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West
wing as completed in the fall of 1934, after three
months in construction. Abbie Rowe, The White House.
The term "West Wing" did not come into
common usage until the 1930s. A "temporary
office building" had been built in 1902 for
the president and his staff, but Theodore Roosevelt
continued to use an office in the residence as well.
In 1909, President Taft had the West Wing enlarged
and made permanent, adding an oval office. Herbert
Hoover remodeled the wing and rebuilt it after a
fire in 1929.
With
the expansion of the staff in the 1930s, Franklin
D. Roosevelt requested additional space, and the
wing was completely rebuilt under the eye of Eric
Gugler. He built a second story, excavated a larger
basement for staff and support services, and moved
the oval office from the south to its present
location in the southeast corner, adjacent to
the Rose Garden. The wing, doubled in size, has
not seen further exterior alterations except for
a small porte cochere on the north side, constructed
in 1969.
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