Collage of Ford’s Theatre past and present. Modern Ford’s Theatre facade © Maxwell MacKenzie. Image of historic facade by Mathew Brady, courtesy of Library of Congress. Library of Congress: LC-DIG-cwpbh-03579.

History of Ford’s Theatre

What should happen to a site where a violent event like Lincoln’s assassination takes place? Since 1865, people have answered that question many different ways.

Ford’s Theatre and the Petersen House are forever linked with President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination on April 14, 1865. Before then, these ordinary Washington buildings reflected changes in the city. Since they have reflected and driven changes in how Americans, and people around the world, commemorate Lincoln’s assassination and other violent events.

Explore the history of the site below.

How Have Ford’s Theatre and the Petersen House Changed?

Follow how the two buildings have evolved since the 1830s. Keep checking back as we add pages with more details about each era!

Drawing of the steeple of a church. A sign on the front reads "First Baptist Church."
Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

First Baptist Church
1833-1861

In 1833, a Baptist congregation erected a church. Originally a multiracial congregation, First Baptist Church split in 1839 into white and African American churches. First Baptist Church occupied the site until 1859.

A drawing of two theatres. They're labeled as Ford's New Theatre in Washington D.C. and Holliday St. Theatre in Baltimore, MD.
Courtesy of the National Park Service.

A Civil War Theatre
1861-1865

In 1861, John T. Ford purchased First Baptist Church and renovated it into a theatre. After a fire in late 1862, Ford had a new building erected—the present-day Ford’s Theatre. It was one of Washington’s premiere theatres as the Civil War raged.

Drawing of the Petersen house across the road from Ford's Theatre. The scene is at night, and soldiers patrol the street in front of the house.
The Petersen House

A Middle-Class Boarding House
1849-1871

William and Anna Petersen bought a home at what today is 516 10th Street, NW, in 1849. Like other homeowners in Washington, they rented out rooms to help pay the bills. Their renters came from a variety of backgrounds and represented a part of the mixture of people in Washington at the time.

Sepia photograph of Ford's Theatre with black ribbon draped from the windows.
Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

A Site of Tragedy
1865-1866

What should happen to a building after a violent event? After Lincoln’s assassination, people expressed a variety of ideas about what should happen to Ford’s Theatre—including burning it down, reopening the theatre and transforming it into an educational institute named for Lincoln.

Black and white photograph of a large number of men working at rows of long tables in a spacious office. The tables are full of sheets of paper.
Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

Federal Office Building
1866-1932

The U.S. government purchased Ford’s Theatre in 1866. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton ordered it converted into a three-floor office building, with the Army Medical Museum initially occupying the third floor. It remained a federal records building until 1932, even after an interior collapse killed 22 workers in 1893.

Black and white photograph of a narrow room with the walls entirely covered in photographs and newspaper clippings.
Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

Law Office to Lincoln Museum
1866-1932

After Anna and William Petersen’s heirs sold their family’s house, the building became a law and newspaper office. But visitors kept showing interest. A group of prominent Washingtonians arranged for it to become collector Osborn Oldroyd’s Lincoln Museum in 1893.

Black and white photograph of a large room filled with display cases and exhibits.
Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

A Site of Tragedy
1932-1968

What should happen to a building after a violent event? After Lincoln’s assassination, people expressed a variety of ideas about what should happen to Ford’s Theatre—including burning it down, reopening the theatre and transforming it into an educational institute named for Lincoln.

Black and white photograph of the interior of a large building with the floor removed and heavy work machinery operating in the soil underneath.
Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

A Working Theatre & Historic Site
1968-Today

In 1968, the restored Ford’s Theatre opened with its first public performance since Lincoln’s assassination. Since then, the site has been a joint historic site and working theatre, extending Lincoln’s legacy through theatre, history and education.

Learn More

Curious about Ford’s Theatre past and present? Explore further!