Decatur House

Decatur House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
U.S. National Historic Landmark District – Contributing property
North side of Decatur House as restored 2006–2008.
Location within Central Washington, D.C. Location within the District of Columbia Location within the United States
Location	748 Jackson Pl., NW. Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°54′0.2″N 77°2′17.4″W
Area	< 1-acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1818
Architect	Benjamin Henry Latrobe
Architectural style	Federal
Part of	Lafayette Square Historic District (ID70000833)
NRHP reference No.	66000858
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	December 19, 1960
Designated NHLDCP	August 29, 1970

Decatur House is a historic house museum at 748 Jackson Place in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It is named after its first owner and occupant, the naval officer Stephen Decatur Jr. Built in 1818, the house is located at the northwest corner of Lafayette Square, about a block from the White House.

In the winter of 1820-21, new owners built an outbuilding on the property at the back which was in part used for slave quarters. Until the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, weekly auctions of enslaved black persons were held in the house's backyard, now a wedding venue. The building currently houses a museum, as well as the National Center for White House History, operated by the White House Historical Association.