Surratt House Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Surratt House
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Surratt House, Clinton, Maryland
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 Location in Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Location | 9110 Brandywine Road, Clinton, Maryland, U.S. |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002164 |
| Added to NRHP | March 30, 1973 |
The Surratt House is a historic home and museum in Clinton, Maryland. It is also known as the Mary Surratt House or the Surratt House Museum. John and Mary Surratt built this house in 1852. Mary Surratt became famous because of her connection to the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
The house was bought by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) in 1965. It was then carefully restored. In 1976, it opened as a museum for people to visit.
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Building the Surratt House
The Surratt House was first built in 1852. It was a home for a middle-class family. Mary Jenkins and John Harrison Surratt got married in 1840. John Surratt bought a large piece of farmland near what is now Clinton in 1851.
By 1853, he had built a tavern and an inn on the land. The area around the tavern was soon named Surrattsville. A post office was even set up inside the tavern. John Surratt became the first postmaster. In 1854, John added a hotel to his tavern. He called it Surratt's Hotel. Over time, he also built other buildings. These included a carriage house, a stable, and a general store.
The House and Lincoln's Assassination
John Surratt passed away in 1862. Mary Surratt found it hard to manage the farm and businesses by herself. In 1864, she decided to move to a townhouse in Washington, D.C.
The Surratt tavern played a small role in a plan to kidnap President Abraham Lincoln. In March 1865, Mary's son, John Surratt Jr., and his friends hid some weapons and supplies at the Surratt tavern.
On April 11, Mary Surratt visited her Maryland tavern. She told her tenant, John Lloyd, to get the hidden items ready. On April 14, Mary Surratt visited the tavern again. Before she left Washington, John Wilkes Booth spoke with her. He gave her a package to deliver to Lloyd. Mary delivered the package. She also told Lloyd to have the weapons ready.
After assassinating President Lincoln, Booth and David Herold briefly stopped at the Surratt House. They picked up the weapons and the package. Mary Surratt was later found to be involved in the plot. She faced serious consequences for her role in July 1865.
What the House Looks Like
The Surratt House is a two-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof. The front and back of the house look similar. Each side has five windows on both floors. A small porch covers the front door.
Inside, there are fireplaces at both ends of the house. A single staircase connects the first and second floors. The outside walls are made of overlapping wooden boards. On one side, there is a long porch with a slanted roof.
Between 1853 and 1864, the Surratts added a small, one-and-a-half-story section to the house. This part had its own entrance and a root cellar. This original addition did not last. However, it was rebuilt in the 1980s. This was part of a project to make the house look like it did in 1865.
Over the years, other owners changed the house. Some extended the porch. Others added a two-story porch to the back.
The Surratt House Museum
After Mary Surratt's involvement in the assassination plot, the government took control of the house. It was later sold and privately owned for many years. In 1939, a small fire caused minor damage to the building.
In 1965, the Surratt House was given to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). The plan was to move the house, but it stayed in its original spot. The M-NCPPC bought the land under the house in 1968.
The Surratt House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This list recognizes important historical sites. The M-NCPPC finished restoring the house in 1975.
A group called the Surratt Society was formed in 1975. Today, they help run the Surrattsville tavern and house as a historical site. The museum teaches visitors about life in Maryland in the mid-1800s. It also covers the Abraham Lincoln assassination. Some of the furniture and art in the house are original items owned by Mary Surratt.
Next to the Surratt House, there is a modern building. It serves as a gift shop, a research center, and offices for the museum.
Images for kids
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Surratt House Museum - April 2016
See also
- Mary E. Surratt Boarding House
- St. Catharine (Waldorf, Maryland)
