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An American Icon
Savior of American portraiture, server of ice cream, dual term first lady and mentor of White House hostesses: all of these titles characterize Dolley Madison’s time in the White House. These aspects are just some of the many highlights of Dolley and her presence in American collective memory. She was idolized not just by her peers, but also by Eu
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The White House Garden Tours
When the White House gates open at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 13th, thousands of people will stream through for the start of the 2019 White House Spring Garden Tour. Few of them will know that this special tour – one of only two weekends each year that the grounds of the President’s House are open to the general public – is part of the
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Christmas with the Kennedys
The White House celebrates many holiday traditions, some of which are historic and others more recent. New arrivals to the Executive Mansion bring unique familial rituals that they are often blended with time-tested White House and presidential customs. During the holiday season, the president and first lady participate in public traditions such as receiving a tree for the Blue Room,
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Second Spouses
For much of American history, the spouse of the Vice President of the United States did not maintain a prominent public role. However, as the Office of Vice President has evolved over time to include more responsibilities, power, influence, and resources, the “Second Spouse” has also grown in recognition and stature. One notable historical exception is Floride Calhoun, the wife of V
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Camp David
Sixty miles outside of Washington, D.C. is a rustic wilderness retreat that serves presidents and first families as a secluded getaway from the White House. Camp David was originally built as a camp for federal employees and their families, a project completed in 1938 through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the New Deal. The camp is located east of
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Eliza McCardle Johnson: Conflicting Memories and Vanishing Evidence of the Enslaved Past
In 1980, Margaret Johnson Patterson Bartlett, great-granddaughter of First Lady Eliza McCardle Johnson and President Andrew Johnson, gave an oral interview at Harpers Ferry about the history of her family. Alluding that her ancestors wanted to keep certain family secrets hidden from the public, Mrs. Bartlett recalled when her father sold documents to the Library of Congress in 1904: “My daddy [Andrew Jo
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The Mysterious Life of Susan Decatur
In his 1872 recollection Our Neighbors on Lafayette Square, Benjamin Ogle Tayloe reminisced about the residents of the square just north of the White House. He wrote, “Mrs. Decatur was the natural born daughter of Mr. Wheeler, an eminent merchant of Norfolk, and the proprietor of ironworks at Elk Ridge Landing, Maryland, where Mrs. Decatur was born, her mother an obscure wo
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Mapping Lady Bird Johnson's Whistle-Stop Tour
Less than a month before the 1964 presidential election, First Lady Lady Bird Johnson traveled for four days through the American South by train. In a practice known as whistle-stop campaigning, the first lady set out with her team, invited guests, and members of the press aboard the personalized “Lady Bird Special.” They visited eight states and stopped in forty-seven towns. The
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A White House Worker Remembers President Kennedy's Assassination
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had developed a bond with White House doorman Preston Bruce. The slain President's brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, invited Bruce to walk with members of the Kennedy family to JFK's memorial service at St. Matthew's Cathedral. Here are some of Bruce's recollections:"My heart ached to see Mrs. Kennedy march up
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Laura Bush and the Comforts of Home
In 2001, First Lady Laura Bush chose "Home for the Holidays" as the White House Christmas tree theme. Artists from all 50 states and the District of Columbia designed model replicas of historic homes and houses of worship to hang as ornaments. In 2002, Mrs. Bush adopted the theme of "All Creatures Great and Small." Perched on the boughs of the official tree
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The Historic Decatur House
When Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr., and his wife, Susan, moved to the new federal city in 1816, they purchased land on the northwest corner of the President’s Park (today's Lafayette Square) with the prize money Decatur was awarded for his naval conquests in the War of 1812. The Decaturs commissioned Benjamin Henry Latrobe, America’s first professional architect and engineer, to desi
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Keeping Cool in the White House
During the 19th century Washington’s infamous summer heat and humidity presented challenges to presidents and their families. In that pre-air conditioning era, most chose to leave Washington in summer for fresher places – sometimes estates in Virginia, farms in Massachusetts, seaside or fishing retreats in New England, or on the New Jersey shore or Chesapeake Bay.At times during the hot