Mary E. Surratt Boarding House
Encyclopedia
The Mary E. Surratt Boarding House in Washington, D.C.
was the site of meetings of conspirators to kidnap and subsequently to assassinate U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. It was operated as a boarding house by Mary Surratt
from September 1864 to April 1865.
or in "vernacular Greek Revival" style. It stands on a lot measuring 29 feet (8.8 m) by 100 feet (30.5 m). The building is 23 feet (7 m) wide, facing directly onto the sidewalk on south side of the street, and has a depth of 36 feet (11 m). The building was altered in 1925 so that the first floor could be used as a commercial space. , the building is now used as a Chinese and Japanese restaurant named "Wok and Roll".
John Surratt purchased the house from Augustus A. Gibson on December 6, 1853. After her husband died in 1862, Mary Surratt chose to rent her property in what was then known as Surratsville
, Maryland, to former policeman John Lloyd, and moved into the Washington boardinghouse. The military tribunal heard testimony from residents at the boardinghouse that Surratt had regularly met with John Wilkes Booth
and the Lincoln conspirators at the house. Lloyd told the tribunal that he had been told by Surratt to provide field glasses and guns to Booth and co-conspirator David Herold
. It was on the basis of this evidence that Surratt was convicted and sentenced to death. For her role as a member of the Abraham Lincoln assassination
conspiracy plot, she became the first woman to be executed by the United States federal government. She was executed by hanging.
The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
on August 11, 2009. The listing was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service
's weekly list of August 28, 2009.
In April, 2011 the house gained some attention with the release of a film about Mary Surratt, The Conspirator by director Robert Redford
.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
was the site of meetings of conspirators to kidnap and subsequently to assassinate U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. It was operated as a boarding house by Mary Surratt
Mary Surratt
Mary Elizabeth Jenkins Surratt was an American boarding house owner who was convicted of taking part in the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Sentenced to death, she was hanged, becoming the first woman executed by the United States federal government. She was the mother of John H...
from September 1864 to April 1865.
About the house
The building, at 604 H Street NW, standing three-and-one-half stories tall, was constructed by Jonathan T. Walker in 1843. It has been described as being in the Early Republic or Federal styleFederal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
or in "vernacular Greek Revival" style. It stands on a lot measuring 29 feet (8.8 m) by 100 feet (30.5 m). The building is 23 feet (7 m) wide, facing directly onto the sidewalk on south side of the street, and has a depth of 36 feet (11 m). The building was altered in 1925 so that the first floor could be used as a commercial space. , the building is now used as a Chinese and Japanese restaurant named "Wok and Roll".
John Surratt purchased the house from Augustus A. Gibson on December 6, 1853. After her husband died in 1862, Mary Surratt chose to rent her property in what was then known as Surratsville
Clinton, Maryland
Clinton is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Clinton was formerly known as Surrattsville until after the time of the American Civil War. The population of Clinton was 26,064 at the 2000 census. However, as of 2007, there is an...
, Maryland, to former policeman John Lloyd, and moved into the Washington boardinghouse. The military tribunal heard testimony from residents at the boardinghouse that Surratt had regularly met with John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
and the Lincoln conspirators at the house. Lloyd told the tribunal that he had been told by Surratt to provide field glasses and guns to Booth and co-conspirator David Herold
David Herold
David Edgar Herold was an accomplice of John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. After guiding fellow conspirator Lewis Powell to the home of Secretary of State William H. Seward, whom Powell intended to kill, Herold fled and rendezvoused outside of Washington, D.C., with Booth...
. It was on the basis of this evidence that Surratt was convicted and sentenced to death. For her role as a member of the Abraham Lincoln assassination
Abraham Lincoln assassination
The assassination of United States President Abraham Lincoln took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, as the American Civil War was drawing to a close. The assassination occurred five days after the commanding General of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee, and his battered Army of...
conspiracy plot, she became the first woman to be executed by the United States federal government. She was executed by hanging.
The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on August 11, 2009. The listing was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
's weekly list of August 28, 2009.
In April, 2011 the house gained some attention with the release of a film about Mary Surratt, The Conspirator by director Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
.