Evening star., 1941-04-13
Anniversary of Lincoln Assassination Recalls History of Fords Thea
Church Was
Erected on
Site in 1884
Structure Rebuilt
After Destruction
By Fire in 1862
By John Claeeh Proctor.


on April IA, will ever be recalled
as one of the saddest days in the
annals of America, for it was upon
this holy day that President Abra-
ham Lincoln was shot while at
tending a performance at Ford's
Theater, still standing at 51l Tenth
street NV, a grim reminder of a
great diabolical crime.
Tomorrow will be the anniversary
of this cruel deed, and yet, though
it occurred rs years ago, no doubt
it is still remembered by large
number of Washingtonians, and
others of advanced age, coming as
it did as a climax to the four years
of strife between the States, and
the sacrifice of many thousands of
lives, that this country might not
perish from the earth.
Indeed, the farther we get away
from the Civil War, with its many
unpleasant memories, the greater
will the martyr President loom in
the hearts of the American people,
for some day all will know him
alike for his sympathetic nature,
his kindness of heart, his unselish
motives, his high ideals and his
devotion to country.
The interior of the theater build
ing has been stripped of everything
that went toward making it the
most attractive playhouse in Wash
ington in 1865, and here is now
shown the famous Oldroyd collec-
ton of Lincoln relics, formerly ex-
hibited in the building opposite the
theater, in which the President
died.
Church on Site.
Before the Ford Theater was
erected, this site was occupied by
the First Baptist Church, with
Obadiah Brown as pastor. The
church building was erected in
1884, and the first services held
there were on June &C. A quarter
of a century later the church prop
erty was offered for sale and was
sold December 10, 1861, to David w.
Health, who soon conveyed a part
interest in it to John T. Ford. A
month prior to this, however, the
building was first used as theater
by Miss Carlotta Patti, "the cele-
brated cantatrice" (Which in plain
words means a female professional
singer, who opened the house, the
date being November 10.
George Christy and his minstrels
followed Miss Patti, and the theater
is referred to as George Christy's
New Opera House" Christy's lease
having expired, John T. Ford got
control of the property and opened
the theater on August %. 1862, as
'Ford's Theater" Four months later,
on December 30 the building was
entirely destroyed by f1re-and this
was the end of the structure that
once did duty as a church.
Mr.. Ford was an alert business
man, and in just a year from the
burning of the old building, the
ruins had been removed and
modern theater erected on the spot.
The proprietor did not hesitate to
advertise the fact in the city
directory for 1865, as follows:
"FoRD'S
NEW THEATER,
Tenth street, between E and F,
One and half squares north
of Penn. Avenue,
WASHINGTON, D. C.
Erected AID. 1868. opened Aug. 81,
1863 Capacity, $500.
JOHN T. FORD,
Proprietor and Manager.
Post Office Address, Baltimore, Md"
Attractive Interior.
Exteriorally, the new building
was severely plain, just as we see
1t today, but the interior is said to
have been very attractive, the ar
rangement of seats being totally
unlike that of most theaters." The
parquet was equipped with cane-seat
chairs, rising in gradual elevation,
so that clear and unobStructed
view of the stage could be had by
every one. The first tier, or balcony,
was said to have been commodious
and opened into a retiring salon,
brilliantly illuminated. A second
tier, corresponding to the family
circle, completed the seating part of
the house.
There were eight private boxes in
the theater, built on new and
original lines, four on each side of
the stage, two lower and two upper.
The lower ones are said to have
been scarcely more than loopholes,
and to have been excellent points
from which to see. and remain I'M
seen, If one wished to do so. The
upper boxes were elevated but a
short distance above the stage, and
from them any one might easily
leap onto the stage.
The four upper boxes were the
best equipped and arranged in the
theater, and were roomy. 1T is in
them," an old account says, that
the most magnificent displays of
toilette are made upon nights of
opera, and they at once command
the whole house and are central
points of inspection from it. Each
accommodates quite party, and the
locale is so arranged that the greater
portion of the occupants, except
those in the back of the box, are in
full view of the audience"
Presidents Box.
The box which the President occu-
pied, and which was known as the
Presidents box, included the two
upper boxes on the righthand side
of the house, facing the stage. With
Booth, everything was planned with
exactness. Our American Cousin"
was being played, with the lines of
which the assassin was quite IA
miliar, and so he sought time when
the action of the piece required the
stage to be almost vacant, and when
ali eyes would be turned toward the
stage awaiting the entrance of Flor
erce Trenchard miss Keene), when
she would say, What do you mean
by doing all these dreadful things?"
This came about $50 o'clock.
Mrs. H. Huzzy, as Mrs. Mount
chessington in the play, had just
retired from the stage, saying to Asa
Trenchard Harry Hawk as she was