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Please join us to celebrate the beginning of Architecture Month 2026, a month-long, citywide celebration of the buildings and spaces that shape our city, the creative minds who bring them to life, and the stories they tell.

Kick off the month with an evening at President Lincoln's Cottage. Organized in collaboration with the Cottage’s staff, this celebration will include a special reception, after-hours access to the store and exhibition, and behind-the-scenes tours of the cottage itself. Drinks and light hors d’oeuvres will be served.

The tour, presented by President Lincoln's Cottage's Director of Preservation Jeffrey Larry and Seth Young will go in depth into the architectural history of the house, as well as what it takes to preserve such a historic building. You will depart this tour with new intelligence on the history of this home, its various purposes over the years and, of course, how the beautiful Gothic revival house was built. 

Presented by:

Jeffrey Larry, Director of Preservation- Jeff joined the staff at President Lincoln’s Cottage as Preservation Manager in January 2008. He started his career as sole-proprietor of a restoration business in Burlington, Vermont soon after receiving a BA in Historic Preservation from Mary Washington College in 1996.  After moving to Washington D.C., he completed projects on several local historic homes and sites, including the Decatur House and the south porch of The Old Naval Hospital, a building commissioned by Abraham Lincoln in 1864 to be the District’s first naval hospital. In addition to his work at the Cottage, Jeff uses his preservation and project management skills to bring improvements to his community in Baltimore.  He serves on the Board of the Charles Village Community Foundation, an organization that provides grants for groups and individuals whose projects will enhance the neighborhood’s quality of life; he is the Vice President of the Friends of the 26th Street Corridor, a community lead group that has been working with the city to turn a section of 26th street into a park; and he is a volunteer member of the Village Learning Place’s (VLP) Facilities Committee where he has performed pro-bono restoration work, developed a cyclical maintenance plan and managed numerous restoration projects to the slate roof, brickwork, interior surfaces, and gardens.

Seth Young, Historic Buildings and Grounds Technician- Seth Young joined President Lincoln’s Cottage as the Historic Buildings and Grounds Technician in May of 2023. He comes from a background in natural resources and has previously worked for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Montana Conservation Corps, and the Land Trust of Virginia. Most recently, he completed stream restoration projects for ClearWater Conservancy in central Pennsylvania. Seth holds a BS in Environmental Science from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the challenges in preserving a historic building, such as ensuring proper accessibility and maintaining integrity of the building, and how to overcome these challenges.
• Explain the importance of preserving a historic structure, including the benefits to the local community.
• Describe the cottage’s beautiful arched doorways and large windows, exploring the different characteristics of the Gothic revival style, as it relates to Washington D.C.’s diverse architecture history.
• Discuss the history of the cottage, and how the museum utilizes the building today to promote the true spirit of the Lincolns, build empathy, and inspire patrons to act upon their own ideas for social justice.

Organized by:

The District Architecture Center and President Lincoln's Cottage

This program is part of President Lincoln’s Cottage's celebration for America’s 250th Anniversary. President Lincoln’s Cottage works to preserve this place to connect people to the true spirit of the Lincolns, build empathy, and inspire them to act upon their own ideas for social justice. As we commemorate America’s 250th Anniversary, we are dedicated to preserving this place where we will continue to lift up the brave ideas of all who are taking on Lincoln’s “unfinished work” in pursuit of a more perfect union.