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Video
A Tour of the White House: The Ground Floor
The white marble walls of the Ground Floor corridor complement the vaulted ceiling arching gracefully overhead. Architect James Hoban installed the groin vaulting around 1793. Its sturdy construction withstood the fire of 1814. The vaulted ceiling seen today is a copy of the original vaulting and was built during the Truman Renovation between 1948 and 1952. One of the house's finest architectural elements, this
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Timeline
White House State Dining Room
The State Dining Room, which now seats as many as 140 guests, was originally much smaller and served at various times as a drawing room, office, and Cabinet Room. Not until the Andrew Jackson administration was it called the “State Dining Room,” although previous Presidents had used it for formal dinners.
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Press Release
The White House Historical Association Marks One Year Anniversary of Digital Library Launch
The White House Historical Association is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its Digital Library launch today. The free, public resource provides ready access to more than more than 5,000 images of the White House, the grounds and the surrounding neighborhood, with new collections being added regularly. New initiatives are underway and the Association expects to make significant additions to the collection
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Press Release
Latest White House Historical Association Podcast Tells Stories, Answers Myths About Construction of the White House
The White House Historical Association today released its fifth episode, “A White House of Stone” in The 1600 Sessions podcast series, which reaches back in time to the initial design and construction of the White House, detailing the people and places involved in building the President’s House from the ground up. This episode discusses how many enslaved people helped build the Wh
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Press Release
NEW Episode of The 1600 Sessions Podcast, "Freemasons and the White House"
The White House Historical Association today released a NEW episode of The 1600 Sessions podcast detailing the important role of Freemasons in the construction and history of the White House.See the podcast VIDEO here.Since the laying of the White House cornerstone in 1792, Freemasons have included Irish White House architect James Hoban and several presidents - from George Washington to
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Press Collection
The Association's Work in the White House Press Collection
The White House Historical Association is a private nonprofit educational organization with a mission to enhance the understanding and appreciation of the Executive Mansion. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy founded the Association in 1961 to help the White House collect and exhibit the very best artifacts of American history and culture. Today, our acquisition, preservation, research, and education efforts continue through generous
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Timeline
Easter Egg Roll Significant Dates
Since 1878, American presidents and their families have celebrated Easter Monday by hosting an 'egg roll' party. Held on the South Lawn, it is one of the oldest annual events in White House history. It has changed and evolved through the years and each First Family has put their stamp on the popular event. From the roll's origins to the latest
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Gallery
Mr. Truman's Renovation
Abbie Rowe's photographs of the Truman renovation of the White House form a unique and invaluable visual record of one of the nation's most important architectural and engineering challenges of the time. A Virginia native, Rowe spent his career in government service and was a noted photographer for the National Capital Parks of the National Park Service.First hired by
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Gallery
The State Dining Room
The State Dining Room, which seats as many as 140 guests, was originally much smaller and served at various times as a drawing room, office, and Cabinet Room. Not until the middle of the nineteenth century was it referred to as the “State Dining Room,” although previous presidents had used it for formal dinners. Today’s State Dining Room incorporates the space
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Gallery
Mr. Truman's Renovation: Transformation
Abbie Rowe's photographs captured the drama of the interior space as floors were removed to reveal levels above and below. Beginning in November 1950 when the weight of the empty exterior shell of the White House was transferred to a new skeleton of steel, Rowe, recorded in a little more than fifteen months, the rapid construction of a new White House
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Gallery
The White House is Falling Down
"The damned place is haunted, sure as shootin. . . . You and Margie had better come back and protect me before some of these ghosts carry me off." Harry Truman, in a letter to his wife Bess, September 9, 1946Shortly after moving into the White House, President Truman noticed the telltale signs of a building under serious physical stress. He frequently complained of