The Government Purchases Ford's Theatre
On the night of April 14, 1865, Secretary of War
Stanton ordered guards to be posted at the theatre, and all future
dramatic productions were canceled. In June, the building was restored
to John T. Ford who advertised that the theatre would be reopened. This
announcement aroused public indignation, and the War Department ordered
the building closed, Mr. Ford threatened legal proceedings, whereupon
the Government rented the building for $1,500 a month until June 1,
1866, with the privilege of purchasing it for $100,000. The necessary
funds were provided by Congress in the Deficiency Appropriation Acts of
July 7, 1865, and April 7, 1866.
Soon after renting the property, the Government began
remodeling the theatre into an office and storage building. On August
17, 1865, a contract was awarded for altering the interior of the
building. The ornate woodwork of the stage and balconies was removed and
the building was divided into three floors. This work was completed on
November 27, 1865. The building was occupied by the Record and Pension
Bureau of the War Department in April 1866. The Army Medical Museum was
located on the third floor from 1867 to 1887.
On the morning of June 9, 1893, a second tragedy
occurred in the old theatre building. Excavation in the basement for the
installation of an electric plant weakened the foundations of the
structure and caused the three floors to collapse. Employees of the
Record and Pension Bureau were at work when the crash occurred. Clerks,
desks, and heavy file cases were catapulted into the basement.
Twenty-two persons were killed and 68 injured in the catastrophe. The
interior of the building was restored the following year.
On July 1, 1928, the building was transferred from
the War Department to the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of
the National Capital and utilized for storage purposes. That office was
absorbed by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, by
Executive order of June 10, 1933.
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