Building 21, Fort McNair

Washington DC · USA · Execution site

The Lincoln conspirators were tried and hanged here. John Wilkes Booth was not among them, whatever the story says.

Building 21 at Fort McNair in Washington is part of the old Washington Arsenal and the Old Penitentiary, and it is where the trial of the Lincoln conspirators was held.

The account attached claims that John Wilkes Booth was hanged in the attic even though he was already dead. That is not what happened. Booth was shot at a farm in Virginia twelve days after the assassination and died there. His body was brought to the arsenal and buried under the floor of a storeroom, which is very likely where the story came from.

Four people were hanged on this ground in July 1865: Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold and George Atzerodt. Surratt was the first woman executed by the United States federal government.

Contractors renovating the building report that all the tradesmen start very early in the morning, which is where their own account begins.

The fort is an active military installation.

FAQ

Hvor ligger Building 21, Fort McNair?

Building 21, Fort McNair ligger i Washington DC, USA.