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| Abe Lincoln used to ride the 3 miles to the White House in about 30 minutes. |
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| Mary and Abe Lincoln enjoyed the peace - solitude - and quiet of the Soldiers Home |
Modern presidents have Camp David as a place to relax and avoid the summer heat of the Capital City. Lincoln has this wonderful cottage on the grounds of the Soldiers Home. Here Lincoln and his family spent the summer months - June to November - during the years 1862 - 1863 - 1864. Three other presidents spent their summers here. Every morning at 9 AM - Lincoln would ride his horse about a half hour - on the 3 mile trip to his White House office.
The president was able to escape the summer heat of the city - and also the stench of the sewage and swamps. He could also avoid the political pressure of hangers on.
It was in this home that Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation - freeing the slaves in all the states fighting against the USA.
We drove about 3 miles north of Keith's home on Florida Avenue. In the old days - you would have been out in the country away from the capital city. The route was a dangerous one - and on one trip a sniper shot a hole through Lincoln's top hat.
The Soldiers Home is still used. There are about 500 soldiers living there. In Lincoln's time - there was one big main building - and the national cemetery was in the back. Today - the cemetery is filled and we use Arlington Cemetery to bury soldiers that were killed in action.
The Lincoln Summer Cottage is cared for by a non-profit corporation. The one hour tour costs $15. You can view the outside of the home for free.
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| The cottage was huge - with 3 full floors. This side faced down the hill to the city |
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| This was the Soldiers Home when Lincoln was here |
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| Now it is expanded and has many buildings |
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| Abe's stovepipe hat was a trademark |
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| The Solders Home was there when Lincoln was |
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| This was the carriage entrance to the house |
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