Once known as Anderson Cottage, this Gothic Revival-style residence was the setting where Abraham Lincoln penned the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. Built between 1842-1843, the cottage first served as home to George Washington Riggs, founder of Riggs National Bank. It was later used as a seasonal getaway for several U.S. Presidents, including James Buchanan (1857-1861), Abraham Lincoln (1862-1864), Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881), and Chester Arthur (1881-1885). The cottage stands on the same 251-acre complex as the Soldier’s Home, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places…
