Mary E. Surratt Boarding House, Civil War era boarding house in Chinatown, Washington D.C., United States.
Mary E. Surratt Boarding House is a brick townhouse in Chinatown, Washington D.C., with three floors and a height of about 14 meters. The facade combines simple lines with classical column motifs and metal details that recall residential architecture from the mid-19th century.
Mary Surratt ran the boarding house between 1864 and 1865, when men met in the rooms to prepare the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. After the owner's arrest the building changed purpose several times and eventually was converted into a commercial establishment.
The name recalls Mary Surratt, who welcomed guests and rented rooms here before the house later became a restaurant. Today the facade still shows the original brick construction with classical elements, while inside an Asian eatery occupies the space.
The restaurant on the ground floor is accessible from the street, while the upper floors are not open to the public. The nearest metro station is one block to the east and brings visitors directly into the neighborhood.
The building received recognition in 2009 through inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and the District of Columbia Historic Sites inventory. This double honor makes it one of the few houses in the area with official protection status at the federal level.
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