Maxwell Woodhull House, George Washington University

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This two-story corner house, built in 1854-1855 by Maxwell Woodhull, was donated to George Washington University in 1921 by the original owner's son, General Maxwell Van Zandt Woodhull. The younger Woodhull, a University trustee and benefactor, had been instrumental in the University's relocation from its original site downtown to the Foggy Bottom area.

Between 1855 and 1858, Senator William Henry Seward of New York lived in the house. Following his unsuccessful candidacies for the presidency in 1856 and 1860, Seward went on to serve as Secretary of State under Presidents Lincoln and Johnson and is remembered today for negotiating the purchase of the Alaska territory. He was known to his contemporaries as an outspoken opponent of slavery and the first major political figure in the nascent Republican Party. 

Today, the renovated Woodhull House is connected to the George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum. It houses a selection of artifacts from the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection.

DC Inventory: November 18, 1987
National Register: April 12, 1991