Before Camp David, there was the Soldier’s Home. Although established in 1851 as a retirement home for military personnel (which it remains to this day), it also hosted four Presidents during the hot and steamy summer months, most notably among them, President Lincoln. The Soldier’s Home (and Lincoln’s Cottage) are just a short walk from our house, and although we have lived there two and a half years, we hadn’t actually made it over for a tour. We decided Lincoln’s Cottage would make a perfect Christmas Eve date – because we are dorky, historic house buffs like that. So good we married each other 
It was pretty neat. The Cottage (if you can really refer to a 30-something room house that way) was restored just a few years ago and is mostly unfurnished, but the guide did a good job talking about what was known of Lincoln’s time in the house. One thing that I found really interesting was that while Lincoln and his family lived at the cottage in the summer months, he commuted on horseback to the White House every day for work – a true Washingtonian!
If you like history and happen to find yourself in the neighborhood, Lincoln’s Cottage is a good way to spend an hour or two.
