Historic Civil War-era courthouse on Fort McNair open to public May 7
Members of the Confederation of Union Generals, a group of Civil War reenactors from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, gathered at Grant Hall’s historic third-floor courtroom on the Fort McNair portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall June 20, 2015, to reenact the 1865 military tribunal of the conspirators in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. A public open house of the courtroom is scheduled for May 7.
This image of the south side of the Washington Federal Penitentiary from July 7, 1865, shows where the convicted conspirators of the President Abraham Lincoln assassination were hung following their military tribunal inside what is today known as Grant Hall on the Fort McNair portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.
Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall has announced its next quarterly Public Open House of Grant Hall’s historic third-floor courtroom, located on the Fort McNair side of the joint base in southwest Washington, D.C., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 7. The courtroom is the site of the military tribunal, held from May through June 1865, of those thought responsible for the plot to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln.
During a 2009-2012 renovation of Grant Hall, which was originally part of Washington’s Federal Penitentiary from 1829 to 1868, the third floor of the building was restored to depict the courtroom as it appeared during the 1865 trial. Courtroom features were recreated based on artistic renderings and written descriptions of court proceedings. Some furnishings and artifacts on display are on loan from the production company of a 2011 historical film about the trial, and other artifacts and documentation are from the National Defense University Library.
Reservations are now required
Members of the public are invited to the Public Open House, which is free to attend. Guests without a Department of Defense, Federal or AIE (Automated Installation Entry) ID are now required to register to attend. You can make your reservation through the event page on our Facebook page at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/events/451729188354820/
Once you have completed your reservation, be sure to print a copy of your “Confirmation Page” to present to the gate guard on the day of the Public Open House.
If your computer server does not allow you to access the registration site, please email your reservation to usarmy.jbmhh.asa.list.pao-all@mail.mil. Full names of all attendees are required, as well as a valid telephone or email contact.
Base access
Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall has implemented increased access control measures at all its gates. To enter Fort McNair for the Grant Hall Public Open House, please be advised of:
1. 100 percent ID checks — all persons 18 years of age and older must have a valid photo ID.
2. 100 percent vehicle searches — except for DoD, Federal and AIE (Automated Installation Entry) ID card holders.
3. Visitors are subject to vetting through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC-III) criminal history background check system.
4. Visitors must be prepared for additional security measures.
Grant Hall Open House parking is limited to the Officers’ Club parking lot and in designated parking spaces along 3rd Avenue (please refer to the JBM-HH website for a site map).
Please be advised that:
The courtroom is only accessible by walking up two flights of stairs. Due to the historical nature of the structure, the building has no elevator. Also, no back packs or large bags are allowed inside Grant Hall.
Grant Hall Public Open Houses are held quarterly on the first Saturday of the second month of each quarter. During a calendar year, those months are: February, May, August and November. Dates for the remainder of 2016.
For the most up-to-date information on base access, parking information and a site map, go to the JBM-HH website at www.army.mil/JBMHH. Grant Hall Public Open House information may be found on the front page or under “Links of Interest” at the bottom of the webpage.
Closures due to inclement weather or when mission dictates will be updated on JBM-HH’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/451729188354820/.
For additional information, call Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Public Affairs at 703-696-3283 during normal business hours.
