Immigrant to america, William Petersen, and he used the house as a boardinghouse. Up to 10 or 12 people lived here at a time. This is a relic of 19th century civil war boardinghouse culture. Once upon a time, everybody lived in boardinghouses, congressmen, senators, even Vice President s lived in group homes. This house is an important part of antebellum and the civil war washington d. C. History. , aside from this being the lincoln death house, this is a great museum of immigrant culture in washington and boardinghouse life in washington, d. C. I have been coming here for years, making pilgrimages. I started coming here in 1986 when i joined the Reagan Administration and i have been coming here for years. And i am very excited that there this year there is going to be a big commemoration for Abraham Lincoln because in past years i am usually here alone. No one comes to the house on the night of the assassination. No one comes to honor lincoln. I might find one or two people when i sit