The Woodrow Wilson House was the residence of the 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson after he left office.[3] It is at 2340 S Street NW just off Washington, D.C.'s Embassy Row. On February 3, 1924, Wilson died in an upstairs bedroom.[3] It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964.[2][4] The National Trust for Historic Preservation owns the house and operates it as a museum.[3]
Woodrow Wilson House | |
 The Woodrow Wilson House in November 2020 | |
  | |
| Location | 2340 S St., NW Washington, D.C., U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°54′50″N 77°3′6″W / 38.91389°N 77.05167°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | Waddy Butler Wood |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000873[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964[2] |
History
editThe house was built by Henry Fairbanks in 1915 on a design by prominent masonic Washington architect Waddy Wood. President Woodrow Wilson bought it in the last months of his second term as President of the United States as a gift to his wife, Edith Bolling Wilson.[3] He presented her the deed in December 1920, although he had never seen the house.[3] The former president and his wife moved into the home on Inauguration Day,[3] which in 1921 was March 4 (not the current date of January 20). Wilson made several modifications to the house, including a billiard room, stacks for his library of over 8,000 books, and a one-story brick garage.[3]
It was from the balcony of the house that Wilson addressed a crowd on November 11, 1923, as his last public appearance.[3] While the Wilsons had few guests, former British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and former French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau visited the ailing former president at the house.[3] Woodrow typically met guests at exactly 3:30 pm in his library, which was outfitted with a fireplace and tufted furniture.[5]
After Wilson's death in 1924, many of the books inside the house were donated to the Library of Congress.[5] Edith Wilson lived in the residence until her death on December 28, 1961. She hosted First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy for a brunch in the formal dining room. Edith bequeathed the property and all of its original furnishings to the National Trust for Historic Preservation upon her death.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "National Register Information System – (#66000873)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b "Woodrow Wilson House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved September 5, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "National Park Service – The Presidents (Wilson House)". Nps.gov. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
- ^ Blanche Higgins Schroer; Carol Kolb & Steven H. Lewis (March 17, 1977), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Woodrow Wilson House (pdf), National Park Service and Accompanying three photos, exterior (front, rear and garden), from 1975 (32 KB)
- ^ a b Ortenberg, Rebecca (June 25, 2024). "Five Personal Libraries at National Trust Historic Sites". National Trust for Historic Preservation.
External links
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