Senator Daniel Webster

Being a well known orator and politician Daniel Webster was very famous in early American society. Webster was an advocate for the Compromise of 1850 holding the Union together as long as possibly could be held onto. The Compromise ended the slave trade in DC, Webster held many ideals and views that Lincoln did. Being an early advocate for the Union and ending Slave trade Webster was well respected and liked in DC. His home is now part of the recorder of deeds building. The old neighborhood in which his home stood was once a very prominent neighborhood housing vice presidents and senators. Also the homes were close to the Capitol which were pivotal for all of these politicians who lives so close.

Old City Hall

The old city hall was designed by George Hadfield and was finished in 1850. It was the home of the city's court, the city council and mayor until 1871. This building also has history with the end of slavery. In this old city hall a 3 man commission had to come up with the dollar amount of ex slaves to repay their former slave owners. This was Lincolns idea as a way to slowly win over union citizens who had had slaves before the emancipation proclamation. The only place this commission actually worked was in DC. In the front of the old city hall was a statue of Abraham Lincoln serving as the first national monument to the former President.

The National Building Museum

Being the only museum to honor American architecture, urban planning, construction, engineering and design the National Building Museum is housed in a structure that fits its purpose,designed to look like the nations capital. being built in 1887 this building was built to house the pension bureau. The pension bureau issued money to the families and ex civil war veterans. The building was designed by General Montgomery C. Meigs a Quartermaster who had lost his own son in the Civil War. Some people even consider the building the Vietnam Memorial of the Civil War. Inside the circular shaped top depictions of all the areas of the Union Army. The men are depicted as carvings in the wall. Each area is represented From the cavalry and Infantry to the Medics and Quartermasters. In 1960 the building was threatened with being demolished but citizen action kept the building around.

Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum

The Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum is the oldest surviving synagogue in DC. It was built in 1876 and served the German-Jewish immigrants that lived in the neighborhood. After serving the community for many years the synagogue was moved to a new location where it became a museum.The area in which the synagogue first stood was an area with many immigrants and offered them a foothold when first moving to America. As a museum the synagogue was named after two of its former members who helped keep the building and turn it into a museum.With such a strong immigrant population in the area many religious buildings have changed. For instance in the same location the Lillian and Albert Small Synagogue stood, A Greek Orthodox church was built once the synagogue was moved. Many other religious buildings have seen this happen to, When one would move away another even different religions would move in.

Mary Surratt's boarding house.

Being 5 blocks away from Fords Theater Mary Surratt's boarding house served as a home for conspirators in the Abraham Lincoln assassination. John Wilkes Booth was a famous actor at the Fords theater and had a hatred for the president for sometime. He gathered a group together to take down many union figure heads. Three days after the assassination of Lincoln authorities visited Mary at her boarding house and arrested her later hanging her for being a conspirator. The boarding house, although never housing a real meeting, was referred to as "the nest in which the egg was hatched". Mary's son who had more to do with the murder than her was acquitted. Mary housed union and confederates alike during her days running the house but had both sons who fought for the confederacy.

Chinatown

The first Immigrants from China arrived to DC in 1851 and by 1884 the first Chinatown was established in DC on Pennsylvania Avenue with approximately 100 people. By 1903 Chinatown not only had residents but many shops and businesses as well all run by Chinese families.The area grew throughout the early 1900's until the Federal Government forced the Chinese families out because of the development of the Federal Triangle Project. Although many of the families moved away from the area in the 1970's The Chinese culture still remains very strong due to organizations that keep up with history and culture of the area. The Friendship Arch greets those who enter China town and is the largest Chinese archway in the nation, It symbolizes the friendship of Beijing with DC.

Fords Theatre

A National park as well as a theater to this day the Fords Theater is famous because it is where John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. The Museum is still in very good shape and is considered a National Park so it is taken care of by Park Rangers. When first walking in you go through a basement like museum with many exhibits ranging from weapons used to kill Lincoln to pictures of Lincoln through his presidency depicting how his face withered through the years. It is fascinating to know that the artifacts in the museum are actually the real artifacts and not replicas. John Wilkes Booths boot he wore is on display and even has the leather cut from where his foot had to be cut from his boot because of his broken leg. Being in the place where something in history happened is hard to put into words but it almost feels like you are part of it. Walking into the Theater you can look into Abraham Lincolns actual box where he was killed and see the escape route Booth took. The Theater is still in production today offering plays as well as tours. Also many of the buildings around the Fords Theater are historical spots as well, directly across from the Theater is where Lincoln was taken and actually came to rest.