President Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) was the 16th President of the United States, known for leading the nation through the Civil War, preserving the Union, and abolishing slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment. He made a visit to Mount Vernon on a steamer with some friends and family members on April 2, 1862, during the second year of the Civil War.

John Dahlgren of the Washington Navy Yard wrote that he came to Mount Vernon that day “with the President, some members of his family, and others. I advised the President not to land, and remained in the boat with him.” According to one source, “[a]lthough the property was considered neutral territory during the war, real security issues remained, so it’s unlikely Lincoln visited the estate during his presidency.”