Collection Native Americans and the White House
Native Americans hold a significant place in White House history. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples, including the Nacotchtank and...
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Installation of a gravity hot-air heating system began in the spring of 1840. The system used a self-contained furnace with an inner firebox of iron enclosed by a shell of plastered brick where the air was warmed. Ducts ran from both the outer shell and the furnace room itself (oval room in the basement, now the Diplomatic Reception Room) and extended through the floors and walls to the chambers above. It served only the State Rooms and Cross Hall on the principal floor. Five years later, President James K. Polk ordered a furnace and duct system be built to warm the State and Second Floors. The furnace system was improved to increase its capacity and plaster-lined air ducts were built to the State Rooms, bedrooms, and offices terminating in registers of silver plate, brass, or iron in the least important rooms. At the start of the Mexican War, Polk and his cabinet assembled in the State Dining Room for a photographic portrait in May or June of 1846. This dim daguerreotype is the earliest known photograph taken inside the White House. Two years later the mansion made the transition to gaslight, to the dismay of Polk's wife, Sarah, who preferred to illuminate the rooms with wax candles.
Native Americans hold a significant place in White House history. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples, including the Nacotchtank and...
In 1821-1822, Susan Decatur requested the construction of a service wing. The first floor featured a large kitchen, dining room,...
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament....
Thousands of people traverse historic Lafayette Park every day to get a glimpse of the White House. The park, right...
Honoring some of the greatest moments in sports history has become a tradition at the White House. Presidents and their...
From diplomatic dinners to holiday gatherings, the White House has always played a central role in the nation’s official en...
The computer, the car, space travel. These technologies, while seemingly old hat now, are examples of monumental technological advancement. Even...
While the presidency is often in the eye of the public, those who ensure operations at the White House run...
This year marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment, the culmination of the suffragists' fight to secure the right to...
The collection of fine art at the White House has evolved and grown over time. The collection began with mostly...
When you’re cooking for the president and first family, your meals and recipes become a part of history. In th...
Wine has a long and important history in the White House, playing a unique role in entertaining, public ceremonies, and...