Touch the Elbow - Blogging the Civil War

If you’re a homeowner, how’d you like to be handed a bill of $3,000,000 for remolding your entire home, or a $530,000 bill for an overhaul of two rooms? The first sum represents the cost to rehabilitate the former Frederick Douglass home in Southeast Washington, while the latter amount was spent at the White House on the so-called Lincoln bedroom. I can hear everyone whistling. It serves as a warning that you should steer clear of purchasing a historic property in the Nation’s Capitol unless your pockets are bulging.

The Lincoln bedroom is a misnomer, because during his Presidency one of the rooms doubled as an office and as a place to hold cabinet meetings. Harry and Bess Truman came up with idea of the converting the space to the Lincoln bedroom and sitting area in 1945, as sort of a shrine to display Lincoln memorabilia. While there was some ruckus a few years ago regarding the Clinton’s charging fees to F.O.B.’s for the privilege of sleeping in a canopied bed that neither Mary or Abe ever stretched out on, Laura Bush oversaw the recent reincarnation of the space. Thank goodness for well heeled friends, better known as the White House Historical Association, which footed the cost for the period antiques, fabric wall coverings, and carpets. Mrs. Bush related that the bedroom is used one to two times a month, most recently by the President’s brother Jeb and his wife. If you plan on visiting the White House mark these rooms, located on the second floor, out of bounds to the touring public, unless you’re an F.O.G.H.W.B.

The Douglass house, owned by the National Park Service, reopened to the public on February 18th after three years of extensive renovation. The home had fallen victim to serious neglect and this was the first major effort to bring the house back to 1890’s condition since it’s purchase from private owners. I’ll be getting a first hand glimpse during a March 17th tour and hopefully will have some pictures to share with readers.