Throwback Thursday – 24 NOV 2022 MAJOR Walter Reed

Yellow Jack:

How Yellow Fever Ravaged America

and

Walter Reed Discovered Its Deadly Secrets 

by John R. Pierce (Author), James V. Writer (Author)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The end of a scourge

“The prayer that has been mine for twenty years, that I might be permitted in some way or some time to do something to alleviate human suffering, has been answered!“
–Major Walter Reed, writing to his wife, New Year’s Eve, 1900

As he wrote to his wife of his stunning success in the mission to identify the cause of yellow fever and find a way to eradicate the disease, Walter Reed had answered the prayers of millions. For more than 250 years, the yellow jack had ravaged the Americas, bringing death to millions and striking panic in entire populations. The very mention of its presence in a city or town produced instant chaos as thousands fled in terror, leaving the frail, the weak, and the ill to fend for themselves.

Yellow Jack tracks the history of this deadly scourge from its earliest appearance in the Caribbean 350 years ago, telling the compelling story of a few extraordinarily brave souls who struggled to understand and eradicate yellow fever. Risking everything for the cause of science and humanity, Reed and his teammates on the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Board invaded the heart of enemy territory in Cuba to pursue the disease–and made one of the twentieth century’s greatest medical discoveries. This thrilling adventure tells the timeless tale of their courage, ingenuity, and triumph in the face of adversity.

The Legacy of Major Walter Reed 

Major Walter Reed, a physician by training, must have had a curious mind beyond just medicine.  His curiosity and investigative nature allowed him to leave a legacy that impacted the world of medicine but most of all the world around him.  His findings allowed the Panama Canal to be completed.

Walter Reed

Major Walter Reed Conquers Yellow Fever

Walter Reed Conquers Yellow Fever

Building 58 – Fort Lesley J. McNair

Major Reed died in building 58 on November 23, 1902. In 1900 Walter Reed led the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Board that documented the mosquito transmission of Yellow Fever, proved the existence of the first viral disease in man and was the first research group to get informed consent from its subjects. This building served as a hospital on the installation then known as Washington Barracks. Walter Reed General Hospital, named in his honor, opened its doors to patients transferred from this building on May 1, 1909.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Run, Don’t Walk:

The Curious and Courageous Life

Inside Walter Reed Army Medical Center 

Paperback

by Adele Levine

ABOUT THE BOOK:

M*A*S*H meets Scrubs in a sharply observant, darkly funny, and totally unique debut memoir from physical therapist Adele Levine.
 
In her six years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Adele Levine rehabilitated soldiers admitted in worse and worse shape. As body armor and advanced trauma care helped save the lives—if not the limbs—of American soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, Walter Reed quickly became the world leader in amputee rehabilitation. But no matter the injury, physical therapy began the moment the soldiers emerged from surgery.
 
Days at Walter Reed were intense, chaotic, consuming, and heartbreaking, but they were also filled with camaraderie and humor. Working in a glassed-in fishbowl gymnasium, Levine, her colleagues, and their combat-injured patients were on display at every moment to tour groups, politicians, and celebrities. Some would shudder openly at the sight—but inside the glass and out of earshot, the PTs and the patients cracked jokes, played pranks, and compared stumps.
 
With dazzling storytelling, Run, Don’t Walk introduces a motley array of oddball characters including:  Jim, a retired lieutenant-colonel who stays up late at night baking cake after cake, and the militant dietitian who is always after him; a surgeon who only speaks in farm analogies; a therapy dog gone rogue; —and Levine’s toughest patient, the wild, defiant Cosmo, who comes in with one leg amputated and his other leg shattered.
 
Entertaining, engrossing, and ultimately inspiring, Run, Don’t Walk is a fascinating look into a hidden world.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center Hospital

BUY THE BOOK

Images of America – Fort Myer is a pictorial chronicle of the first one hundred years of history containing over two hundred photographs, maps, and images.  Beginning in the 1860s and carrying through the 1960s it provides a view of what was over time.  An autographed copy of the book can be purchased at BUY THE BOOK.

Throwback Thursday 10 MAR 2022 – Coffee Mill Gun

Coffee Mill Gun?

Ordnance Innovation During the Civil War

The Civil War marked a tipping point to new innovations to fight a war.

One of those was the Agar gun developed by Wilson Agar from its appearance, it resembled a coffee mill. The bullets were inserted into steel sleeves which were reusable.

by Brian Bergin (Author), Erin Bergin Voorheis (Editor), Michael R. Ph.D. Fritsch (Afterword), Steve Hammond (Foreword)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In 1864, residents of Washington, D.C., mourned together at the largest funeral the district had ever seen. In the midst of the Civil War, the poor Irish neighborhood of the Island lost twenty-one mothers, sisters, and daughters. On June 17, dangerous working conditions and a series of unfortunate events led to the deadly explosion of a Federal arsenal at Fort McNair, where the young women made cartridges to assist the war effort. In the wake of the horrific event, a monument was erected at Congressional Cemetery to honor those who were lost. Author Brian Bergin similarly memorializes these women through his book, detailing the poor working conditions, the investigation into the avoidable events leading to the tragedy, and the reaction of a community already battered by the Civil War.

The Washington Arsenal Explosion:

Civil War Disaster in the Capital

 Paperback

Washington Arsenal Demonstration

President Abraham Lincoln attended a demonstration of what some consider one of the first machine guns at Washington Arsenal. Lincoln was so impressed with the gun, that he bought ten of them on the spot.  Several Union Generals also purchased the gun, but it was hardly used since the Ordnance Department thought it used too much ammunition.

Coffee Mill Gun Replica  in action

Use During the Civil War

Ager “Coffee Mill” gun in the hands of the 96th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment, Camp Northumberland, northern Virginia, February 1862

OVER 200 HISTORICAL IMAGES, MAPS & ILLUSTRATIONS

The book, Images of America – Fort Lesley J. McNair contains over two hundred historical photographs, images, and illustrations that chronicle the two hundred plus years of history among the acres of this US Army Post.

The book “Images of America – Fort Lesley J McNair”  is “a walk down memory lane” as one reader called it after he turned the last page.  Go beyond

Throwback Thursday 17 FEB 2022 – Army War College 1919

So What’s in a Name?  Army War College 1919!

The Engineers are Heading Across the Potomac

Since their arrival in 1901 from Willets Point – Fort Totten, the US Army engineers, and their Engineering School occupied the acres at Greenleaf Point.  The top Army Commanders had other plans for the engineers … move to what in the current day is Fort Belvoir as the name changed to Camp A.A. Humphreys in 1917.  It was because of Major General Andrew Atkinson Humphreys and appreciative of his contribution to the United States Army as Chief Engineer of the U.S. Army.

A View Down 4th Street

with the NCO quarters on the right and the parade field  loaded with tents on the left, one can barely see the dome of Roosevelt Hall where was located the United States Army War College 1919

by General Andrew A. Humphreys (Author)

The Virginia Campaign, 1864 And 1865

(Campaigns of the Civil War)

Paperback – March 22, 1995

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“Recounts the climactic year-long grapple between the Civil War’s two foremost generals–Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. A classic campaign history.”–Brooks D. Simpson

Most people still view the final, bloody confrontation between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee as a relentless grinding away of the Army of Northern Virginia in a continuous battle of attrition, attributing Grant’s victory not to his generalship but to his overwhelming superiority in numbers. General Andrew A. Humphreys (1810-1883), chief of staff of the Army of the Potomac and later the fiery commander of the Second Corps, provides readers with a far more enlightened understanding of The Virginia Campaign, 1864 and 1865. Humphreys was known for his high military scholarship, conspicuous courage, and remarkable coolness in combat. Joshua Chamberlain hailed him as “the accomplished, heroic soldier, the noble and modest man.” Humphreys led troops in action at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg; by war’s end, he was still fighting, blocking Lee’s retreating columns and helping to hem in the Confederates at Appomattox.

In The Virginia Campaign, Humphreys examines the strategy, battles, and consequences from the detached perspective of a historian intimately acquainted with his material. Especially valuable is his clear dissection of alternative plans of the campaign. For readers seeking concise accounts of, and insightful analyses into, the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor, the siege of Petersburg, the capture of Richmond, and the surrender of Lee’s army, this volume in the landmark Campaigns of the Civil War series more than fulfills the requirements.
Introduction by Brooks D. Simpson

The Troops with Some Recreation Time – Having a Ball!

With the barracks and the flagpole in the background, the troops take some time to take some time to have a ball on the drill field.

Preparing to Fire the Retreat Gun

The flagpole was encircled with several artillery pieces that were captured in the battle over the years.  However, there was only one gun that was used for the commencement of the retreat ceremony.

by Brigadier-General Andrew A. Humphreys (Author)

The Virginia Campaign:

Last Year of the Civil War (Annotated)

Paperback – November 11, 2016

ABOUT THE BOOK:

General Andrew Humphreys always led his men from the front. After distinguished service on the Peninsula, at Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and elsewhere, he nearly lost his division at Gettysburg in Sickles’ ill-advised move out in front of the Union lines. After Gettysburg, Humphrey’s acceded to the request of General Meade to become his Chief of Staff. He served in that capacity until November of 1864 when he took command of II Corps. Humphreys’ extraordinarily detailed account of the entire Virginia Campaign was highly praised by his peers after the war. He was at the center of events and scoured the official records of both sides of the Civil War when writing this account in 1883. He describes the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, the Mine explosion, and the final surrender, among many anecdotes about the famous men with whom he served. Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever.

Signal Corps Mobile Repair Truck

For the Service Squadron,  this was the machine chop truck to handle repairs in the field

OVER 200 HISTORICAL IMAGES, MAPS & ILLUSTRATIONS

The book, Images of America – Fort Lesley J. McNair contains over two hundred historical photographs, images, and illustrations that chronicle the two hundred plus years of history among the acres of this US Army Post.

The book “Images of America – Fort Lesley J McNair”  is “a walk down memory lane” as one reader called it after he turned the last page.  Go beyond

Lieut Gen Sir George Tom Molesworth Bridges Speaks at Washington Barracks

General Tom Bridges Speaks at Washington Barracks

Lieutenant General Sir George Tom Molesworth Bridges (1871-1939), also known as Sir Tom Bridges, served as an officer in the British Army and as Governor of South Australia.

It was in front of then the United States Army War College or Roosevelt Hall (It has now become the National War College) where Tom Bridges Speaks at Washington Barracks in 1916 to a crowd of Washingtonians about World War I.

Sir George Tom Molesworth Bridges KCB KCMG DSO

KCB Knight Commander of Bath

KCMG Knight Commander (of the Order) of St Michael and St George

DSO Distinguished Service Order

Knight Grand Cross KGC

At the beginning of World War I, Major George Tom Molesworth Bridges commanded C Squadron 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards which had the distinction of being the first unit of WW1 to go into action against the Germans, on the Soignes road, on 22nd Aug 1914.

READ MORE HERE

His Memoirs

Alarms and Excursions:

Reminiscences of a Soldier

Obituary

HOVE, England, Nov. 26 (UP)– Lieut. Gen. Sir George Tom Molesworth Bridges, who used a tin whistle and a toy drum to rally the British troops retreating from Mons during the World War, died today in a nursing home here after a long illness. His age was 68.

READ MORE HERE

OVER 200 HISTORICAL IMAGES, MAPS & ILLUSTRATIONS

The book, Images of America – Fort Lesley J. McNair contains over two hundred historical photographs, images, and illustrations that chronicle the two hundred plus years of history among the acres of this US Army Post.

The book “Images of America – Fort Lesley J McNair”  is “a walk down memory lane” as one reader called it after he turned the last page.  Go beyond

Fort McNair’s 140-year-old building slated for renovation

By Leah Rubalcaba

Bldg. 17, located on the Fort McNair portion of the base, is one of the three oldest Bldgs. on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall and is slated for a well-deserved renovation this year.

This 1 ½-story brick structure was constructed in 1881 using reclaimed brick from the former Washington Penitentiary that was built between 1825 and 1831. The only part of the penitentiary Bldg. that remains today is Fort McNair’s Bldg. 20.

Bldg. 17 first served as the guardhouse of the Washington Barracks — today’s Fort McNair. Fort McNair originated as a military post in 1791, when Pierre L’Enfant designated 28 acres of what was then known as Greenleaf Point as a military post, named the Washington Arsenal. The post was transferred to Quartermaster Corps in 1878, becoming the Washington Barracks, and in 1948, the barracks was named for Lt. Gen. Lesley J. McNair.

The Washington Arsenal Explosion:

Civil War Disaster in the Capital

 Paperback

The only Washington Barracks buildings that exist on Fort McNair today include Bldgs. 17 and 20, along with Bldg. 21, known as the Model Arsenal, built in 1832.

From its beginnings as a guardhouse, Bldg. 17 was converted to housing around 1900 and served as officers’ quarters.

After Fort McNair opened a 9-hole golf course in 1972 in the field just north of Roosevelt Hall, between C and D Streets, Bldg. 17 housed the golf pro-shop for many years. According to Andy Finnerty, a recreation specialist with Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, when he arrived at Fort McNair in 1995 to serve as the golf course manager, Bldg. 17 still housed the pro-shop and included a deli that was frequented by golfers and National Defense University students alike. The golf course eventually closed in 2003.

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies moved to Fort McNair in 2004 as a regional center affiliated with NDU. Some of the center’s personnel were housed in Bldg. 17 and, in April 2009, the building came to be known as the Africa Center for Strategic Studies Annex.

The nearly $3 million design-build contract for the Bldg. 17 renovation was awarded to XL Construction LLC.

According to project engineer Elihu Hirsch, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, interior demolition work has already begun to expose the original ceiling of the building.

“The 1 ½ story of the building is based on the fact that, historically, the building had an exposed structure that allowed for natural interior lighting through the use of clerestory windows,” said Hirsch.

In architecture, a clerestory is a high section of the wall that contains windows above eye level to admit light and fresh air.

“We are planning on restoring the interior of the building, much as it looked originally, by removing much of the interior ceiling to expose the building roof structure and benefit from natural light from the three arched windows,” said Hirsch. “We are now above a drywall ceiling.”

Hirsch added that while the original windows will remain, damaged wood trim at the windows will be replaced. The floor and wall finishes will be updated, with the finishes inside the building restored to the way they existed in the 1800s.

Renovation work will also replace the building’s HVAC and electrical systems, including lighting. Bldg. 17 will benefit from a new access ramp installed at its entrance, as well as an Americans with Disability Act of the 1990-accessible restroom and a secure room for classified communication.

“We will also be removing a non-historic addition on the east side of the building that is being used for a storage room,” said Hirsch.

When asked if he had any reservations about working on the 140-year-old building, Hirsch replied, “We do not anticipate any issues with historical preservation. We are working closely with Kelly Whitton (cultural resources manager for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall), and it is our intent to provide minimal exterior changes and restore the interior to look like it did historically.”

The anticipated completion date is Jan. 23, 2022.

NOTE: Leah Rubalcaba  is the  Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Community Relations Officer

OVER 200 HISTORICAL IMAGES, MAPS & ILLUSTRATIONS

The book, Images of America – Fort Lesley J. McNair contains over two hundred historical photographs, images, and illustrations that chronicle the two hundred plus years of history among the acres of this US Army Post.

The book “Images of America – Fort Lesley J McNair”  is “a walk down memory lane” as one reader called it after he turned the last page.  Go beyond

Throwback Thursday 15 OCT 2020 GRADUATING EXERCISES-CLASS 1920

Major General James W McAndrew addressing students. General Staff College, Washington Barracks, D.C

GRADUATING EXERCISES-CLASS 1920-General Staff College-Major General James W McAndrew addressing students. General Staff College, Washington Barracks, D.C on the steps of Roosevelt Hall

Major General James W McAndrew

Major General James W McAndrew (U.S.M.A., 1888) was commandant of the General Staff College at Washington Barracks, Washington, D.C. As a captain, he had been an honor student at the School of the Line (A college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as the School of Application for Infantry and Cavalry – later simply the Infantry and Cavalry School-,a training school for infantry and cavalry officers. In 1907 it changed its title to the School of the Line. The curriculum expanded throughout World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War and continues to adapt to include lessons learned from current conflicts) in 1909-10 when George C Marshall was an instructor. He traveled to France in 1917 as a colonel assigned to the First Division’s Eighteenth Infantry. Later he was promoted to major general; and he established and was made commandant of the A.E.F.’s General Staff School at Langres, France. In May 1918, he replaced James G. Harbord as General John J. Pershing’s chief of staff. In 1919 he returned to the United States and to the General Staff College.

Major General James W McAndrew served as Pershing’s Chief of Staff in World War I

In the Company of Generals:

The World War I Diary of

Pierpont L. Stackpole 

Hardcover – November 1, 2009

OVER 200 HISTORICAL IMAGES, MAPS & ILLUSTRATIONS

The book, Images of America – Fort Lesley J. McNair contains over two hundred historical photographs, images, and illustrations that chronicle the two hundred plus years of history among the acres of this US Army Post.

The book “Images of America – Fort Lesley J McNair”  is “a walk down memory lane” as one reader called it after he turned the last page.  Go beyond

Throwback Thursday 26 SEP 2019 Washington Barracks Site Plan – 1893

The 4th Artillery Has Plans

Two Lieutenants of the 4th Artillery did their work and developed a WASHINGTON BARRACKS SITE PLAN.

What began as twenty-eight acres when designated by Pierre Charles L’Enfant as reservation #5, has had a storied history full of events and plans.

An arsenal first occupied the site in 1801 and it served the union effort during the Civil War. The arsenal was closed in 1881, and the post was transferred to the Quartermaster Corps. It was known by the name Washington Barracks.  It then served as a place of discovery by MAJ Walter Reed.

An Enlarged Version of the Key to the Buildings

The Best-laid Plans of Mice and Men* and the 4th Artillery Too

THE WASHINGTON BARRACKS SITE PLAN

It never happened!

Despite the well thought out plan directed by First Lieutenant  C.P. Townsley and Second Lieutenant Wirt Robinson, there were bigger plans or the acreage that soon would be revealed when Secretary of War Elihu Root and President Theodore Roosevelt combined with the noted architectural of McKim, Mead, & White took over the future of the acreage.

Major General Clarence P.Townsley

Clarence P.Townsley would ultimately retire as a Major General, was appointed from Iowa to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in July 1877, graduating 14th out of 53 in his USMA cadet class. On graduation in 1881, Townsley entered the 4th Artillery regiment, and the artillery corps is where he would spend his entire career. Townsley commanded several artillery garrisons before returning to the academy to occupy the superintendent’s billet in 1912. Townsley was in command of the USMA during the outbreak of World War I and continued to serve in this capacity until July 1916, when he was promoted to brigadier general and returned to garrison duty.

Colonel Wirt Robinson

Wirt Robinson would go on to serving 45 years in the United States Army. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1887. First Lieutenant of Artillery, 4th Artillery, Aug. 1, 1893, at Washington Barracks, D. C., with the regiment, to July 1894. He joined the faculty at West Point and was a professor of chemistry, mining, and geology from 1911 until his retirement. On October 16, 1928, he retired from the United States Army due to age requirements after 45 years, most of which was at West Point.

*The saying is adapted from a line in “To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns: “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.”

My Heart’s in the Highlands (Illustrated):

Selected Poems of Robert Burns Paperback

– January 13, 2019

OVER 200 HISTORICAL IMAGES, MAPS & ILLUSTRATIONS

The book, Images of America – Fort Lesley J. McNair contains over two hundred historical photographs, images, and illustrations that chronicle the two hundred plus years of history among the acres of this US Army Post.

The book “Images of America – Fort Lesley J McNair”  is “a walk down memory lane” as one reader called it after he turned the last page.  Go beyond

Thanksgiving at Fort Lesley J McNair in 1964

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 1964

Back in 1964,  it was when Fort Lesley J McNair had a post commander, Colonel Horace E Townsend.  The Military District of Washington (MDW), Colonel Louis Gershenow was Acting Commander, had still not moved onto the post. And both the Army Corps of Engineers and US Army Band – “Pershing’s Own” relocated to different posts (the Band relocated to Fort Myer in the 1940s and along with it, the US Army School of Music.)

The 67th Ordnance Detachment (EOD) & Old Guard Garrisoned on Post

Yet, there were troops that were garrisoned on the post. They enjoyed a very delightful meal. Among them were the troops from the 67th Ordnance Detachment (EOD) stationed at Fort McNair. Responsible for EOD support to the Secret Service and their mission of safeguarding the President and other VIPs in Washington D.C. and international locations to which they traveled. And the US Army’s oldest infantry unit – the 3d Infantry – The Old Guard – Alpha Company.  This company of soldiers, which in current times is also known as the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard, is one of the specialty units within this regiment.

The Commander-in-Chief’s Guard

These soldiers are the ones who wear the colonial uniform as prescribed by General George Washington and carry flintlocks which they refer to as “firelocks” with long bayonets. Their officers carry items known as espontoons. Their marching style is rather unique for today’s way of marching,  especially when it comes to turning – they do “wheels”!

Buy the Mug!

Commander in Chief’s Guard Coffee Mug
by john_michael_photos

OLD GUARD 1964 THANKSGIVING MENU

OVER 200 HISTORICAL IMAGES, MAPS & ILLUSTRATIONS

The book, Images of America – Fort Lesley J. McNair contains over two hundred historical photographs, images, and illustrations which chronicle the two hundred plus years of history among the acres of this US Army Post.

The book “Images of America – Fort Lesley J McNair”  is “a walk down memory lane” as one reader called it after he turned the last page.  Go beyond

Where in the World is Freddy?

Who’s Freddy? And why is he so important… Frederick the Great!

The Army War College Begins with a New Building

The College was founded by Secretary of War Elihu Root and U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and formally established by General Order 155 on 27 November 1901. When they conceived of the Army War College their plan included an elegant building on the peninsula in Washington, DC that has become Fort Lesley J McNair.  That building became Roosevelt Hall designed by the architects of the day: McKim, Mead & White.

Here Comes Freddy and a Few “No-Shows”

What would become Roosevelt Hall, would be built in the “Beaux-Arts” style which was a specialty of the architectural firm chosen to make it happen.  All of the Washington Arsenal buildings near and on the ground where the new building would be erected were demolished and cleared.  Bricks from those buildings were salvaged and repurposed.

An open solicitation went out for statues of warriors to be placed on pedestals in front of the building. The statue of Frederick the Great donated by Emperor Wilhelm II was the first military leader to occupy a pedestal even during the demolition, clearing, and construction phases.  Invitations to procure donations of other warriors such as Caesar, Hannibal, Alexander, Suvaroff, and Wellington — ALL ended up as”No Shows”!

Frederick the Great overlooking was the first to occupy a pedestal even during the demolition, clearing, and construction phases.

Freddie Goes into Hiding

For years Freddy was the lone sentinel on his pedestal in front of Roosevelt Hall.  When World War I broke out,  someone left a suitcase of explosives at his pedestal with the intent to blow the statue up. So he went into hiding until 1927 when he was placed on his pedestal. Then someone decided he needed a vacation to the Carlisle Barracks when the Army War College reopened therein 1951.

Frederick the Great on his pedestal in front of Roosevelt Hall

Freddie at the Carlisle Barracks

Frederick the Great on the west end of Carlisle Barracks parade field

Hessian Powder Magazine also on Carlisle Barracks

Just down the street from Freddie’s statue sits the Hessian Powder Magazine.  It was built in 1777.

OVER 200 HISTORICAL IMAGES, MAPS & ILLUSTRATIONS

The book, Images of America – Fort Lesley J. McNair contains over two hundred historical photographs, images, and illustrations that chronicle the two hundred plus years of history among the acres of this US Army Post.

The book “Images of America – Fort Lesley J McNair”  is “a walk down memory lane” as one reader called it after he turned the last page.  Go beyond

Brick, Brick, Wall and a Few Buildings Too! (Part 1)

The Capital City Needs A New Federal Penitentiary – Part 1

When President John Quincy Adams tapped Charles Bulfinch, the architect from Boston, to design the first federal penitentiary on the northern acres of Greenleaf Point, who knew the role this structure would later play in the history of the United States – specifically in regard to the Lincoln assassination.   Bulfinch, as the 3rd Architect of the Capitol, had redesigned that building, incorporating a new central dome to it. He succeeded Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who was the 2nd Architect of the Capitol, and Stephen Hallet (a.k.a. Étienne Sulpice Hallet) who was Major Pierre Charles L’Enfant‘s draftsman and the 1st Architect of the Capitol.

It Began in Boston

Bulfinch made his name and reputation in New England, specifically in Massachusetts and around Boston -designing several buildings. Among these facts was why in 1817 he was named the Architect of the Capital. In addition to the work done on the Capitol, he designed a prison in Alexandria, Va. (1826) and also designed the Federal Penitentiary (1827-28), Washington DC.

An In-depth Penitentiary Study

To get a better perspective about a penitentiary design,  Bulfinch sought out a variety of prisons both existing or those being built in New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.  Armed with that knowledge, he then prepared a report to the President that highlighted his actions and the conclusions and recommendations for the new penitentiary that would be built for the Capital City located at the northern end of Greenleaf Point.

Results  and Recommendations for the Penitentiary

Read a copy of the report Bullfinch-report-to-congress

A Penitentiary Design

Based on his report and details in it, the new District of Columbia Penitentiary would be a four-story brick building with twenty cells on each floor or a total of one hundred sixty cells surrounded by a perimeter wall.  The front of the penitentiary would face north.  Within the courtyard would be a separate building – that’s where the kitchen, mess hall, and the shoe factory would be.

Courtesy of the DC History Center

Built in 1826 on the grounds of the Washington Arsenal, the Washington Penitentiary was the first operated by the Federal Government. Designed by Charles Bulfinch, the three-story main building could accommodate 160 prisoners. In 1862, the prison was closed, the building was transferred to the Arsenal, to be a military arms warehouse. It is best known as the site of the trial and execution of the alleged conspirators in the assassination of President Lincoln on April 14, 1865. Some of the penitentiary buildings were demolished in 1867, others in 1903; only the eastern house of the facility remains.

What the Future Held

The penitentiary was completed in 1827 and never filled to capacity and the shoe factory didn’t provide enough income to maintain the facility since the combination of types of prisoners along with the number wasn’t sufficient. Yet less than four decades later, it would be the site of what would be the incarceration, trial, and hanging of four of the Lincoln assassination conspirators including Mary Surratt – the first woman hanged by the US  federal government.

WASHINGTON DC BOUNDARY STONES

BUY THE BOOK

An  Author Autographed copy of the book is available for purchase.  Buy the Book

Brick, Brick, Wall  – Part 2 –

After that fateful day – 07 JUL 1865  what happened Next?   (COMING SOON)