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The Entrance Hall
The Cross Hall and large Entrance Hall are at the center of the original plan by James Hoban for the State Floor of the White House. The basic floor plan has not been altered substantially, although modifications have been made to the design and placement of the principle staircases. The plan is arranged so that the Cross Hall connects all
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The Green Room
James Hoban, the original architect of the President's House, intended that the space now called the "Green Room" be used as a "Common Dining Room." An 1801 inventory revealed that first residents President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams actually used it as a guest bedchamber. However, the next chief executive, Thomas Jefferson, did serve meals in this room. Jefferson
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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 built during the Truman Renovation between 1948 and 1952. One of the house's finest architectural elements, this ceiling was
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The Red Room
Benjamin Henry Latrobe's 1803 drawing of the State Floor indicates that the Red Room served as "the President's Antechamber" for the President's office and Cabinet Room next door. During the James Madison administration, the room became First Lady Dolley Madison's famous salon. A sunflower yellow, not red, dominated the room's decor. Visitors were received at her famous Wednesday night receptions in
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The Second Floor
When John Adams first occupied the President's House in 1800, the Second Floor was generally reserved for private and family use. President Adams kept a small office adjacent to his bedroom on the southwest corner of the house, but other early presidents chose to work in rooms on the State Floor. Around 1825, the two rooms that we now call the Lincoln
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Board of Directors
The White House Historical Association, chartered in 1961, is a nonprofit historical and educational organization that plays a vital role in preserving the White House and recording its unique history. To enhance the understanding and appreciation of the President's home, the White House Historical Association has published and distributed more than eight million books, as well as videos and other educational
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The Kennedy White House, Part Two: "Legacy"
Read Digital EditionForeword, William SealeCirca 1961: The Kennedy White House Interiors, Elaine Rice BachmannThe Historic Guide to America's HouseMajor Publications of the White House Historical AssociationA New Look at the John F. Kennedys and the Arts, Elise K. KirkA Small Slice of Kennedy Decor: The Queens' Sitting Room, William G. AllmanBuy NowSubscribe to White House History
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William Seale - In Memoriam 1939–2019
Dr. William Seale, whose contributions to the programs and publications of the White House Historical Association for more than forty years were instrumental in shaping the Association’s study and dissemination of White House history, passed away on November 21, 2019, following a long illness. His unique approach to the study of history through biography, architecture, landscape, and cultural context expanded the pu
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Sharing White House History about Harry S. Truman
The White House Historical Association and presidential libraries, historic homes, and museums have a shared goal of providing access to presidential history. Below you will find a variety of digital educational resources compiled by the White House Historical Association that have been sourced from presidential sites relating to President Harry S. Truman.Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum/Truman
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Amenities & Living Comforts
The first bath tubs in the White House were portable and made of tin; water was hauled in buckets. Running water was piped into the White House in 1833. Gaslighting, installed in the White House in 1848, replaced candles and oil lamps. A central heating system was installed in the White House in 1837 when many people still warmed themselves with a log
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White House Tour
Following a competition for the design of the President's House in the spring of 1792, Irish architect James Hoban was commissioned to build a home and office for the President of the United States. With guidance from President George Washington, Hoban employed craftsmen brought from as far away as Scotland and oversaw a free and enslaved labor force that constructed one