Located mere steps from the White House, Decatur House was home to Commodore Stephen Decatur until his death after 14 months of residence in a duel. After his death it was the home of many, including both free and enslaved people. This National Trust Historic Sites is operated by the White House Historical Association (the Association).
Stewart McLaurin, the president of the Association since 2014, describes the home as “historic, architecture, and a witness to history” highlighting the role the site has played as it sits along Lafayette Square Park across from the White House.
For those unable to visit Decatur House in person, the Association’s website, has a full collection of research articles about the house and those that lived there, as well as a virtual tour of the historic slave quarters at Decatur House.
To dig deeper we asked McLaurin, a few questions about his love of history and what he connects to at Decatur House.
