Ford’s Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
“Now he belongs to the ages.”
The line was uttered by Edwin Stanton, Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, shortly after the beloved president’s assassination.
Ford’s Theatre still puts on shows just like it did in 1865, but now it’s also a time capsule of Civil War DC and that April night that shook the nation.
Here’s what happened during that fateful night, and how to visit one of the most interesting sites in D.C.
The House of Worship That Became A Capitol Showplace
The grand brick building at 511 Tenth Street cost exactly $13,000 to build in 1833 as the Second Baptist Church of Washington. Reverend Obadiah Bruen Brown led his congregation in the 60-by-100-foot structure for 26 years.
When the Baptists moved to a newer building in 1859, the vacant church stood empty for two years until Baltimore theater owner John T. Ford spotted an opportunity. Ford paid $14,000 for the property in 1861 and transformed it into Ford’s Athenaeum.
His first venture burned to the ground in December 1862, but Ford refused to abandon his theatrical ambitions in the capital city.
The Showman Who Built A Theater For Presidents
Ford immediately rebuilt on the same site, investing $75,000 to create a magnificent playhouse that welcomed its first audience in August 1863.
The new theater boasted 2,500 gas jets illuminating a grand auditorium that held over 1,700 theatergoers. The stage measured an impressive 40 feet deep by 60 feet wide.
Born in Baltimore in 1829, Ford hired architect James J. Gifford to recreate the success of his Holliday Street Theatre from Baltimore.
Rich crimson and gold decor, plush seats, and perfect acoustics made Ford’s New Theatre Washington’s premier entertainment venue. The orchestra pit accommodated 15 musicians.
Famous actors regularly performed on its stage, including Junius Brutus Booth Jr. and his brother, Edwin Booth.
When The Lincolns Decided On A Night Of Comedy
April 14, 1865, dawned as Good Friday, but Washington celebrated.
Just five days earlier, Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House. President Lincoln and Mary decided on their 12th visit to Ford’s Theatre to see the popular comedy “Our American Cousin,” starring Laura Keene.
They originally invited General and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, who declined. The Lincolns arrived at 8:30 p.m. to audience applause, paying 75 cents per ticket. They invited Major Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris to join them instead.
Lincoln’s bodyguard, John F. Parker, and valet Charles Forbes both abandoned their posts during the performance.
The Actor Who Plotted Presidential Murder
John Wilkes Booth, the 26-year-old scion of America’s most famous theatrical family, learned about Lincoln’s theater plans at noon while collecting his mail at Ford’s Theatre.
A rabid Confederate sympathizer staying at the National Hotel, Booth initially plotted to kidnap Lincoln. Lee’s surrender transformed his plan to murder. That afternoon, Booth drilled a peephole in the Presidential Box door and fashioned a wooden brace to jam it shut.
At 8:00 p.m., Booth met his conspirators at the Herndon House hotel, assigning them to kill Vice President Johnson and Secretary Seward simultaneously. Booth then readied his small derringer pistol and knife before drinking at the Star Saloon to steady his nerves.
The Single Shot That Shattered American History
At precisely 10:13 p.m., Booth slipped into the Presidential Box while actor Harry Hawk delivered the play’s biggest laugh line: “Don’t know the manners of good society, eh? Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal—you sockdologizing old man-trap.”
Lincoln sat in a rocking chair, his last words to Mary being, “She won’t think anything about it.”
Booth pressed his derringer against Lincoln’s head and pulled the trigger. The .41 caliber ball tore into Lincoln’s skull behind the left ear.
Major Rathbone lunged at Booth, who slashed him with a knife before leaping 12 feet down to the stage, shouting “Sic semper tyrannis! The South is avenged!”
Despite breaking his leg in the fall, Booth escaped through the back door in less than a minute.
The Desperate Battle To Save The Dying President
Chaos erupted as Mary Lincoln screamed and Dr. Charles Leale, just 23 years old and only six weeks out of medical school, pushed to Lincoln’s side. At 10:25 p.m., Leale grimly announced, “His wound is fatal.”
He placed his finger in Lincoln’s wound to remove blood clots, briefly improving his breathing. Doctors Charles Taft and Albert King soon joined the effort as Lincoln’s blood soaked into the horsehair stuffing of the rocking chair.
Soldiers from Company K, 150th Pennsylvania Infantry, carefully carried the 6’4″ President outside, knowing the White House was too far away.
The Boarding House Where A President Died
William Petersen, a 49-year-old German immigrant tailor, owned the three-story house at 516 10th Street directly across from Ford’s Theatre.
A boarder waved the soldiers inside, where they placed Lincoln diagonally across William Clark’s small bed in a room measuring only 9-by-17 feet. Mary collapsed beside him while at least 90 people came through the house that night.
Surgeon General Joseph Barnes and Lincoln’s personal physician, Dr. Robert King Stone, joined the medical team in the cramped room. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton established a command center in the front parlor, questioning witnesses and directing the manhunt.
The Twelve-Day Chase For the Assassin
Booth crossed the Navy Yard Bridge at 10:55 p.m., just 42 minutes after the shooting, despite the broken leg suffered in his leap from the box.
The government offered an unprecedented $100,000 reward as thousands of soldiers and detectives joined the largest manhunt in American history.
On April 15, Dr. Samuel Mudd treated Booth’s broken leg in Maryland, claiming not to recognize the famous actor. Thomas Jones helped Booth cross the Potomac into Virginia on April 21 after hiding him in a pine thicket for days.
On April 26, Union soldiers cornered Booth in a tobacco barn on Richard Garrett’s farm near Port Royal. After setting the barn ablaze, Sergeant Boston Corbett shot Booth through a crack in the wall.
How Public Outrage Closed A Theater Forever
When Lincoln died, Edwin Stanton personally ordered Ford’s Theatre sealed for investigation. John Ford, uninvolved in the conspiracy, announced plans to reopen on July 10, 1865, with “The Octoroon.”
Public fury erupted with threats to “Burn the cursed building to the ground” and “Blood for blood.” Congress debated demolishing the structure entirely, but ultimately decided to purchase it.
On reopening night, Stanton sent troops to seize the theater and disperse waiting patrons. Ford sought $100,000 in compensation but settled for $88,000 after Stanton signed an order permanently prohibiting the building’s use “as a place of public amusement.”
The Government Building That Became A Death Trap
The federal government gutted Ford’s Theatre in 1866, creating three floors with 40 small offices on each level. By 1893, over 500 government clerks processed military records inside.
The Army Medical Museum displayed Civil War medical specimens on the third floor. Workers and visitors still called it “the place where Lincoln was shot,” despite its transformation.
At 9:30 a.m. on June 9, 1893, the interior collapsed while 120 employees worked inside. The disaster killed 22 clerks and injured 68 others.
Colonel Theodore Bingham, who had ordered unsafe basement excavation for an elevator shaft, was later found legally responsible for the deaths.
The Long Road Back To Lincoln’s Legacy
After the collapse, crews repaired the building but mainly used it for storage until Osborn Oldroyd, a Civil War veteran, installed his collection of 3,000 Lincoln artifacts on the first floor.
In 1924, workers mounted a plaque acknowledging the building’s historical significance. Officials transferred the property to the Office of Public Buildings and Parks in 1928. On February 12, 1932—Lincoln’s 123rd birthday—the Lincoln Museum officially opened on the first floor.
The National Park Service took control of both Ford’s Theatre and the Petersen House in 1933. Henry Riggs Rathbone, son of Major Rathbone who witnessed the assassination, led early restoration efforts that failed.
The Historic Theater That Rose From The Ashes
After twenty years of lobbying by Democratic National Committeeman Melvin D. Hildreth and Republican Congressman Milton Young, Congress approved $2.7 million for restoration in 1964.
Architect Elbert Peets supervised the meticulous recreation based on period photographs by Mathew Brady. Workers discovered original foundation stones during renovation. The Carlton McLendon Furniture Company crafted authentic replica furnishings for the interior.
On January 30, 1968, a 90-minute CBS television special marked the gala reopening. Actress Helen Hayes read Lincoln’s words on stage, ending 103 years of theatrical silence.
The restoration preserved the small door Lincoln actually used to enter the Presidential Box.
Inside The Nation’s Most Infamous Crime Scene Today
When you visit Ford’s Theatre today, you’ll find over 1,000 artifacts in the basement museum, including Booth’s actual derringer pistol, his diary, and Lincoln’s blood-stained Brooks Brothers coat.
The lovingly restored theater looks almost identical to its 1865 appearance, with the distinctive Presidential Box draped in American flags. National Park Rangers share historical details throughout the day.
While Lincoln’s original rocking chair now resides at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, you can still sense the history in the theater where tragedy struck.
Digital exhibits help you visualize the events of April 14, 1865, through eyewitness accounts and realistic recreations.
Walking In Lincoln’s Final Footsteps
You’ll find Ford’s Theatre at 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004, just blocks from the National Mall and White House.
The site welcomes visitors daily (except December 25) from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with timed entries every half hour. Plan 2-2.5 hours to see everything.
While same-day tickets are available at the box office, reserve in advance at www.fords.org. Tickets for visits through May 2025 are currently available.
During spring and summer, a 30-minute play called “One Destiny” brings the aftermath to life through the perspectives of Ford’s Theatre co-owner Harry Ford and actor Harry Hawk.
The Ford’s Theatre Society produces four major theatrical productions yearly, continuing Lincoln’s love of the performing arts.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
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