Collection Preservation of the White House
In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the...
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Reconstruction of the West Wing in 1930 after extensive damage by a Christmas Eve fire in 1929 included a central air-conditioning system installed by Carrier Engineering Company. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his staff experienced their first warm season at the White House in 1933, air-conditioning units were added to the private quarters on the second floor. Roosevelt swam as therapy for polio, so an indoor pool featuring modern water circulation and sterilization technology was built for him in the West Terrace in 1933. Broadcasting equipment was moved into the Diplomatic Reception Room, the setting for Roosevelt's fireside chats. In the mid-1930s the house's electrical system was rewired and both the large and small kitchens were remodeled to feature such modern conveniences as hotel-size electric ranges and ovens. The result was modern streamlined kitchens of stainless steel, immaculate and uncluttered; indirect lighting fell on cream-colored walls and on green and cream-colored linoleum with borders. The small kitchen was converted into a pantry, with refrigerators and warming ovens, serving both the kitchen and the State floor pantry, to which it was linked by electric dumbwaiters and a narrow, twisting stair.
President Franklin Roosevelt addresses the nation in a fireside chat.
National Archives and Records AdministrationIn the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the...
Since 1965, the White House Historical Association has been proud to fund the official portraits of our presidents and first ladies,...
The American experiment has long held the curiosity of people around the world, especially for Iain Dale, an award-winning British...
In 1821-1822, Susan Decatur requested the construction of a service wing. The first floor featured a large kitchen, dining room,...
From First Lady Dolley Madison's sister Lucy Payne Washington's wedding in 1812 to the nuptials of President Joseph Biden and First...
Over 200 years ago, James Hoban left Ireland for America to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. Selected by President...
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament....
In 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in for the first of his four terms as president of the United States....
From hot dogs to haute cuisine, U.S. Presidents have communicated important messages through food. Stewart McLaurin, President of the...
When First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy took on the herculean task of restoring the interior of the White House, she appointed...
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr., the nation’s only unelected president and vice president, served thirteen terms in Congress before rising to...
Thousands of people traverse historic Lafayette Park every day to get a glimpse of the White House. The park, right...