Petersen House

The Petersen House at 516 10th Street is a four-story brick building in Victorian style that now serves as a museum. Three furnished rooms on the ground floor display furniture and arrangements from the mid-19th century.

William Petersen, a German tailor, built the structure in 1849 as a boarding house with several rental apartments. On April 15, 1865, Abraham Lincoln died in one of the rooms after being shot the previous evening at a nearby theater.

The rooms reflect middle-class living conditions of a 19th-century family, common in American cities of that era. Today visitors see an example of everyday architecture that became a national memorial because of a single event.

Access requires a combined ticket with the theater across the street, and the visit takes around 15 to 20 minutes. Early morning visitors face smaller crowds and have more time to view the rooms quietly.

On that night, over 90 people entered the house while soldiers stood on the rooftop to control the gathering crowds below. The bed was too short, so it had to be placed diagonally.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Official opening: 1849

Architectural style: Victorian architecture

Floors above the ground: 3

Opening Hours: 09:30-16:45

GPS coordinates: 38.89667,-77.02583

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:53