05-06-2013, 11:09 AM

Clara and Henry had been raised together since the time that his mother married Clara's father. Did Henry move out on his own sometime before the assassination? I always assumed (no sarcastic comment please) that they were still a blended family on April 14, 1865.

jonathan · 05-06-2013, 12:41 PM

Whatever happens, make sure you go into Honest Abe's Souvenirs at the corner of 10th and F streets and get a Lincoln Memorial keychain or some such. Wait, I said that wrong....do not do that, do not do that. Wink

Concerning Baptist Alley, when I was there it seemed harmless, but that was at about 11:00 a.m. on a beautiful bright sunny Wednesday, a day before Thanksgiving. I think it's best to remember that it's an alley in a city, and a city that has it's fair share of crime. Best to play it safe.

Laurie Verge · 05-06-2013, 02:53 PM

Is Honest Abe's still there? I thought it was one of the casualties of the "revitalization" of the area around Ford's Theatre.

jonathan · 05-06-2013, 03:11 PM

It was there when I went by in the Fall. Mid morning the day before Thanksgiving and there were probably 8 or 10 people browsing around in there. I even snapped a picture of the entrance because I kind of got a kick out of it. I was less impressed by what they had for sale, though it was neat and clean and had the normal things one would expect a gift shop to have. Maybe my expectations were too high. I much preferred the gift shop at Ford's, even though it's pretty small.

Laurie Verge · 05-06-2013, 03:20 PM

I'm kind of glad to know that Honest Abe's is still there - at least for the field trip trade. It's one of those stores that is entertaining to go through just to see how tacky souvenirs can get. I will also avoid it with my grandson who loves every tacky Lincoln and assassination trinket he can find (although that's changing now that he's almost a teenager).

scldrgnfly · 05-06-2013, 04:19 PM

(05-02-2013 12:08 PM)KateH. Wrote: Hi everyone,

I'm going to DC with a friend for a few days in May. Do you guys have any must-see suggestions? We're definitely going to Ford's Theatre and the Surratt Boardinghouse. Sadly, we don't have enough time to go to Maryland or Virginia.

Thanks for the help

So SORRY!!!! The Surratt Tavern Museum isn't that far out of town!! It is a treasure!!! And the tours and docents are so good...not to mention the most amazing treasure of all, Laurie Verge, the director.

Mudd's house isn't too far.

I have just been thinking about my first visit to Ford's Theatre. I will never forget going up the more private spiral staircase to the side of the main interior staircase! I don't know if it was a reminiscent feeling of my past going up the spiral staircases in the old Andrew Carnegie Library I mentioned in Port Huron, Michigan, or the way the air flowed in that enclosed circular space...OR...did I feel a passing ghost as I ascended the narrow stairs, but I distinctly felt a chill and goosebumps as I made my way up. Does anyone know if JWB ever used that staircase?? I had no such feeling on the main staircase.

Here is another nod to the Industrial Revolution, besides the Andrew Carnegie Libraries, have any of you ever seen Thalien (sp.?) Hall, in Wilmington, North Carolina?? It would give you goosebumps, too. It's another feat of modularization! Praise God!! They were able to reconstruct so many things after the fire at Ford's because it was still there.

The museum in Ford's basement is very cool!

The Metro is very accessible and easy to use.

The Holocaust Museum is amazing!

Don't forget the Petersen House across the street. There's a post about the pillowcase.

You could do lunch at the Boarding House. Is it still The Wok and Roll?

The Catholic Church where Mary worshipped is around the corner.

You could to a drive through of Arlington.

I haven't been here, but one of my next destinations is the Clara Barton Civil War Offices...not sure the museum name, but the offices were just found not too many years ago. It is a real treasure story with her clothes and everything! They were working on a building there and found her office had just been closed up and never entered again, SINCE THE CIVIL WAR!!! Gives new meaning to the empty offices the GSA owns doesn't it!?! I mean these offices with her clothing were found by workmen, I think, not more than 6 or 7 years ago and they have made a museum there.

L Verge · 05-06-2013, 05:53 PM

Clara Barton's office is not yet open to the public, but we're hoping to include it in one of the Surratt conference's bus tours next March. Wesley Harris of this forum did a good article on it in the Surratt Courier about six months ago.

jonathan · 05-06-2013, 07:27 PM

(05-02-2013 12:39 PM)BettyO Wrote: Kate -

I can get you and your friend into the trial room at Fort McNair if you wish -

Betty, how much trouble is it for you to do this? I'm hoping to make another trip up there this year and would love to be able to see the trial room. I was hoping to go this Spring, but will likely put it off until Fall to let the heaviest tourist season and the hot weather clear out. I definitely want to get as much in as I can, assassination related or not, but the trial room would be a real highlight I think. Just don't want to push the issue and take advantage.