Petworth History

Petworth DC is located in Northwest DC with Georgia Avenue to its West and North Capitol to its East. It has a rich history and has a distinct character. Visit the pages below to explore its history.

Lincoln Cottage Unlike modern presidents, Abraham Lincoln spend his tenure in the White House. Petworth is lucky to be the sight of a nearly forgotten gem, a 34-room cottage where Lincoln is believed to have worked on emancipation strategies and dealt with personal loss. Because timing is everything, it is interesting that his last visit to the cottage was the day before he was assassinated. The cottage opened to the public February 19, 2008, President's day, after a long renovation led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. New York Times article on the opening	Historic photo taken from www.lincolncottage.org.
Petworth History in DC North Two great articles appeared in the November 2003 issue of DC North. The first is about Petworth's history. Its a great overview. Definately worth a read. The second is about Macfarland Junior High School. Another great piece of history.
U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home Historic Anderson Cottage was constructed in 1842-43 as the home of George W. Riggs, who went on to establish the famous Riggs National Bank in Washington, D.C. In 1851 the cottage and farmlands were sold to the government and formed the foundation of what is now called the Armed Forces Retirement Home – Washington. See a great history of the Soldiers' and Airmen's Home written by Brian Kraft for DC North.
1911 Firehouse, Engine Company No. 24 Located at 3702 Georgia Ave. at New Hampshire Ave. & Rock Creek Church Rd. See photographs on the LOC's American Memory, History Collections for the National Digital Library.

If you have stories to share about Petworth's history, please email us at waxenfelter@hotmail.com.