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| 511 10th St NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA (Washington, District of Columbia)
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The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
This theater became a significant part of American history on April 14, 1865. Actor John Wilkes Booth, a sympathizer of the Confederacy, shot President Abraham Lincoln in the head as he attended the play Our American Cousin at the theater. The President was sitting in the state box at the time of the attack, only five days after Confederate General Lee's surrender in Virginia and the end of the Civil War. Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd, screamed out following the shot as Wilkes jumped on to the stage and escaped out the back alley, but not before yelling, "Sic semper tyrannis" (thus ever to tyrants).
Lincoln would be quickly ushered to the Peterson House across the street, where he would later die of his wound the next day at 7:22 A.M. at the age of 56. He is officially listed as the first American President to be assassinated (some conspiracy theorists believe that William Harrison was actually the first).
The theater was immediately shutdown and purchased by the United States government. It would later be used for record storage, the Army Medical Museum, and the Library of the Surgeon General's Office. It would later switch hands to the War Department's clerk office in 1887. On June 9, 1893, another tragedy would strike the Ford's Theatre when the front of the building collapsed and killed 22 people and injured another 68. Rumors of a cursed building began to circulate and it would be again transformed into a government warehouse. It would sit unused after 1931 until the U.S. Congress approved funds for restoration, which began in 1964.
It wouldn't be until 1968 that the theater would once again be allowed to entertain the public in the form of a theater, as well as a museum to the man whose life was lost that day. The museum in the basement displays artifacts of the assassination, including the derringer used to kill the president and the coat that Lincoln wore to the performance. The Peterson House where Lincoln died is joined today with Ford's Theatre as part of the Ford's Theatre National Historic Site. The bed that Lincoln died on is now located at the Chicago Historical Society, though the Peterson House does contain a replica of the bed in the room where he died.
The Ghosts of Ford's Theatre
According to more than a few witnesses, the tragic events of that night continue to play out even today. There have been reports of disembodied footsteps rushing the state box, followed shortly by the loud gunshot and screams. The ghost of Mary Todd Lincoln has even been seeing leaning over the box's railing and pointing towards the stage, crying out, "He has killed the president!" to no one in particular.
John Wilkes Booth is also believed to haunt the stage itself. According to several actors who have been involved in productions since, if they attempt to deliver their lines at a particular spot on left-center stage, they are overwhelmed with an icy sensation. Some even report becoming overly nauseous or begin shaking uncontrollably, often flubbing their lines in the process. At times, some even report seeing the ghost of Booth running across the stage in escape as he did so many years ago. Booth was allegedly killed soon after he fled Washington by either gunfire or in a fire that was set to the barn he was using as a hideout in Virginia, but many people believe he returned to the scene of the crime in his death.
The House Where Lincoln Died
The spirit of Abraham Lincoln has reportedly been spotted on multiple occasions across the street at the Peterson House, where he died. On occasion, he is even sighted in the theater itself. He has also been reportedly seen near his gravesite in Springfield, Illinois. However, Lincoln is most famously believed to haunt the White House, where he recorded having a terrifying vision of seeing his body in state only ten days before his assassination at Ford's Theatre.
Renovations
Ford's Theatre closed in May of 2007 for a series of extensive renovations. Although originally scheduled to re-open in the winter of 2009, the renovations went smoother than expected and the theater re-opened to the public in February. On February 12, 2009, in honor of Lincoln's 200th birthday, a re-opening ceremony was held that was attended by newly elected President Barack Obama, whom hailed from the same state (Illinois) as Lincoln. The night featured a speech from President Obama, music, scenes from a play about Lincoln's life, as well as various tributes to the past president.
The Theater Today
Both Ford's Theatre and the Peterson House are open to the general public for tours and the occasional plays and specials. In addition, a museum has been set-up below the theater that features various items related to Lincoln and his assassination. Among the items included are John Wilkes Booth's Derringer (pistol) used to murder Lincoln, Booth's diary, the blood-stained pillow that Lincoln died on, and various other items. For more information, please visit the sites below. |
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| Related Sites |
Ford's Theatre
Web site for Ford's Theatre, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. |
Ford's Theatre National Historical Site
Web site for the Ford's Theatre National Historical site, preserving the theatre where Lincoln was shot as well as the building in which he died. |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| Blog: The Other Tragedy at Ford's Theatre (06/09/09) |
| Blog: Odd Tales of the Lincoln Assassination (04/11/10) |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Encyclopedia of Haunted Places: Ghostly Locales from Around the World |
Haunted Places: The National Directory: Ghostly Abodes, Sacred Sites, UFO Landings and Other Supernatural Locations |
City Ghosts: True Tales of Hauntings in America's Cities |
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