Kirkwood House was the site of the inauguration of Andrew Johnson as President of the United States following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

[1] The building that became Kirkwood House was designed for Azariah Fuller by architect John Haviland and opened to the public on December 1, 1847.

[6] They slightly rearranged the ground floor, the resulting layout had an office for the managers, a large public room, and a barroom.

[7][6] Circa 1859, the Kirkwood was recommended for "the more retiring and unostentatious...The limited capacity and admirable regulations of this establishment give it much of the quiet of a well-ordered private family.

"[8] During the Lincoln administration, Kirkwood's was considered one of the principal hotels of the city, along with Willard's, the National, and the Metropolitan, all located along Pennsylvania Avenue.

"[11] Circa 1865, it would have cost between $3 and $4.50 a day to stay at a place like the Kirkwood in D.C.[12] As Vice President of the United States under Lincoln, Andrew Johnson made Kirkwood House his residence in Washington, D.C.[13] Vice President Johnson apparently had a ground-floor suite at the hotel at the time of Lincoln's assassination.

[14] According to Leslie's Illustrated News Johnson took the oath of office, administered by Salmon P. Chase, in a room called the small parlor.