Ford's Theatre

Description

The original building on this site was the First Baptist Church, built in 1833, which was purchased and converted into a theater in 1861 by John T. Ford. This was destroyed in a fire in Dec 1862 and the theater was rebuilt in brick, reopening in Aug 1863. It was in this new theater that President Lincoln was assassinated on 14 Apr 1865. The theater was temporarily seized by the government for the purpose of the investigation. When it was returned to Mr. Ford he initially announced a new production, The Octoroon, to reopen on 10 July 1865. Due to public outrage, this show never opened. The interior theater was dismantled and the building converted into a multi-story office building. In 1893 there was a structural collapse of the interior floors, killing 22 government clerks. After repairs it continued as storage and office space until 1932 when it was converted as a museum for Lincoln. Over the next few decades the theater was restored back to its 1865 appearance and the site reopened as a live performance theater in 1968