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White House Pets: Merry Menagerie
Two of the youngest presidents to reside in the White House brought their families and a menagerie of pets along with them. A pony, sheep, dogs, cats, a macaw, guinea pigs, rats, a snake, and many more animal friends lived at the Theodore Roosevelt White House. In 1908 the Washington Evening Star observed, "There is no home in Washington so full
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White House Pets
Animals -- whether pampered household pets, working livestock, birds, squirrels, or strays -- have long been a major part of life at the White House. Some pets simply provided companionship to the president and his family. Others gained fame for a role in shaping the president's public image. No matter what job was bestowed upon them, White House pets usually
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First Ladies' Private Lives
In the early decades of the republic a president's wife, like other wives, seldom displayed her private life to the eyes of the public. Few images of first ladies in recreational roles appeared until the early twentieth century, when American women gained new status and freedom in a fast-changing society. Today along with the title first lady, the president's wife
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President Johnson and Civil Rights
A master of the art of practical politics, Lyndon Johnson came into the White House after the tragedy of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. He was energetic, shrewd, and hugely ambitious. Clifford Alexander, Jr., deputy counsel to the president and an African American, remembered President Johnson as a larger-than-life figure who was a tough but fair taskmaster. His le
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About The Official White House Christmas Ornament
When Jacqueline Kennedy established the White House Historical Association in 1961, she envisioned an organization that would educate and inspire Americans — and particularly children — to take part in our shared history. Twenty years later, the Association launched an initiative to celebrate that history by offering unique annual Christmas ornaments to the public. All sales of the ornaments benefit the Association’s missio
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Lady Bird Johnson's Americana
The Lyndon B. Johnson Administration began during a time of great uncertainty. In November 1963, the assassination of President Kennedy had stunned America. New First Lady Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson certainly felt a desire to help the nation heal. She chose comforting and nostalgic holiday decor during her White House years. Her 1965 and 1966 Blue Room Christmas trees were decorated in an
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Roland Mesnier
Roland Mesnier has been pastry chef for five presidents. One of nine children born to a family in rural, post–World War II France, he began his career as a pastry apprentice at the age of twelve and made his way up, working at the world’s most prestigious hotels. In 1979, First Lady Rosalynn Carter hired him as head pastry chef
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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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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 Ghost Stories
1862-1863: Mary Todd Lincoln, grieving over her son Willies death in February, began to participate in spirit circles or seances in the Red Room at the White House and the presidential cottage at the Soldiers Home. Spiritualism was wildly popular during the height of the Civil War as families sought comfort for the loss of loved ones. 1901-1904: Jeremiah Jerry
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Our Locations
The White House Historical Association Offices740 Jackson Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006For mailing please use: P.O. Box 27624 Washington, D.C. 20038
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The White House Neighborhood Revisited
Read Digital Edition Foreword, William SealeThe Willard Hotel, Elizabeth Smith BrownsteinNotable Prominent Neighbors: Personalities of Saint John's Church, Richard F. GrimmettThe Association's Decatur House on Lafayette Square: A Center for the Study of History, Neil W. HorstmanPlatform Star: Robert G. Ingersoll in Washington, Steven C. LoweUnraveling the Dolley Myths, Merry Ellen ScofieldRemembering My Mother in the White House on the