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White House South Portico
The White House South Portico is one of the most defining architectural features of the Executive Mansion. James Hoban, designer and builder of the White House, completed the South Portico in 1824 for President James Monroe. In 1948, architect Lorenzo S. Winslow built a balcony on the South Portico for President Harry Truman, which then led to a full renovation of the
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Mr. Truman's Renovation: Transformation
Abbie Rowe's photographs captured the drama of the interior space as floors were removed to reveal levels above and below. Beginning in November 1950 when the weight of the empty exterior shell of the White House was transferred to a new skeleton of steel, Rowe, recorded in a little more than fifteen months, the rapid construction of a new White House
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Mr. Truman's Renovation
Abbie Rowe's photographs of the Truman renovation of the White House form a unique and invaluable visual record of one of the nation's most important architectural and engineering challenges of the time. A Virginia native, Rowe spent his career in government service and was a noted photographer for the National Capital Parks of the National Park Service.First hired by
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The White House is Falling Down
"The damned place is haunted, sure as shootin. . . . You and Margie had better come back and protect me before some of these ghosts carry me off." Harry Truman, in a letter to his wife Bess, September 9, 1946Shortly after moving into the White House, President Truman noticed the telltale signs of a building under serious physical stress. He frequently complained of
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Mr. Truman's Renovation: Demolition
To provide solid support for the interior walls, crews poured 126 new reinforced concrete support columns to a depth of 25 feet. This would eventually provide space for two newly excavated sub-basement levels. By autumn 1950, interior demolition had left the White House a cavernous hollow space 165 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 70 to 80 feet high.Abbie Rowe visited the construction site frequently. His
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A Modern House for the President
By the summer of 1951 most interior partitions were complete. Service areas were modern and functional, bearing no visible similarity to their historical counterparts. Public spaces and family quarters were generally rebuilt to resemble the original rooms. Work proceeded at a rapid pace six days a week. In February 1952, furniture began arriving as workers finished sanding floors, painting walls, and installing
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Mr. Truman's Renovation: Workmen
As skilled craftsmen molded the raw materials into finished floors, walls, and ceilings, Abbie Rowe captured on film the contributions of the various construction trades. To add scale and a human personality, he was careful to include the faces of workers in many of his photographs. Their expressions often revealed their pride in contributing to the rebuilding of the White
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The Return of the Chief
On the evening of March 27, 1952, in a small ceremony at the entrance door, President Truman received a gold key to the newly renovated White House. After spending more than three years living in the smaller quarters of the Blair House across the street, the first family returned to the mansion for their first night back in residence. It was both
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The Family Dining Room
The Family Dining Room on the State Floor of the White House today is used primarily for smaller formal dinners and working lunches. First families have traditionally dined in the Family Dining Room since about 1825 when President John Quincy Adams and First Lady Louisa Catherine Adams began to take their meals there. Designated the “small dining room” or “private dining room,”
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Tricia Nixon's Tour of the White House
Tricia Nixon’s tour of the White House was broadcast as a segment of the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes” on May 26, 1970. She guided reporter Harry Reasoner through the family living quarters and other rooms and halls of the White House not usually open to the public. Ms. Nixon told Reasoner that at a recent dinner in what was now the family
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The United States Marine Band: Origins & Traditions
The Marine Band, the first musical ensemble to perform at the White House, has provided a continual opportunity for presidents to enjoy music. President Thomas Jefferson, an avid violinist, called music his "favorite passion." President James Madison invited the band to perform at the first inaugural ball. President Abraham Lincoln found the band's concerts a lift from the gloom of
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The United States Marine Band: Hail to the Chief
"Hail to the Chief," with its preceding fanfare Ruffles and Flourishes, is traditionally played to announce the arrival of the president at official functions. The melody was based on an old Gaelic air, and adapted from Sir Walter Scott’s poem, The Lady of the Lake. "Hail to the Chief" is attributed to English composer James Sanderson. The song was al