Mary Surratt House
This 1843 boarding house is known for its role in the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.
Text
The Mary Elizabeth Surratt Boarding House is an 1843 vernacular Greek Revival dwelling that Mary Surratt operated as a boarding house from September 1864 through April 1865. During this period, John Wilkes Booth visited the boarding house both socially and to meet with other members of the conspiracy while planning President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Mary Surratt was the first woman executed by the federal government, encouraging a debate regarding her guilt that has continued to this day. After her execution for her participation in the assassination conspiracy, subsequent owners continued to maintain the property as a boarding house.
In 1925, then-owner Irvan Schwarztman converted the first floor of the dwelling into a commercial space and added show windows at the street level. In 1931, Yow Chin Teas moved into the building and subsequent tenants have included High Wah & Co. Importers, Sie Que Co. Imports, and the Suey Sang Lung Co. grocery. Today, the building is part of the Chinese restaurant chain, Wok & Roll.
DC Inventory: July 24, 1968 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
National Register: August 11, 2009
