Old Soldiers Home in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
U. S. Soldiers' Home
has been designated a
National
Historic Landmark
This site possesses national significance
in commemorating the history of the
United States of America
1974
National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior
Erected 1974.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Landmarks • Military • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln, and the National Historic Landmarks series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1974.
Location. 38° 56.492′ N, 77° 0.654′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Old Soldiers Home. It can be reached from Grant Drive Northwest north of York Road Northwest, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 140 Rock Creek Church Rd NW, Washington DC 20011, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: President Lincolns Cottage at the Soldiers Home (within shouting distance of this marker); United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Memorial Day Order (approx. 0.2 miles away); This Pine Tree (approx. Ό mile away); Winfield Scott (approx. Ό mile away); Saint Paul's Church Rain Garden (approx. 0.3 miles away); St. Paul's Episcopal Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); St. Paul's Episcopal (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
More about this marker. The marker is on the campus of the Armed Forces Retirement Home (the AFRH, formerly known as the "Soldiers'" or "Soldiers' and Airmen's" Home) whose main entrance is at Upshur and Rock Creek Church Rd, NW. It is just outside the main (south) entrance to the historic Sherman Building in the park which extends between Scott Road and Lincoln Drive NOrthwest.
Also see . . .
1. President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home NM. (Submitted on April 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
2. President Lincoln's Cottage. (Submitted on April 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
Additional commentary.
1. Soldier's Home
The historic significance of the Soldiers' Home was officially recognized in
1974, when seven buildings built before the Civil War, along with six surrounding acres of land, were designated a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior. This designation celebrated the role of the Soldiers' Home in the development of American military asylums and recognized the site as the last remaining example of three original military asylums established in 1851. The National Historic Landmark includes buildings and grounds that are outside the area open to visitors of President Lincoln's Cottage.
On July 7, 2000, President William J. Clinton declared the Lincoln Cottage and 2.3 acres of surrounding land the President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home National Monument in honor of the site's notable role in the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Despite the designation as a National Monument, the site is stewarded and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private, non-profit organization. The President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home National Monument is officially known as "President Lincoln's Cottage" today, but maintains its National Monument status.
Apparently, no exterior "National Monument" marker has been erected.
— Submitted April 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Additional keywords.

Photographed by Richard E. Miller, April 26, 2008
3. West side of President Lincoln's Cottage, Sherman Building at right.
The "Cottage" was the Lincoln family's summer home, from which the President commuted to work at the White House (three miles to the south and nearly 300 feet closer to sea level) where a sweltering, tropical atmosphere prevailed during the summer months, 1861-64.

Photographed by Richard E. Miller, April 26, 2008
4. East side of President's Cottage, Sherman Building in rear of photo.
The cottage was originally constructed in 1842-43 as a home for the banking magnate, George W. Riggs. It was purchased along with the surrounding farmland to erect an "asylum for old and disabled veterans" in 1851.

Photographed by Richard E. Miller, April 26, 2008
6. Robert H. Smith Education Center - Historic Site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
A museum dedicated to the Lincoln presidency (also, the starting point for tours of the nearby "Cottage"); located just inside the AFRH's main entrance.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 26, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 3,674 times since then and 309 times this year. Last updated on February 19, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 26, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 27, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 7, 8. submitted on November 22, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.




