John Wilkes Booth’s Last Day in Washington #4 With Gettysburg LBG Mike Kanazawich
August 28, 2009
Vice President Andrew Johnson stayed at the Kirkwood House, located at Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street. One of Booth’s co-conspirators, George Atzerodt, had taken a room directly above Johnson’s suite. This image is courtesy of the Lincoln Institute. This sketch was taken facing northeast circa the 1860s.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich continues his series on John Wilkes Booth’s Last Day in Washington, D.C. Mike was born and raised in Oneonta, New York. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Oneonta State University. He received his Master of Science degree in Environmental Geology from the University of Connecticut. Mike worked as a Geologist for eleven years before becoming a Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide in 1995. Michael Kanazawich is the author of the book Remarkable Stories of the Lincoln Assassination.
In our first post, Michael Kanazawich introduced the series of John Wilkes Booth’s Last Day in Washington, D.C., and showed us the site of the National Hotel where John Wilkes Booth stayed while in Washington.
In our second post, Mike Kanazawich told how John Wilkes Booth found out that President Lincoln was attending Ford’s Theatre that evening, his desire to rent a fast horse, and a possible sighting of Booth at The Willard Hotel.
In our third post, Gettysburg LBG Mike Kanazawich described John Wilkes Booth’s visit to Mary Surratt’s Boarding House, and Booth’s visit to Grover’s National Theatre.
In today’s post, Mike Kanazawich describes John Wilkes Booth’s visit to the Kirkwood House, and Booth’s appearance later that afternoon at his residence at the National Hotel.
This map shows us the locations taken of videos for the John Wilkes Booth’s Last Day in Washington series. Videos #1 and #5 were at the site of Ford’s Theater. Videos #2 and #4 were taken on Pennsylvania Avenue on the south side of the site of the National Hotel (now the Newseum). Videos #3 and #6 were taken on the north side of the site of the National Hotel. Video #7 was taken in the vicinity of the Willard Hotel. Videos #8 and #9 were taken at Mary Surratt’s Boarding House. Videos #10 and #11 were taken at the site of Grover’s National Theatre. Videos #12 and #13 were taken at the site of the Kirkwood House. Video #14 was taken at the site of the National Hotel (now the Newseum). This map was created facing north at approximately 10:30 AM on Friday, July 24, 2009.
In Video #12 (Videos #1-#11 were shown in our previous Booth posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich tells us that John Wilkes Booth has already arranged with George Atzerodt to rent a room at this Hotel where Andrew Johnson the Vice President was staying. Booth also stops by sometime in the afternoon of April 14, 1865 to drop off a card and possibly find out Johnson’s schedule. Mike mistakenly stated in the video the afternoon of July 14th and of course he meant April 14th. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
The Kirkwood House was a five story hotel which had been recently renovated in 1865. The Kirkwood was replaced by an office building. This site was occupied by the Raleigh Hotel from 1893 until it was razed in 1966 to make room for this office building. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
In Video #13 Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich explains that Andrew Johnson took the Oath of Office to become the 17th President of the United States in the Kirkwood Hotel on April 15, 1865. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
Andrew Johnson took the presidential oath of office at approximately 10:00 AM on Saturday, April 15, 1865. Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase administered the oath of office in front of members of the cabinet. This sketch was drawn circa 1865 and is courtesy of the Lincoln Institute.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich is the author of the book Remarkable Stories of the Lincoln Assassination. He is standing in front of the Newseum, which in 1865 was the site of the National Hotel. This view was taken facing north at approximately 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
In Video #14 Mike Kanazawich is back at the National Hotel (Newseum) at 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Mike explains that the afternoon of April 14th, John Wilkes Booth had another letter to write. The clerks at the National Hotel said that Booth did not look well. Booth did encourage the clerks to attend Ford’s Theater that night. This view was taken facing northwest to north at approximately 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
The National Hotel is shown on the left (north) side of Pennsylvania Avenue. The unfinished Capitol dome is in the background. This view is courtesy of the Library of Congress. This view was painted facing southeast circa 1860.
The Capitol dome was completed in 1865. The Canadian Embassy is in the left background. The Newseum is out of site to the left of the Canadian Embassy. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
