Collection Intrepid Innovation
The computer, the car, space travel. These technologies, while seemingly old hat now, are examples of monumental technological advancement. Even...
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Inventories of the tools in the stonecutting sheds suggest that some of
the stone was sawed, a technique that bypassed usual tooling used to
"finish" the stone's surface. The cut resulted in two stones, each with a
smooth face.
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Thomas Jefferson gave orders for the demolition of the outdoor wooden
privy and had two water closets installed upstairs, one on each end of
the house. He also had a wine cellar built just west of the house and
called it an "ice house."
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Considering that it had taken nearly ten years to build the first White House, it was remarkable that James Hoban was able to direct a reconstruction of the house (after the British torched the house in 1814) in slightly less than three years. Read More
President John Quincy Adams was an avid gardener who expanded the White
House garden to two acres. An iron garden pump with "nine spout holes"
was attached to a well at the Treasury building and provided water for
the grounds.
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Running water was introduced into the White House in 1833. Initially its
purpose was to supply the house with drinking water and to fill
reservoirs for protection against fire.
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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.
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The 1850s saw many improvements and expansions to the mansion's existing
conveniences. By this time many Americans who had gaslight wondered how
they had ever lived without it.
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The second floor quarters occupied by President Abraham Lincoln and his family were used much as they had been during the 1850s. Read More
Social functions at the Grant White House attracted so many visitors
that the Red, Blue and Green parlors became extremely hot and stuffy.
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On February 12, 1880, a wooden crate arrived at the White House
containing a new contrivance which would make a more immediate
difference than the telephone: a Fairbanks & Company Improved Number
Two Typewriter.
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Electric lighting was installed in the White House in 1891. Few people at the time had enough faith in electric lighting to use it exclusively-its use was barely a decade old. Read More
By the time Theodore Roosevelt took office, the use of electric light
was common in American houses. The entire wiring system was replaced
during a major restoration of the White House in 1902.
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First Lady Helen Taft loved entertaining and White House hospitality
during the Taft administration centered on the dining table, where the
Tafts' tastes were regal. A "Forty-quart Peerless Ice Cream Freezer,"
with a direct current motor and a twelve-foot long Imperial French Coal
Range were added to the large kitchen in 1912.
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By the 1920s electric vacuum cleaners were cleaning the White House carpets, and an electric refrigerator was humming in the kitchen. Read More
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. Read More
When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, White
House security became a much more serious concern than it had been in
the past.
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In 1952, following a major renovation of the White House, President
Harry S. Truman invited ABC, NBC, and CBS, to bring their cameras and
correspondents to the White House to accompany the president on a tour
of the reconstructed White House.
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On July 20, 1969, President Richard M. Nixon spoke from the White House
by radiotelephone with Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin E.
"Buzz" Aldrin.
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In response to the economic crisis created by the Arab oil embargo and
the nation's growing dependence on foreign oil, President Jimmy Carter
called for a comprehensive campaign to conserve energy.
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The Carter administration began the task of automating the White House
with computers. Initial uses included assembling databases, tracking
correspondence, developing a press release system, and compiling issues
and concerns of Congress.
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E-mail was introduced to the White House in 1992. President George Bush became the first president to use this new technology. Read More
The National Park Service oversaw the installation of three solar energy systems on the White House grounds in 2002. Read More
The computer, the car, space travel. These technologies, while seemingly old hat now, are examples of monumental technological advancement. Even...
Whether by hoof, air, waterway, road, or rail, the President’s access to reliable transportation is essential during their time in...
James Archer AbbottJames Archer Abbott currently serves as the Executive Director of the Lewes Historical Society in Lewes, Delaware. A...
June 28, 1957: President Dwight D. Eisenhower - Islamic Center of WashingtonPresident Dwight D. Eisenhower's Remarks at Ceremonies Opening the Islamic CenterMr....
8:00 - 8:50 am Networking Breakfast Willard Hotel Crystal & Willard Rooms 8:50 - 9:00 am Drawing Willard Hotel Ballroom Must be present to...
8:00 - 8:50 am Networking Breakfast Willard Hotel Crystal & Willard Rooms 8:50 - 9:00 am Opening Drawing Willard Hotel Ballroom Must be present...
TUESDAY General Session: Tuesday 9:00-10:45 Presidential History and Memory: Negotiating Narratives Across Time and Space This general session will examine...
The White House Historical Association, chartered in 1961, is a nonprofit historical and educational organization that plays a vital role in...
Since late 2016, the White House Historical Association has been working with Amazon Web Services to leverage the newest cloud computing...
The White House Historical Association (WHHA) offers many different resources for students working on National History Day projects.
WILLIAM ADAIR is a frame historian, conservator, and gilder in Washington, D.C. (WHH #54) WILLIAM G. ALLMAN served more than...