Woodrow Wilson was born on December 28, 1856, in the manse of the Presbyterian church where his father was serving as minister in Staunton, Virginia. I have visited Wilson's birthplace three times. First in 1976, shortly before my 8th birthday...
...then again as a teenager in the 1980s....
...and then again with my husband John on President's Day 2008 (note that the white paint has been removed from the brick to restore the home to its original state)
A highlight at the birthplace is the original crib where Wilson slept as a baby:
From 1857 to 1870, the Wilsons lived in the manse of the First Presbyterian Church of Augusta, Georgia. I have not yet visited the Augusta childhood home.
From 1870 until 1875, the Wilsons lived in the manse of the First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina. I visited the Columbia childhood home in 1977:
In the photo, I am standing in front of the home with my mother Rose. In the foreground is our 1973 Chevy Impala :-)
I have not visited the following sites:
In 1873, Wilson left home for Davidson College in Charlotte, North Carolina. He lived in the north wing of the Chambers Building. Although a new structure was constructed, the original was destroyed by fire.
In 1874, Wilson left college to return to his parents, who had moved to the manse of the Presbyterian church where his father had become the minister. The manse, located adjacent to the church on Fourth and Orange Streets, no longer exists.
In 1874, Wilson left college to return to his parents, who had moved to the manse of the Presbyterian church where his father had become the minister. The manse, located adjacent to the church on Fourth and Orange Streets, no longer exists.
Wilson left again for college the following year, attending Princeton in New Jersey from 1875 to 1879, living in Witherspoon Hall.
From 1879 to 1880, while attending law school at the University of Virginia, he lived in room 158, House F on Dawson's Row. This building no longer exists.
Wilson dropped out of law school in 1880 and returned home to Wilmington, North Carolina.
In 1882, he moved to Georgia and studied law on his own, passing the bar and opening a practice in Atlanta. He practiced law at 48 Marietta Street and lived in a boarding house at 344 Peach Tree Street; neither house exists today.
In 1883, Wilson began studies at Johns Hopkins University. In 1886, he earned a Ph.D. (the only U.S. president to do so). While in Baltimore, Wilson lived in three locations: at 906 and 909 McCulloh Street (neither of which are still standing) and at 1210 Eutaw Place.
From 1885 to 1888, Wilson taught political economy and public law at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. While at Bryn Mawr, he lived in the Old Baptist Parsonage on Gulph Road.
From 1888 to 1890, Wilson was a professor of history at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and lived at 106 High Street.
In 1890, Wilson accepted a professorship in jurisprudence and political economy at Princeton. I visited the home he rented for five years at 72 Library Place in 2014:
Note: this home is privately owned and not open to the public
In 1895, Wilson moved into a home that he had built on the property that he had purchased next door to his rented home. I visited this home at 82 Library Place in 2014:
Note: this home is privately owned and not open to the public
In 1902, Wilson was named President of Princeton University. He moved in to "Prospect," the university president's residence on the Princeton campus. Prospect House now serves as a faculty dining hall. I visited Prospect in 2014:
Note: this building is not open to the public
In 1910, Wilson was elected governor of New Jersey. The state did not have a residence for the governor at the time, so Wilson leased a home in Princeton. I visited the home at 25 Cleveland Lane in 2014:
Note: this home is privately owned and not open to the public
From 1913 to 1921, Wilson served as president of the United States, and thus, resided at the White House. I have visited the White House many times - this photo, with my parents Harold and Rose, is from 1984:
After he left the presidency in 1921, Wilson lived the remainder of his life at 2340 S Street, Washington, DC. I visited Wilson's retirement home in 1978:
Woodrow Wilson died on February 3, 1924. He is buried inside Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. I visited his burial site in 1978:
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