Join the July 4th Celebration at the Old Soldiers' Home

Join the July 4th Celebration at the Old Soldiers' Home

FOSH is looking for volunteers to help them make sure the event is amazing for neighbors and residents of the Home.

Read More

July 4th at the Old Soldiers Home is coming!

July 4th at the Old Soldiers Home is coming!

Friends of the Soldiers Home is putting on their 10th Annual July 4th Celebration at the Armed Forces Retirement Home. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate with friends, family and your community! Here’s details:

Read More

Fall Fest returns to the Old Soldiers Home on September 26th

Fall Fest returns to the Old Soldiers Home on September 26th

With the return of the cooler fall weather comes the return of Fall Fest at the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), also known as the Old Soldiers Home. The event is Sunday, September 26th from 1pm to 5pm (the day after the Celebrate Petworth Festival).

Read More

July 4th celebration at Old Soldiers Home returns! (updated)

July 4th celebration at Old Soldiers Home returns! (updated)

The Fourth of July Celebration is coming back this year at the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), also known as the Old Soldiers Home.

Read More

AFRH reaches agreement on developing 80 acres for new retail, residential and more

AFRH reaches agreement on developing 80 acres for new retail, residential and more

This past July, the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DC government which set out the process to redevelop about 80 acres of its 272 acre campus. While a date for groundbreaking has not been set, the original redevelopment plan was approved in 2008, and then amended in 2018. AFRH will resubmit the master plans for review again later this fall.

Read More

Show the veterans at AFRH some love by making a short video!

Show the veterans at AFRH some love by making a short video!

President Lincoln’s Cottage is holding its annual Homecoming event to support the veterans who call the Armed Forces Retirement Home their home. This year, due to the pandemic, they’re asking the community to submit videos to show their appreciation for the men and women who gave their time to defend our country.

“We invite members of the Petworth community to submit videos for them and share them with the Lincoln's Cottage team. We will edit the videos we receive into one meaningful video for the veterans to enjoy on their senior TV.”

Read More

What are those bells and chimes so many have been hearing?

What are those bells and chimes so many have been hearing?

With quarantine in DC came a bit more quiet during the day. Less cars on the street, less people walking around, less overall noise. You heard the birds much more (even if they’re actually singing quieter than normal). In May into June, people started hearing bells chiming during the day, bells they thought they haven’t heard before, or heard in a long time.

Read More


submit to reddit

Make some holiday cards to brighten the day for veterans and active duty military!

Make some holiday cards to brighten the day for veterans and active duty military!

Petworth local Sarah Gabriel has been spearheading a program for a few years that has neighbors make holiday cards for residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home. Below is a message from Sarah about participating in this year’s program. A great holiday activity for kids and adults to give a little sunshine to our veterans and active duty heroes. Learn how to participate!

Read More


submit to reddit

Community Engagement: A talk with John Hughes from Friends of the Soldiers’ Home

Community Engagement: A talk with John Hughes from Friends of the Soldiers’ Home

The “Old Soldiers’ Home,” once a place Abraham Lincoln called his vacation home during his presidency, is much more than his famous cottage and the Armed Forces Retirement Home on Rock Creek Church Road in Petworth. It’s a home to diverse wildlife, a home to students at Creative Minds International (CMI) charter school, a home for veterans, a museum, and reflects American history.

Petworth News interviewed John Hughes, a founding member of the Friends of the Soldiers’ Home (FOSH), who shared with me about how our Petworth community can be a part of the Home’s Community.

Read More

A look at July 4th festivities at the Old Soldiers' Home (AFRH)

A look at July 4th festivities at the Old Soldiers' Home (AFRH)

It’s really not a problem to see fireworks in Petworth. Once 9pm rolls around, the neighborhood skies are filled with all sorts of legal and illegal flying explosives to delight the eye and terrify the dog. (Be sure to keep your dogs safe!)

Every year the Friends of the Soldiers Home and the Armed Forces Retirement Home team up with sponsors to put on a family-friendly event with food, beer, music, games and more. It’s a great place to spend the holiday appreciating your neighbors, and your freedom.

Read More


submit to reddit

Guide to the Spring Fling event at the Soldiers’ Home

Guide to the Spring Fling event at the Soldiers’ Home

Your guide courtesy of Friends of the Soldiers Home for Spring Fling tomorrow, Saturday, May 18, Noon to 5pm, Armed Forces Retirement Home, Washington, D.C.

Read More


submit to reddit

Good times! Fall Fest at the Old Soldier's Home is Sept 30th!

Good times! Fall Fest at the Old Soldier's Home is Sept 30th!

The Friends of the Soldiers’ Home and the Armed Forces Retirement Home are hosting their annual Fall Fun Fest on Sunday, September 30th from 9am to 5pm at the AFRH. Come out to enjoy an antique auto show, music, an art show, petting zoo, bobbing for apple, a pumpkin carving competition and much more.

Read More

AFRH skips DC Zoning and Comp Plan, goes the federal action route

AFRH skips DC Zoning and Comp Plan, goes the federal action route

A recent article from the Washington Business Journal reports that the Armed Forces Retirement Home (aka the Old Soldier's Home) has decided to bypass the normal comprehensive planning processes in DC for the redevelopment of their property and move forward with redeveloping 80 acres using a "federal action." In fact, AFRH will be the body to give out work permits and certificates of occupancy, not DC government.

Read More


submit to reddit

Celebrate July 4th in Petworth with the Old Soldier's Home

Celebrate July 4th in Petworth with the Old Soldier's Home

If you're looking for a family-friendly, food-and-drink-enjoying evening, head over to the Armed Forces Retirement Home (aka Old Soldier's Home) for the 6th Annual July 4th Celebration. This year the evening kicks off at 4pm on the grounds of the Home (enter at Rock Creek Church Rd and Randolph St NW). 

Read More


submit to reddit