White House (President's Park)

The White House Washington, D.C. The White House The White House has been the scene of many events in the history of our nation. Here the President holds meet-^ ings that decide national and international policy, signs new legislation, and carries out the many duties of the office. Here, too, the President and First Family entertain guests and live their private lives, as every President, except George Washington, has done. National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior When the White House was rebuilt following the 1814 fire, James Monroe bought furniture for the Blue Room from a French cabinetmaker, PierreAntoine Bellange. Eight of those pieces remain in the White House today— including this bergere. an armchair whose sides are enclosed. Your visit begins at the Visitor Entrance B u i l d i n g . Exhibits focus o n aspects o f W h i t e House history and seasonal celebrations. As you enter and leave the W h i t e House, notice the carefully landscaped g r o u n d s t h a t enhance the beauty o f t h e famous house. A m o n g the many historic trees on t h e g r o u n d s is a m a g n o l i a p l a n t e d by A n d r e w Jackson. The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden o n the east and t h e Rose Garden o n t h e west are used f o r f o r m a l ceremonies and bill signings. The W h i t e House grounds are m a i n t a i n e d in t h e classical t r a d i t i o n according t o standards established in 1935 by t h e landscape architecture f i r m of Olmsted Brothers. The RED ROOM, used for small receptions, has l o n g been a favorite of t h e First Ladies. John Adams used this as a breakfast r o o m ; Rutherf o r d B. Hayes t o o k the o a t h of office here on March 3, 1877 The r o o m is decorated as an A m e r i c a n Empire parlor of 1810-30. The marble m a n t e l is identical t o t h e one in the Green Room. An 18th-century French musical clock presented n 1952 by President Vincent A u n o l o f France is on the m a n t e l . As y o u t o u r t h e historic house, look f o r t h e portraits of Presidents and First Ladies t h a t line t h e corridors and hallways of t h e G r o u n d and State floors. Notice also the floral arrangements t h a t Drighten each r o o m The LIBRARY contains volumes of history, b i o g •aphy, f i c t i o n , and t h e sciences, all by American authors. The f u r n i t u r e s A m e r i c a n o f t h e Federal p e r i o d , a n d t h e chandeiier once b e l o n g e d t o t h e f a m i l y of James ^ e n i m o r e Cooper. The p a n e l i n g in this r o o m , t h e Vermeil Room, and the China Room is made f r o m t h e 1817 t i m o e r s t h a t w e r e sa'vaged d u r i n g t h e 1948-52 reconstruction. This 1797 Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington has hung in the White House since 1800. Dolley Madison saved it when the British burned the White House in 1814. This 1869 G.PA. Healy portrait of Abraham Lincoln was bequeathed to the White House in 1939 by the widow of Robert Todd Lincoln, the President's oldest son. The STATE DINING ROOM can seat 130 guests at dinners and luncheons. The p a i n t e d English oak p a n e l i n g dates f r o m t h e r e n o v a t i o n in 1902. Carved i n t o t h e fireplace m a n t e l is a q u o t a t i o n f r o m a letter by John Adams; "I Pray Heaven t o Bestow t h e Best of Blessings on THIS HOUSE a n d All t h a t shall hereafter i n h a b i t it. May none b u t Honest a n d Wise M e n ever rule under this Roof." Library The VERMEIL ROOM contains an extensive collection of vermeil (gilded silver) and is used f o r a variety of f u n c t i o n s . Portraits of recent First Ladies are displayed here. This r o o m was once used as a billiard r o o m . Vermeil Room ALL P H O T O G R A P H S A N D ILLUSTRATIONS O N THIS SIDE C O M E F R O M THE W H I T E HOUSE HISTORICAL A S S O C I A T I O N . EXCEPT FOR THE COVER P H O T O G R A P H i N P S l The CHINA ROOM was set aside in 1917 by Edith Wilson f o r displaying pieces of china and glass used by t h e Presidents. The p o r t r a i t of Grace Coolidge on t h e south w a l l was painted in 1924 by H o w a r d Chandler Christy. China Room The DIPLOMATIC RECEPTION ROOM (not on t o u r ) , o n e of t h r e e oval rooms in t h e residence, is f u r n i s h e d as a Federal p e r i o d parlor. The r o o m is used as t h e entrance f o r n e w ambassadors c o m i n g t o t h e W h i t e House t o present Diplomatic Reception Room t h e i r credentials t o t h e President. It was f r o m this r o o m t h a t President Franklin D. Roosevelt broadcast his fireside chats. Located o n t h e State Floor, t h e EAST R O O M is t h e largest in t h e W h i t e House. It is used f o r receptions, ceremonies, press conferences, and o t h e r events. It has been t h e scene of several w e d d i n g s , i n c l u d i n g those o f Nellie Grant, Alice Roosevelt, and Lynda Bird Johnson. The bodies of seven Presidents have lain in state here. From t h e e l a b o r a t e l y decorated ceiling hang glass chandeliers t h a t date f r o m 1902. The concert g r a n d piano, decorated w i t h f o l k dancing scenes a n d eagle supports, was presented by t h e Steinway c o m p a n y in 1938 a n d is used here or in t h e Cross Hall. The GREEN ROOM, w h i c h once served as Thomas Jefferson's d i n i n g r o o m , is n o w f u r nished as a parlor and is used f o r receptions. Most of t h e f u r n i t u r e was m a d e in N e w York by Duncan Phyfe a b o u t 1810. The walls are covered w i t h w a t e r e d green silk w i t h draperies of striped silk damask. The Italian w h i t e marble m a n t e l was purchased in 1818 f o r t h e State Dining Room a n d m o v e d here in 1902. The coffee u r n , o w n e d by John Adams, is f l a n k e d by French candlesticks used by James M a d i s o n . The BLUE ROOM is o f t e n used by t h e President t o receive guests. It is f u r n i s h e d t o represent t h e p e r i o d of James M o n r o e , w h o purchased pieces f o r t h e r o o m after t h e fire of 1814. Seven of t h e French chairs and one sofa of t h e set b o u g h t by M o n r o e are in t h e r o o m . Portraits include those o f John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James M o n r o e , and John Tyler. The Hannibal clock on t h e w h i t e marble m a n t e l was acquired in 1817. The color blue was first used d u r i n g t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of M a r t i n Van Buren. The W h i t e House Christmas t r e e is placed in this r o o m . In t h e Tennessee marble f l o o r of t h e ENTRANCE and CROSS HALLS are t h e construction and reno v a t i o n dates of t h e house. A b o v e t h e Blue Room entrance is t h e Presidential seal. The SECOND a n d THIRD FLOORS (interiors n o t on diagram) are used only by t h e Presidential f a m i l y and guests. Located here are t h e Lincoln B e d r o o m , t h e f o r m e r President's Office (used as t h e Cabinet Room, 1865-1902), and t h e Queen's Bedroom, n a m e d f o r its royal visitors. Visitor Information For information on public White House tours and events call 202-456-7041, (24 hours). The White House is open for garden tours on selected April and October weekends. On Easter Monday the traditional Easter Egg Roll takes place on the South Lawn. For more information: www.nps.gov/whho, www.whitehousehistory.org, and www.whitehouse.gov/history. The White House Visitor Center, at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue, South, is open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, and offers exhibits, audio visual displays, historic artifacts, and ranger-led talks about the White House. To learn more call 202-208-1631. The White House The White House: A Brief History The White House is the oldest public building in the District of Columbia, and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is the most famous address in the United States. Every President except George Washington has conducted the government of the nation here. In the past 200 years the White House has come to symbolize the American Presidency across the world. While the Capitol represents freedom and the nation's ideals, the White House stands for the power and statesmanship of the chief executive. The White House itself has been altered, adapted, or enlarged to suit the needs of the residents and demands of a growing nation and of a more complicated world. On July 16, 1790, the U.S. Congress passed the Residency Act that established a permanent capital for the United States on the banks of the Potomac River. It empowered George Washington to select the site for the Federal City. Once he chose the precise location, planning for the city began. French engineer Pierre L'Enfant based his plan on t w o strong focal points: the Capitol and the President's House, symbolic Throughout all the changes, the basic structure has been honored. After the British burning in 1814, the house was rebuilt between 1815 and 1817 within the same walls. The State Dining Room was enlarged, and space for presidential staff was created in a new West Wing in 1902. A greatly weakened structure was completely rebuilt within its original walls in 1948-52. However, it has remained recognizable for more than 200 years. Engravings and photographs show alterations, additions, and changes to landscape features since the White House was first built, but what remains is a structure that George Washington would recognize should he come upon it today. 1793 of t w o of the three branches of government. Thomas Jefferson, then Secretary of State, suggested to Washington and the Commissioners for the District of Columbia that designs for both structures be solicited through a nationwide architectural competi- tion, which was announced on March 14, 1792. On July 17, 1792, James Hoban, an architect born and trained in Ireland, was declared 1814 Work started w i t h making a brickyard on the present north grounds of the White House. Three kilns turned out several million bricks not only for the White House but other federal buildings. Huts built on what is now Lafayette Park housed the laborers. (The task of finding skilled workers vexed Hoban throughout the project.) In 1793 a number of stonemasons were recruited in Edinburgh, Scotland. Slaves were hired from their owners, too. The stone for the foundations and the facings on exterior walls came from the Aquia Creek quarry in Stafford County, Va. Boats could navigate the creek up t o the quarry and then carry the stone back up the Potomac to Washingt o n . Hoban advertised throughout the region for fine quality w o o d for flooring and doors and for framing lumber. Much of it came from North Carolina and Virginia, including Mount Vernon and Stratford Hall plantation. Lime for the mortar was procured from the region around Frederick, Md. house not quite finished, the second President, John Adams, moved into the White House on November 1, 1800, just a few months before his term ended. At that time, much of the building's interior had not yet been completed, and Abigail Adams used the unfinished East Room to dry the family wash. During Jefferson's administration, the east and west terraces were built. He also opened the house each morning to all visitors—an extension of his democratic beliefs and a practice that continues today. By the time Washington left office in 1797, the walls stood and the roof was framed. In the next three years w i n dows were installed and interior walls were plastered. W i t h the James Madison moved into the White House in 1809. W i t h his wife Dohey he introduced brilliance and glitter into the new capital's social life in a White House that dazzled as well from the work of architect Benjamin Latrobe. The Madisons hired Latrobe to decorate the oval room and to design furniture. His work survives only in sketches, for on August 24, 1814, British forces C c captured Washington and burned the White House in retaliation for the destruction of some public buildings in Canada by American troops. The exterior sandstone walls and interior brickwork were all that remained. o c Reconstruction began in 1815 under Hoban's supervision, and the White House was ready for James Monroe in September 1817. The burnt-out shell of the White House (left), as seen from Lafayette Park In 1815, contrasts vividly with the growing city (top) that George Cooke painted in 1833. The White House is at center left in the painting. iLFFT W H I T t HOUSE HISfORIC A L (below) following Matt h e w Perry's 1853-54 trip t o Japan and the visit of the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII of England. In April 1861 the Civil War tore the nation apart, and the White House became a center for decision-making Q c i i 8 11909 and other war activity. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in his second-floor office (above). Troops were quartered in the East Room in the war's early stages. In the wake of this national conflict came the first assassination of a President. A glass conservatory, planned during the last year of the Pierce Presidency, was built on the west terrace in 1857. It proved a deiight and became a private domain for the Presidential families. Because of the good iight it was a favorite place for taking photographs like the one at right of Mrs. Hayes w i t h her children Scott and Fanny and a Woodrow Wilson's years in the White House saw him test new radio links with aircraft and listen to the appeal of suffragettes for the right to vote. Over the years the almost unceasing pace of remodeling, alterations, and rebuilding had weakened many of the building's old wooden beams and interior walls. Then, in 1948, a thorough examination revealed the house's alarming condit i o n . The decision was made for a complete renovation. The Trumans moved to Blair House, across Pennsyl- o I Soon after his election Franklin Roosevelt began radio broadcasts t o the nation—known as "fireside chats" (above). The next year, 1934, he had the West Wing enlarged again. Once the United States entered cient heating system was introduced in 1853. Bathrooms and water closets were improved on the second floor. :: c c ) These years before the Civil War were important ones for the White House, because, under the now aged Hoban's direction, the north and south porticoes were built in 1824 and 1829 respectively. Running water was added, and an indoor bathroom was constructed Andrew Jackson was one of the most popular Presidents. The crush of people at public receptions that marked his years in the White House did not deter those who hoped to see their hero. Cleveland's successor Benjamin Harrison made some notable changes, including adding electric lights in 1891. When Theodore Roosevelt became President, one of the first things he did was to change the name of the structure t o the White House. Since the mid19th century it had been called the Executive Mansion, and before that it had been described in government documents as the President's House. But c c In March 1885 the second bachelor President, Grover Cleveland, took office. Little more than almost from the beginning it was known popularly as the White House. Certainly that name predated the fire of 1814. In 1901 Roosevelt made it official. Roosevelt faced major problems, because the house needed extensive structural repairs, more space for both the family and the staff Succeeding administraF tions, hoping t o make vania Avenue, for four years of White House reconstruction. Paneling, ceilings, and furniture were removed, the interior was gutted, a new basement was excavated, new f o u n dations were laid, and was required, and the interior was a conglomeration of styles. Congress appropriated money t o repair and refurnish the house and to construct new offices for the President, w i t h an executive office building (the West Wing) replacing the old conservatories (above). Work began in June 1902, supervised by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White. By the end of the year the job was complete. Today 1948 World War II, the East Wing and an air raid shelter were built and a movie theater was installed in the east terrace. Harry Truman added a balcony t o the south portico in 1948. is the Rose Garden. The 1902 renovations made this space available for a formal garden. Roses were first planted here in 1913. A third floor was added in 1927 t o provide more living space in the residence. a year later, on June 2, 1886, Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the Blue Room (below right). Although other weddings have been performed in the White House, this was the one time a President was married here. c was built, Presidents had used various room arrangements in the mansion for their offices. Since 1909 the Oval Office has been the President's Office. Outside the Oval Office Despite the work done in 1902, demand for more space grew, and in 1909 the West Wing offices were enlarged and the well-known Oval Office was built. Before the West Wing in 1833. Gas lighting was installed in 1848. When Franklin Pierce was President, the first truly central and effi- 1901 family friend. During the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes the conservatory was greatly expanded, w i t h walks and benches as a part of the interior design, and connected to the White House via the State Dining Room. Thousands of stunned mourners filed by Lincoln's coffin in the East Room in 1865. Sixteen years later the White House was draped in mourning (right) as once again a President, James A. Garfield, fell victim to an assassin. 1933 By the time Andrew Jackson came to live in the White House, the nation was expanding rapidly. Jackson, elected by a large margin, reflected that g r o w t h ; he was the first "westerner" in the White House. Under his guidance, the East Room was first furnished and opened for public use. ASSOCIATION 1885 The role of the White House expanded as the nation grew in importance and as the City of Washington developed. Two great social events of the Buchanan administration in 1860 are indicative of this evolving stature: the arrival of Japanese officials and the Commissioners of the District of Columbia. Hoban supervised the construction. 1829 Benjamin Latrobe designed the chairs above for the Madisons during the Greek Revival period. They were made in Baltimore, Md. None survived the fire of 1814. 1860 the winner. His design (above) was based on country houses of the British Isles. On October 13 the cornerstone was laid by the Freemasons a steel framework was erected to take their load-carrying burden off the walls (above). In March 1952 the Trumans moved back t o the renovated White House. the White House a showcase of American furniture and painting, have focused on acquiring historic and artistic objects for its permanent collection as well as on preserving and maintaining the house. A recent project is t o preserve the exterior walls. Some 28 layers were stripped while expert stone carvers repaired the historic sandstone. Column capitals, carved roses, and garland details, cleaned of thick layers of paint, are once again seen in their original crispness (right). Scorch marks from when fire con- o o Q o I O X sumed the White House during the 1814 British invasion were briefly visible while the naked walls awaited repainting. For more information on the history of the White House and President's Park, contact The White House Historical Association at w w w . whitehousehistory.com. Visit the websites listed on the reverse of this brochure for additional information. Detailed information about the White House may be f o u n d in The White House, An Historic Guide; The Living White House; The Presidents of the United States; First Ladies of the White House; and The President's House: A History, by William Seale, all published by the White House Historical Association, 740 Jackson Place, NW, Washington, DC 20560 202-737-8292. ->GPO; 2004—304-337/00059 Reprint 2004 Printed on recycled paper.