Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich is the author of the book Remarkable Stories of the Lincoln Assassination. He is standing in Ford’s Theater. The reconstructed box where John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln is in the background. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:45 PM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
In today’s post, Booth visits the Presidential Box in Ford’s Theater to prepare an obstruction for the assasination attempt that evening. He also shows us the Herndon House where Booth and his fellow conspirators met to make final preparations for the assassination.
This map shows us the locations taken of videos for the John Wilkes Booth’s Last Day in Washington series. Videos #1, #5, and #15-#16 were taken at the site of Ford’s Theater. Videos #2 and #4 were taken on Pennsylvania Avenue on the south side of the site of the National Hotel (now the Newseum). Videos #3 and #6 were taken on the north side of the site of the National Hotel. Video #7 was taken in the vicinity of the Willard Hotel. Videos #8 and #9 were taken at Mary Surratt’s Boarding House. Videos #10 and #11 were taken at the site of Grover’s National Theatre. Videos #12 and #13 were taken at the site of the Kirkwood House. Video #14 was taken at the site of the National Hotel (now the Newseum). This map was created facing north at approximately 10:30 AM on Friday, July 24, 2009.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Mike Kanazawich is standing by the F Street entrance to Baptist Alley. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
To get the the main part of Baptist Alley, one must first go down this corridor that connects F Street to Baptist Alley. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich is standing in Baptist Alley. It is named after the Baptist Church that was located in the structure that became Ford’s Theater. Ford’s Theater is the red brick structure in the background. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
It is obvious that the outside of the building has been through some structural changes. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
The southeast corner of Ford’s Theater. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
The northeast corner of Ford’s Theater. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
The southeast section of the alley behind Ford’s Theater. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
The northeast section of the alley behind Ford’s Theater. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
On either side of Baptist Alley were stables and tenements. This view was taken facing east at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
In Video #15 (Videos #1- #14 were shown in our previous Booth posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich show us Baptist Alley, behind (east of) Ford’s Theater. He describes how Booth prepared the Presidential Box so that the door leading to the box could be braced and prevent others from entering. Booth then exited the theater and rode to the Herndon House for a last meeting with his co-conspirators. This view was taken facing east to west to east at approximately 5:00 PM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
Mike is standing by the stage door Booth used to enter Ford’s Theater at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, April 14, 1865. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
At approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, April 14, 1865 John Wilkes Booth entered Ford’s Theater to prepare the yellow door on the second floor to the right of the Presidential Box. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:45 PM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
In Video #16 Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich is inside Ford’s Theater. He shows us how Booth made his way into the Theater to prepare the door leading into the Presidential Box. This occurred around 6:00 PM on Friday, April 14, 1865. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:45 PM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
The building in the background was the Herndon House in 1865. It was a boarding house used by Lewis Powell/Lewis Payne in April, 1865. This view was taken facing west at approximately 3:00 PM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
In Video #17 the building where the the Herndon House was located in 1865 is in the background. Mike Kanazawich explains that the Herndon House was the boarding house where Lewis Powell/Lewis Paine stayed. Booth met here with Powell, George Atzerodt, and David Herrold to plan their assignments for the evening. Booth would kill President Lincoln. Atzerodt would kill Vice-President Johnson, Paine would kill Secretary of State Seward, and Herrold would help Paine kill Seward and escape into Maryland. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 3:00 PM on Saturday, July 18, 2009.
Booth and his co-conspirators used the Herndon House (shown on the left) for a meeting the evening of April 14, 1865. This view was taken facing west circa 1910.