Decatur House
Decatur House was the first home built in the White House neighborhood and is one of the oldest surviving houses in DC
Decatur House was built in 1818 by naval hero (in the War of 1812) Stephen Decatur, Jr. and his wife Susan. Unfortunately, a little more than a year after moving in, Stephen was injured in a duel and died from his wounds. Susan could not afford to keep up the property on her own, so she moved out and rented the house to American politicians and foreign dignitaries, including three Secretaries of State in a row. She eventually sold the house to John Gadsby, who operated Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria. After Gadsby’s death, his wife rented the house to Vice President George Dallas (who served under President James Polk). General and diplomat Edward Beale then bought the house, which was passed down to his son. The house is now operated by the White House Historical Association.
A tour of Decatur House includes details about the house’s various owners and the history of the neighborhood. One interesting detail in the house is the ivory “mortgage button” on the railing of the stairs. My tour guide explained that once the mortgage on a home was paid off, the mortgage document would be rolled up, placed inside the stair post, and topped with a “button” to show everyone that no debt remained on the house. There is some doubt among historians about whether this tradition really existed or if the buttons were merely decorative and a myth developed over time. The spindle with the mortgage button at Decatur House has not been opened or scanned to verify the contents, but it is a fun story.
Almost all of Decatur House’s owners and tenants leveraged its prime location near the White House to host exclusive parties. Edward Beale and his wife performed extensive renovations to make the house more fashionable for these gatherings. The parquet floors in the second floor parlor were installed during this time period. The wood comes from California, where Edward made his wealth, and the medallion detail is modeled after the California State Seal.
Although Decatur House has had many occupants over the years, the presence of its original owners is still felt. After his untimely death, there have been reports over the years of the ghost of Stephan Decatur looking out of a second story window. Others claim to hear his wife Susan weeping throughout the house. These ghost sightings were not mentioned by my tour guide, though, and there was no sign of unsettled spirits on the day of my visit.
The tour ends in the slave quarters, a rare example of the life of slaves in an urban setting. This portion of the tour is the most interesting, and I wish more time had been spent on the lives and stories of the slaves who lived there. During John Gadsby’s ownership, up to 20 slaves lived on the second floor of the servant’s wing. At the time, the only exterior door opened into the courtyard to assist Gadsby in maintaining control over his slaves and to keep their activities hidden from the public.
Perhaps the most well known enslaved person to live at Decatur House is Charlotte Dupuy. Charlotte sued her owner, Secretary of State Henry Clay, for her freedom, arguing that he was obligated to uphold the promise of emancipation made by her previous owner. The courts ruled against her, and Clay forced her to move to Kentucky where he had returned after his term as Secretary of State was over.
Decatur House only offers tours on Mondays during business hours and is closed on federal holidays, making it difficult for most people to visit. The tour is not so interesting that I recommend taking time off work to check it out unless you find yourself with some free time on a Monday.
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Address
1610 H St NW
Metro Station
- Farragut West (OR, BL, SV)
- Farragut North (RD)
Directions
Tours begin at the entrance for the White House Historical Association on H Street, not the entrance to the house itself on Jackson Place.
Cost
Free
Hours
Tours on Mondays at 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:00 pm
Length of Adventure
1 hour
Website
https://www.whitehousehistory.org/events/tour-the-historic-decatur-house
