Abraham Lincoln Death Room Wallpaper Fragment, Petersen House, 1865

Bibliographic & Historical Details

• Item: Original historical wallpaper fragment

• Origin: Petersen House, Washington, D.C., USA

• Period: Nineteenth century

• Historical Association: Death of President Abraham Lincoln, 15 April 1865

• Dimensions: Approximately 25 × 17 mm (1 × 0.66 inches), as stated in the accompanying documentation

• Provenance: Petersen House; Marsteller collection; Heritage Auctions, 2011; subsequent private collection

• Documentation: Copy of a 1980 National Park Service examination letter and accompanying provenance paperwork

Historical Background

On the evening of 14 April 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth while attending a performance at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Mortally wounded, Lincoln was carried across the street to the Petersen House, where he was placed in a small bedroom.

He died the following morning, 15 April 1865, at approximately 7:22 a.m.

The Petersen House subsequently became one of America's most significant historical landmarks, preserving the memory of Lincoln's final hours.

This small wallpaper fragment originates from the historic death room and represents a tangible connection to one of the defining moments in American history.

Authentication & National Park Service Documentation

Accompanying the fragment is a copy of an official letter dated 1 October 1980, issued by the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Capital Region.

Addressed to Mr. Charlie Marsteller of Annapolis, Maryland, the letter documents an examination of wallpaper samples originating from Lincoln's death room.

National Park Service staff separated the wallpaper layers through a soaking process and compared them with specimens recovered during the 1932 restoration of the Petersen House.

Their examination identified several historical layers, including a lower layer consistent with wallpaper present during Lincoln's death in 1865. Other layers were associated with the late nineteenth century, when the property operated as a private Lincoln museum.

The examination confirmed the historical origin of the submitted wallpaper sample, although the precise date of this individual fragment's layer has not been independently established.

Provenance

The accompanying documentation traces the wallpaper to the collection of Charlie Marsteller, whose sample was examined by the National Park Service in 1980.

This specimen is accompanied by a copy of the National Park Service letter, photographic documentation and the previous seller's provenance statement.

Condition

A small, irregularly shaped fragment of nineteenth-century patterned wallpaper, retaining portions of its greenish-gold decorative design against a pale background.

Expected age-related wear and losses to the edges, consistent with its historical nature and small size.

The fragment is housed within a transparent protective sleeve. Accompanying documentation is preserved separately.

Why Collect This Piece?

An unusual opportunity to acquire a documented historical relic associated with the final hours of Abraham Lincoln.

Unlike conventional commemorative memorabilia, this fragment originates from the Petersen House itself, with its historical association supported by a National Park Service examination and a traceable auction provenance.

An appealing addition to a collection of American presidential history, Civil War memorabilia, historical ephemera or nineteenth-century material culture.