JBM-HH's Observance of the 150-Year Anniversary of the 1865 Military Tribunal

By JBM-HH Public AffairsApril 29, 2015

Grant Hall
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Grant Hall
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Map of Fort McNair
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***Registrations are now being accepted for one of four programs to be held May 9, 2015

FORT MCNAIR, Washington, D.C. -- Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall announces a special observance of the 150-year anniversary of the start of the military tribunal of those thought responsible for the plot to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. This sesquicentennial event is being held Saturday, May 9, 2015, at Grant Hall, located on the Fort McNair side of the Joint Base in southwest Washington D.C.

Special programming has been planned for this event, which is open to the public and free to attend. Reservations are required and are now being accepted for one of four-programs to be held May 9, in Grant Hall's third-floor courtroom.

Be advised, the third-floor 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, the fire marshal has limited the number of people allowed in the courtroom at any one time, so reservations for the presentations are limited to the registrant, plus one guest. Reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

To sign up for your preferred session, please copy the appropriate link listed underneath the session you prefer and paste the address into your web browser. Printed confirmations will be required in order to check in on the day of the event. After you complete the RSVP section, you will be given the opportunity to print a copy of your confirmation.

Program 1: 10:00-11 a.m. Please arrive by 9:30 a.m. to check in and be seated. The program will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.

http://tinyurl.com/m4qblxq

Program 2: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Please arrive by 11:00 a.m. to check in and be seated. The program will begin promptly at 11:30 a.m.

http://tinyurl.com/qbl6ulr

Program 3: 1:00-2:00 p.m. Please arrive by 12:30 p.m. to check in and be seated. The program will begin promptly at 1:00 p.m.

http://tinyurl.com/jw5uczq

Program 4: 2:30-3:30 p.m. Please arrive by 2:00 p.m. to check in and be seated. The program will begin promptly at 2:30 p.m.

http://tinyurl.com/k2pvg88

GRANT HALL'S THIRD-FLOOR COURTROOM

Grant Hall's third-floor 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 recent renovation of Grant Hall, which was originally part of Washington's Federal Penitentiary from 1826 to 1881, 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 2010 historical film about the trial, and other artifacts and documentation are from the National Defense University Library.

FUTURE OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE

After the sesquicentennial observance, the regularly scheduled, quarterly Grant Hall Public Open Houses will resume -- to be 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. For the remainder of 2015, Grant Hall Public Open Houses will be held Aug. 1 and Nov. 7.

Open House hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

INFORMATION

For additional information, please call Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Public Affairs at 703-696-3283.