When I was 14, I saw a truly weird musical: Stephen Sondehim’s “Assassins.”
The show takes viewers through the history of presidential assassinations with an odd amount of empathy for the assassins — the central framing device is a carnival where all the killers and would-be-killers are just trying to embrace their right to be happy. But what I didn’t realize at that age was that D.C. is stuffed full of sites relating to presidential assassinations, especially when it comes to the Lincoln assassination.
To mark today’s premiere of “Manhunt,” an AppleTV+ miniseries about the Abraham Lincoln assassination, we’ve compiled a list of where in the District to see key sites related to the Lincoln assassination. Plus, be sure to keep checking back on this blog since for the next six weeks we’ll be recapping “Manhunt” and adding a historical perspective to it, telling you where to find all the sights of that week’s episode.
The original assassination in American history is also the first in Sondheim’s musical. The set piece, set to the song “The Ballad of Booth,” covers the attempted escape and ultimate capture of John Wilkes Booth, the actor who shot and killed Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
The block of 10th St. between E and F streets northwest has entirely devoted itself to this fateful night. It’s where Ford’s Theatre, the play production house where Lincoln was shot, is located. The theater still produces shows, including productions of Broadway hits like “Little Shop of Horrors” and timeless classics like “A Christmas Carol.”
But one play the theater refuses to perform is the very show Lincoln was shot during: “Our American Cousin,” The theater’s website says they fear it would be inappropriate. Plus, they add, the play just isn’t that funny — when they first reopened in 1968, they only performed plays from Lincoln’s time, but quickly learned such aristocracy-based humor doesn’t land as much these days.
Another spot to see just across from the theater is the Petersen House, the boarding house where Lincoln died after being shot. The interior contains a museum and a massive multi-story winding tower entirely made up of books about Lincoln — so if your family is getting on your nerves after tons of travel and you need an excuse to spend time alone, the house has plenty of book recommendations for you.
Perhaps the most bizarre Lincoln-related site on this block is the Lincoln Waffle Shop.The restaurant consists of classic dinner fare, including eggs, burgers and — you might have guessed — waffles. The food itself is adequate, with the waffles being a legitimate standout for their imposing size if nothing else.
But the shop has a problem: Abraham Lincoln hated breakfast. He almost never ate breakfast, and when he did it was a measly arrangement of eggs, toast and coffee. Noticeably not included in that list? Waffles. For what it’s worth, the shop acknowledges this irony, noting on their website that Lincln never actually ate there.
Though Lincoln is buried hundreds of miles away in Springfield, Illinois, his catafalque remains in the District. For the less morbidly inclined, a catafalque is a wooden device designed to support the coffins of especially important figures — and it’d be hard to argue Lincoln doesn’t belong in that category.
His catafalque, draped in jet-black cloth and tassels, resides in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. To pay a visit to this wooden memorial and all the other sites that make up the heart of America, be sure to reserve a spot on our Capitol Hill Tour.
If, unlike Timothee Chalamet in “Dune: Part Two,” you’re not afraid to go south, the lower quadrants of D.C. have other sites connected to the Lincoln assassination. The Navy Yard neighborhood is where John Wilkes Booth’s autopsy was done aboard a ship docked there. Though the ship is long gone, the neighborhood offers plenty of high-end culture, including delectable restaurants like Duke’s Grocery and the Washington Nationals ballpark. Also in the southern end of the District is Fort McNair, the location where the government tried those who plotted the Lincoln assassination.
A long day of touring, sightseeing and reflection might mean that you want to let off some steam and party like a politician in the nation’s capital that night. But fear not, that doesn’t mean the history has to stop.
Wok and Roll, a Chinese karaoke bar, also happens to be the spot where the Lincoln
assassination was planned. The building was then a boarding house owned by Mary Surratt, one of the Lincoln conspirators.
But since 2001, it’s been a spot for history buffs and college degenerates alike to sing their hearts out. As someone in both categories, I’ve visited “Wok and Roll” a fair share of times, and sung karaoke in three languages while there — don’t ask.
Sound like a lot to figure out on your own? Luckily, we’ve got you covered — our Lincoln Assassination tour takes you through the sites of the Lincoln assassination, including Ford’s Theater and the Peterson House, with expert guides able to take you beyond the basics written in the sites’ plaques and inform you about life in 1865 Washington. Book your adventure here.
(Cover photo credit via Wikimedia Commons. All other photos © Liam Gideon)
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