Lincoln's Other White House: The Untold Story of the Man and His Presidency

By Elizabeth Smith Brownstein

The Lincolns spent the summer of 1862 north of the White House at the Soldiers’ Home. The lush, cool hill overlooking the squalid capital promised the Lincolns an escape from the "city of stink." Despite fears about Lincoln’s vulnerability in the secluded place, Lincoln spent a quarter of his presidency at the Soldiers’ Home. But until the National Trust for Historic Preservation began restoring the cottage, little had been done to explore this missing link in Lincoln’s life. Elizabeth Smith Brownstein fills in a critical gap. Using diaries, letters, and eyewitness accounts, she provides unusual perspectives on Lincoln’s relationships, traces the evolution of Lincoln’s image, examines the Lincoln marriage, and more. Lincoln’s Other White House is a vivid evocation of a turbulent era, and an intimate portrait of the still elusive president.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Release date: Aug 1, 2005
• ISBN: 9781620459478

Elizabeth Smith Brownstein

Born, raised, and educated Taunton, Massachusetts, Elizabeth Smith Brownstein found a love of history very early in life. She furthered her intense interest in American history at Wellesley College and The London School of Economics and Political Science. Her career, spent largely in the production of public affairs programs and cultural documentaries for both public and commercial television, began at CBS headquarters in New York City, where for four years I served as chief television researcher. Elizabeth has worked as writer, researcher, and producer for some of the distinguished, intellectually demanding figures in television: Lawrence Spivak, Eric Sevareid, Martin Agronsky, Adrian Malone, and Martin Carr. Since the age of 18, Elizabeth has traveled widely in the United States, Europe, and Africa. She traveled across America, visiting over 125 potential sites in 20 states doing research for her first book, If This House Could Talk…Historic Homes, Extraordinary Americans (Simon & Schuster 1999). Abraham Lincoln’s Springfield, Illinois house, the only home he ever owned, was included in the book.  Intensive research on that site, together with childhood intrigue for her father’s small Lincolniana collection, furnished the base from which she began working on Lincoln’s Other White House.