Decatur House
Decatur House is a historic house museum at 748 Jackson Place in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It is named after its first owner and occupant, the naval officer Stephen Decatur. The house (built, 1818) is located at the northwest corner of Lafayette Square, at the southwest corner of Jackson Place and H Street, about a block from the White House.
Decatur House | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property | |
North side of Decatur House as restored 2006–2008. | |
| Location | 748 Jackson Pl., NW. Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°54′0.2″N 77°2′17.4″W |
| Area | < 1-acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1818 |
| Architect | Benjamin Henry Latrobe |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Part of | Lafayette Square Historic District (ID70000833) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000858 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960 |
| Designated NHLDCP | August 29, 1970 |
In 1836, new owners built an outbuilding on the property at the back which was in part used for slave quarters. Until the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, weekly auctions of enslaved black persons were held in the house's backyard, now a wedding venue. The building currently houses a museum, as well as the National Center for White House History, operated by the White House Historical Association.