Podcast White House Builder James Hoban’s Irish Roots
Over 200 years ago, James Hoban left Ireland for America to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. Selected by President...
President Truman's Renovation
During the administration of President Harry S. Truman, the White House underwent a renovation and expansion so extensive, it changed the Executive Mansion more than the fire of 1814. The White House we know today is largely due to the renovation led by Truman. The construction took place between 1948 and 1952 and was a remarkable feat of engineering. National Park Service photographer Abbie Rowe captured the entire process on film and the below galleries document the transformation.
Truman Renovation
The White House is Falling Down
Truman Renovation
Total Demolition
Truman Renovation
Amazing Transformation
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Collection Presidential and First Lady Portraits
Since 1965, the White House Historical Association has been proud to fund the official portraits of our presidents and first ladies,...
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Podcast James Hoban, Designer and Builder of the White House
James Hoban came from humble beginnings as a young carpenter and architect in Ireland, and went on to collaborate with...
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Collection James Hoban: Architect of the White House
James Hoban's life is a memorable Irish-American success story. In his boyhood he learned the craft of carpenter and wheelwright,...
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Podcast Remembering the Truman White House, A Grandson’s Reflections
No recent president has had more impact on the White House than Harry S. Truman, who both modernized the building...
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Collection The President's Neighborhood
Since the White House was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800, influential people and organizations—or those who hoped to...
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Collection Holiday Cheer at the White House
The White House observance of Christmas before the twentieth century was not an official event. First families decorated the house...
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Collection The Kennedys and the Arts
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s advocacy for the arts endures as a vital part of th...
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Collection Tudor Place
Two grand houses were under construction in the young Federal City in 1816: one the President’s House, reconstructed after it wa...
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Collection An Artist Visits the White House Past
From the beginning of its construction in 1792, until the 1902 renovation that shaped the modern identity and functions of the interior...
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Collection Dining in the Executive Mansion
A dinner at the White House has always had significance beyond the gastronomical delights. The elegance of the State Dining...
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Collection A Tour of the White House
In 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy resolved to make the White House a “living museum” by restoring the historic integrity of the...
