The East Room, c. 1861, lithograph. From the 1830s until 1902, changes to the main block of the White House occurred principally to its interiors. Andrew Jackson had furnished the East Room for the first time in 1829. Succeeding presidents and their wives periodically refurbished the house to reflect the changing tastes of their time. As the 19th century progressed and presidential families with children and other relatives crowded into a limited space, demands to move the offices increased. The ground floor was a utilitarian basement area of kitchens, storage rooms, furnace, servants’ living quarters, and workspaces.