Hambright Presents: The Home of President James Buchanan

Post Presidency

Harriet Lane - Pre Presidency
Harriet Lane - First Lady
Harriet was married on January 11, 1866, at the age of 36 in a private ceremony at Wheatland. This was after her uncle's presidency had ended. She got married to a man named Henry Elliot Johnston that she met years ago while vacationing at Bedford Springs.

In November 1866, their first son was born. His name was James Buchanan Johnston. Her second son Henry Elliot Johnston Jr., was born on 1870. Her uncle James died about one year after the birth of her second son.

James Buchanan Johnston died from rheumatic fever at the age of 14, March 25, 1881. To remember their son, Harriet and her husband had a stained glass window made and gave it to Lancaster's Episcopal Church. The picture in the window was of the archangel Michael, who's face looked a lot like James'.
A year later the Johnstons went to France. They thought the warm weather might help their other son Henry who was ill, but it didn't. Henry Elliot Johnston Jr. died in 1882 at the age of 12.

On the way back from France Henry and Harriet talked about what happened. They thought of what they could do to help other young children who are sick. They thought a hospital that specialized in helping children would be a good way to remember their sons and perhaps to help other parents children who become ill. Up to this time there were no hospitals or doctors that only treated children and learned about their illnesses or studied how to help them. They called the hospital The Harriet Lane Home For Invalid Children. It would be in Baltimore because they lived there. The Harriet Lane Home For Invalid Children is now the children's wing of the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

About a year after they made the Harriet Lane Home For Invalid Children something terrible happened again. Her husband, Henry Elliot Johnston died suddenly from pneumonia on May 5, 1884. This was all very hard on Harriet Lane and made her very sad.
She continued with her charitable work. Harriet had a large collection of fine art that she bought all over the world. In her will she wanted to make a national art gallery because there was none as of this time in America like there was in Europe. She wanted it to be in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian got most of her art and was considered the first national art gallery.
Harriet Lane died on January 13, 1903. She died of cancer at Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island at the age of 73. She was buried in Greenmount Cemetery, Baltimore, next to her husband and her children.

	Post Presidency
Harriet Lane - Pre Presidency Harriet Lane - First Lady	Harriet was married on January 11, 1866, at the age of 36 in a private ceremony at Wheatland. This was after her uncle's presidency had ended. She got married to a man named Henry Elliot Johnston that she met years ago while vacationing at Bedford Springs. In November 1866, their first son was born. His name was James Buchanan Johnston. Her second son Henry Elliot Johnston Jr., was born on 1870. Her uncle James died about one year after the birth of her second son. James Buchanan Johnston died from rheumatic fever at the age of 14, March 25, 1881. To remember their son, Harriet and her husband had a stained glass window made and gave it to Lancaster's Episcopal Church. The picture in the window was of the archangel Michael, who's face looked a lot like James'. A year later the Johnstons went to France. They thought the warm weather might help their other son Henry who was ill, but it didn't. Henry Elliot Johnston Jr. died in 1882 at the age of 12. On the way back from France Henry and Harriet talked about what happened. They thought of what they could do to help other young children who are sick. They thought a hospital that specialized in helping children would be a good way to remember their sons and perhaps to help other parents children who become ill. Up to this time there were no hospitals or doctors that only treated children and learned about their illnesses or studied how to help them. They called the hospital The Harriet Lane Home For Invalid Children. It would be in Baltimore because they lived there. The Harriet Lane Home For Invalid Children is now the children's wing of the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
About a year after they made the Harriet Lane Home For Invalid Children something terrible happened again. Her husband, Henry Elliot Johnston died suddenly from pneumonia on May 5, 1884. This was all very hard on Harriet Lane and made her very sad. She continued with her charitable work. Harriet had a large collection of fine art that she bought all over the world. In her will she wanted to make a national art gallery because there was none as of this time in America like there was in Europe. She wanted it to be in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian got most of her art and was considered the first national art gallery. Harriet Lane died on January 13, 1903. She died of cancer at Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island at the age of 73. She was buried in Greenmount Cemetery, Baltimore, next to her husband and her children.