The West Wing: 1975-1999
1979: Islamic militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and took Americans hostage. The West Wing once again became a crisis center as President Jimmy Carter and his staff planned a response.
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1979: Islamic militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and took Americans hostage. The West Wing once again became a crisis center as President Jimmy Carter and his staff planned a response.
President’s Park is approximately 80 acres of urban landscape surrounding the White House. A fence encloses the house, providing 18 acres of gardens and grounds for the first family’s enjoyment. To the south is the Ellipse, the site of National Christmas Tree events. To the north of the White House is a seven-acre plot called Lafayette Park. Named after revolutionary war
WASHINGTON, Monday—We came down to Washington yesterday evening to find the trees in bud, the fountains playing outside the White House and the daffodils all in bloom along Pennsylvania Avenue and in the little garden on which my window looks down. One magnolia tree is completely out and everything looks as though spring has arrived. Yet, in Hyde Park, we
WASHINGTON, Thursday—I have just made the rounds of every room in the White House with Mrs. Nesbitt,1 the housekeeper. We even inspected the third floor, which, this time, instead of housing grandchildren, will have our royal visitors' personal servants. Ordinarily, when the house is going to be filled. I tell Mrs. Nesbitt to get in touch with the nurses to
The first really grand White House wedding was Nellie Grant’s. For this President and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant had the East Room redecorated entirely, adding to James Hoban’s original architectural detailing matching columns and extending the cornice into beams, all gleaming white, with accents in gold leaf. Andrew Jackson’s three chandeliers were replaced by much grander “French” models, bo
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy began to envision a "traditionally American" garden located just outside the Oval Office. His idea became the Rose Garden, which was installed the next year. This garden has had a strong presence on the White House grounds and in the American presidency ever since. It is a White House institution, a special place for official
This video showcases the morning session of the White House Gardens Symposium on May 2, 2019. The White House Gardens Symposium was a day-long event, hosted by the White House Historical Association and Rachel Mellon’s Oak Spring Garden Foundation, featuring the history and development of the White House gardens, specifically the West and East Gardens. This informative gathering brought together experts in
This video showcases the luncheon speaker of the White House Gardens Symposium on May 2, 2019. The White House Gardens Symposium was a day-long event, hosted by the White House Historical Association and Rachel Mellon’s Oak Spring Garden Foundation, featuring the history and development of the White House gardens, specifically the West and East Gardens. This informative gathering brought together experts in
This video showcases the afternoon session of the White House Gardens Symposium on May 2, 2019. The White House Gardens Symposium was a day-long event, hosted by the White House Historical Association and Rachel Mellon’s Oak Spring Garden Foundation, featuring the history and development of the White House gardens, specifically the West and East Gardens. This informative gathering brought together experts in
The White House Historical Association announced today the release of its new publication A Garden for the President: A History of the White House Grounds by landscape historian Jonathan Pliska. The 300-plus page hardbound book explores the grounds, gardens, uses, and plantings of the White House. His research has uncovered new information about a range of topics, including the earliest
TEACHER'S TEXT:Why wait until February to learn about the history-making decisions of America’s most recognized leader? Since George Washington essentially invented the office of the president in the 1790s, the nation’s chief executive has rarely stayed on the sidelines when major events unfold. The westward movement, race relations, war, and space exploration are just a few of the