Decatur House

The Decatur House is one of the oldest surviving homes in Washington, DC and one of the only three remaining residential buildings in the United States designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the father of American architecture. Built in 1818, this museum is just steps from the White House and offers a glimpse into nearly 200 years of Washington history. The museum is open daily.

When Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr., and his wife, Susan, moved to the new federal city in 1816, they purchased land on the northwest corner of the Presidents Park (today Lafayette Square) with the prize money Decatur was awarded for his naval conquests in the War of 1812. The Decaturs commissioned Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Americas first professional architect and engineer, to design a home fit...

Decatur House is a historic home in Washington, D.C., named after its first owner and occupant Stephen Decatur. The house (built, 1818) is located northwest of Lafayette Square, at the southwest corner of Jackson Place and H Street, near the White House. A museum, it now serves as the National Center for White House History, of the White House Historical Association.HistoryDecatur House is one...