Thursday, May 2, 2024

The East and West Wings of the White House

white house west wing

President Herbert Hoover occupied the Secretary of Navy’s office for a few months following a fire in the Oval Office on Christmas Eve 1929. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was the first in a succession of Vice Presidents to the present day that have had offices in the building. For the east wing a comparison of the Jefferson and Walter plans can be made, but the photographic and physical evidence is lacking due to that wing’s demolition in 1866. Jefferson’s plan calls for room one tobe “Meat house above, vault below,” room two as “Descent into cellar” stairway, and room three as “necessary.” All three functions are mentioned in the 1805 report. What is seen on Walter’s plan is consistent with Jefferson’s room use and sequence but shows the rearranging of internal room walls to achieve a larger meat house and necessary. Thomas Jefferson never resided in any house very long without altering it to suit his ever-developing taste for comfort and convenience.

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The large gilt clock was likely created from assembled parts (both old and new) to imitate an early nineteenth century clock, similar to those used in churches and other public buildings. The artist inscribed the name “Simon Willard,” an important clock maker at the turn of the nineteenth century. The Roosevelt Room occupies the original location of President Theodore Roosevelt’s office when the West Wing was built in 1902. This room was once called the Fish Room because President Franklin D. Roosevelt used it to display an aquarium and his fishing mementos. In 1969, President Nixon named the room in honor of Theodore Roosevelt for building the West Wing and Franklin D. Roosevelt for its expansion.

Taft Oval Office, 1909–1933

Digging for the west wing began in the summer of 1804 under the direction of architect and engineer Latrobe and his assistant and construction supervisor Lenthall, the same team working on the Capitol construction under Jefferson’s supervision. Jefferson had chosen the right man to undertake the most complex of American building projects. The discovery of the substance caused a brief shutdown of the White House after it was found by Secret Service officers in a common storage area on the ground floor of the West Wing, which houses the Oval Office and offices of some of the president's top aides and support staff. It was found in a zip-close bag near an entrance where visitors taking tours are directed to leave their phones, the official said.

The Second Floor

Old floors, furniture, computers and other tech were stripped out and replaced with pristine mahogany paneling from Maryland, stonework from a Virginia quarry, LED lights that can change colors and flat-screen panels. In 1814 British marines infamously compromised the physical preservation of Jefferson’s “office” wings. After the devastating fire, President Madison declared the following year that all must be rebuilt as before, without deviation.

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James Hoban, the original architect, came back by conservative demand to rebuild the largely destroyed mansion, just as Latrobe also returned to rebuild the Capitol. Having no deep cellars in the basement posed a problem for keeping expensive drink at cool temperatures. On the southeast wall hangs President Theodore Roosevelt’s Congressional Medal of Honor awarded posthumously on January 16, 2001 to honor his heroism in the Spanish-American War in 1898. To the left of the fireplace hangs President Theodore Roosevelt’s Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in 1906, for his mediation of the Russo-Japanese War peace settlement. President Thomas Jefferson first opened the White House for public tours because he understood then, as we do now, that this house belongs to the American people. In our country, the halls of government are not reserved for a privileged few, and the President’s workplace should be no exception.

James Hoban: Architect of the White House

Jacqueline Kennedy's redecoration of the Oval Office began on November 21, 1963, while she and President Kennedy were away on a trip to Texas. The following day, November 22, a red carpet was installed, just as the Kennedys were making their way through Dallas, where the president was assassinated.[20] Johnson had the red carpet removed and the Truman carpet reinstalled, and used the latter for his administration. Since Johnson, most administrations have created their own oval carpet, working with an interior designer and the Curator of the White House. The basic Oval Office furnishings have been a desk in front of the three windows at the south end, a pair of chairs in front of the fireplace at the north end, a pair of sofas, and assorted tables and chairs. In the 19th century, some presidents used the White House's second-floor Yellow Oval Room as their private offices and libraries. This cultural association, between the president and an oval room, was more fully expressed in the Taft Oval Office (1909) in the West Wing.

The East and West Wings of the White House

Televisions for secure video conferences and technology can link the President to generals and world leaders around the globe. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden has been briefed on the incident and noted the area where the cocaine was discovered is "heavily traveled" by visitors. The construction of the West Wing was a transformative moment in the history of the White House, allowing for more efficient and centralized governance. Inside President Biden's White House, the West Wing plays a crucial role in the daily operations of the administration. It has undergone million-dollar renovations and is home to a carefully selected staff. News of Roosevelt's decisions spread through wire services transmitted by telegraph.

white house west wing

Across the hall from the Oval Office is a conference room, the original location of President Roosevelt's office. Today the room is called the Roosevelt Room, in memory of Theodore Roosevelt, who built the West Wing, and Franklin Roosevelt, who expanded it. On the mantel is the Nobel Peace Prize, which Theodore Roosevelt earned in 1906 for his negotiations with Russia and Japan. He was the first American and the first sitting president to receive this prestigious award. As we navigate the complexities of the present, let us draw inspiration from the room that honors these two transformative presidents. Let us remember that our political history is shaped by leaders who transcended party lines and worked together for the betterment of our nation.

The letter also confirms Jefferson’s idea for using a parallel row of clerk’s offices, the fact that he had sent Latrobe sketches, the frustration with Latrobe working long distance from Delaware, and the debate over using good stone versus cheaper stone covered with rough cast. Because the ice house is off-center to the north in the wing, there is room on its south side under the arch for space containing a stairway to be squeezed between the curved ice house wall and the south exterior wall. Completed in 1875, the State Department’s south wing was the first to be occupied, with its elegant four-story library (completed in 1876), Diplomatic Reception Room, and Secretary’s office decorated with carved wood, Oriental rugs, and stenciled wall patterns. The Navy Department moved into the east wing in 1879, where elaborate wall and ceiling stenciling and marquetry floors decorated the office of the Secretary.

In December of 1869, Congress appointed a commission to select a site and prepare plans and cost estimates for a new State Department Building. The commission was also to consider possible arrangements for the War and Navy Departments. To the horror of some who expected a Greek Revival twin of the Treasury Building to be erected on the other side of the White House, the elaborate French Second Empire–style design by Alfred Mullett was selected, and construction of a building to house all three departments began in June of 1871. One cosmetic upgrade Gustafson pointed out is the ability to swap out the different 2-foot-diameter seals that hang on the JFK room wall, depending on who is in the meeting. Seals for the president, vice president and executive staff are kept in a nearby closet and can be quickly subbed. The JFK room has a long wooden table with six leather chairs on each side and one at the head for the president.

Therefore, in 1970, the briefing room was constructed on top of the emptied pool that was installed for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s physical therapy. In addition to covering the walls with hand-painted striped wallpaper, President Obama added a new oval-shaped rug, which is made of 25% recycled wool. This rug features the Presidential Seal in the center and five historical quotations of meaning by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy around its border. The current “Sit Room” is a 5,000-square-foot complex of rooms that is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week to monitor national and world intelligence information.

However, it was President Franklin D. Roosevelt who recognized the need for expansion and modernization. His presidency saw the United States facing monumental challenges, including the Great Depression and World War II. In response, he expanded the West Wing, adding additional office spaces and meeting rooms to accommodate the growing demands of the executive branch. The West Wing, originally built by President Herbert Hoover, was a visionary addition to the White House. Its purpose was to centralize the executive branch, allowing for efficient governance and facilitating close collaboration between the president and his advisors.

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