About
President Lincoln’s
Cottage

Welcome to the home for brave ideas. President Lincoln’s Cottage is a historic site and museum situated on a beautiful campus in Northwest Washington, D.C. Opened to the public in 2008, we bring President Lincoln’s nation-changing story to life through innovative guided tours, engaging exhibits, and interactive programs. Learn more about our history, mission, and impact.

Our Mission

President Lincoln’s Cottage works to preserve this place to connect people to the true spirit of the Lincolns, build empathy, and inspire them to act upon their own ideas for social justice.

Our History

For more than a quarter of his presidency, Abraham Lincoln lived at what we now call President Lincoln’s Cottage. Here he made some of his most critical decisions about freedom, the Union, and the presidency. Lincoln’s experiences at the Cottage provided him and those he influenced with new and diverse perspectives on issues of freedom, justice, and humility. Learn more about the site’s unique history.

Learn More

1842

The Cottage was built as a private home for banker George W. Riggs.

1900s-1990s

The Cottage was also used as an infirmary, a dormitory for the Soldiers’ Home band, the first dormitory for women veterans and more. Anna Harrison Chase, a formerly enslaved woman who escaped to DC after the DC Emancipation Act, visited the Cottage in her old age to see where Lincoln developed the Emancipation Proclamation.

2000s

The National Trust for Historic Preservation undertook an eight-year, $15 million capital project to preserve President Lincoln’s Cottage, restore the landscape, and sustainably rehabilitate (LEED Gold) a nearly 100-year old Beaux-Arts style building adjacent to the Cottage to serve as the Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center museum and event space.

A Home for Brave Ideas

We don’t just educate — we inspire. While living here, Lincoln made nation-changing decisions about the Union, freedom, and the presidency, most notably when he developed the Emancipation Proclamation. Each day, we’re reminded of President Lincoln’s legacy and the many individuals and communities who challenged him and influenced his thinking. We believe the world still needs a Home for Brave Ideas. Our commitment is to be that place.

Our Commitment

More About
President Lincoln’s Cottage

Donate

President Lincoln’s Cottage is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) public charity, and is the only National Monument in the country that does not receive federal operating support. The site is designated a National Monument, a National Historic Landmark, and a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As a private organization, this national treasure would not be preserved and available to the public without the ongoing support of our generous patrons.