Join us on a tour of "Lafayette Square in the Civil War Era". Our guide will once again be native Washingtonian, longtime tour guide, and DCV member, Craig Howell.
Craig has given this particular tour many times for a variety of groups, both local and national. Starting from the equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in the middle of the Square, Craig will lead us on a stroll along each of the park's four sides, with frequent stops to talk about the buildings, people and events that made this neighborhood the epicenter of Washington City's political and social life for many years in the mid-19th century.
Among the topics covered will be:
* The sensational murder of Philip Barton Key, son of Francis Scott Key and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, by New York Congressman Dan Sickles, followed by the "Trial of the Century" that resulted in a quick jury acquittal, illustrating Traditional Family Values, 19th Century style.
* The life and colorful career of Rose O'Neill Greenhow, one of the Queen Bees of Washington Society and organizer of a notorious Confederate spy ring.
* The story of Decatur House, first residential building constructed on the edge of what was originally called Presidents Park, and its prominent owners and renters.
* Stories revolving around Dolley Madison, First Lady during her husband's Administration but a national figure of great repute both before and after her husband's term of office, who lived in the second oldest residential building on the Square.
* And the awful events on the night of April 14, 1865, when Lincoln's Secretary of State William Seward was assaulted in his own bed in the Rogers House facing the Square, a vicious knife attack that he somehow survived but that tragically led to the deaths of his wife and daughter.
As a bonus and as time allows, Craig will also occasionally discuss Lafayette Square's importance in our city's LGBTQ+ history. Craig has been a member of GLAA since 1973 and was a close friend of the late Frank Kameny, one of the founders of modern political gay activism.
Attendance will be limited to 25.