Blair House Gunfight
The president was upstairs, napping. The man who stopped it was already dying.
Listen to this place’s story in Peplos.
How the story begins
Leslie Coffelt fired his one shot after he had already been mortally wounded. He was a White House policeman, on duty in a guard booth at the west end of Blair House. The president was living here in 1950 because the White House was being rebuilt, and on the first of November Harry Truman was napping on the second floor. Two men from the Puerto Rican independence movement came to kill him.
The rest is in the app. Peplos plays the full story when you reach the place. You can also listen ahead of time.
Visiting
Blair House, 1651 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Exterior only: it is the president's guest house. In November 2026 the sidewalks of this block were closed for security, except part of the north sidewalk from 17th Street to the Renwick Gallery. Go only as far as is open.
Sources
- The American Presidency Project: Truman, Remarks at the Dedication of a Memorial Plaque Honoring Pvt. Leslie Coffelt
- Fox News: Secret Service holds ceremony for officer who died protecting president 70 years ago
- Police1: The police officer who died saving a president
- Wikipedia: Leslie Coffelt
- National Park Service: Closure order for President's Park, November 2026
This text was written by AI from open sources. Found a mistake? Write to us. Support
