Recently, the East Wing of the White House in Washington D.C. has been demolished to make way for the construction of a spacious new banquet hall, sparking widespread discussion in the public domain once the news was exposed.
As some historians have pointed out, the $300 million White House banquet hall project will become part of a series of renovations at the White House, with the ultimate outcome likely to be a cherished part of the White House’s architectural appearance, regardless of contemporary evaluations of these renovation projects.
The White House Historical Association states, “The South Portico, North Portico, East Wing, West Wing, and Truman Balcony all raised concerns when they were first constructed, but today, we can’t imagine the White House without these iconic elements.”
Since laying its first cornerstone over two centuries ago, many architectural elements of the White House have undergone extensive renovations to achieve the spectacular appearance it boasts today.
John Adams, the second President of the United States (1735-1826), was the first president to reside in what later became known as the White House, moving into the newly built capital located in a marshy area outside George Washington’s Mount Vernon in November 1800.
To construct the White House, the founding president of the United States, George Washington (1732-1799), and the first Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), organized a competition, with Irish-American architect James Hoban (1755-1831) winning the contract to build the original White House structure.
The initial design of the White House included many elements that are still preserved in its architectural appearance today, such as columned entrances on each side with two tiers of wide open windows.
President Adams wrote to his wife Abigail in a letter, “I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.”
During Adams’ 14-year tenure in the White House, changes were made to the building.
Despite the third President, Thomas Jefferson’s perception that the White House was overscaled, he still approved the construction of the East and West Colonnades, small side wings used for domestic management that remain to this day.
In 1814, the White House, then inhabited by the fourth President, James Madison (1751-1836), was burned during the War of 1812, also known as the Second War of American Independence (1812-1815), as the British invaded Washington.
At that time, the White House’s external structure remained intact, but much of the interior was destroyed and needed reconstruction.
During the battle, key artifacts inside the White House, including Gilbert Stuart’s famous portrait of George Washington, were preserved thanks to First Lady Dolley Madison’s quick thinking.
The reconstruction of the White House began almost immediately after the war ended.
During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the White House was overcrowded with executive staff, and in the swampy and mosquito-infested capital, it became a breeding ground for malaria.
There were proposals for renovating the executive manor, but those efforts did not garner support.
The 21st President of the United States, Chester Arthur (1829-1886), oversaw further renovations at the White House, moving twenty cartloads of artifacts, sculptures, and portraits in preparation for auction.
During this renovation, certain parts of the White House architecture and its decoration embraced the aesthetic style of the British Victorian era.
(Victorian Era, the period of the reign of Queen Victoria of Britain (1837-1901), known for being the peak era of the Industrial Revolution and the British Empire. This era saw significant development in science, industry, literature, and culture, often referred to as Britain’s “Golden Age.”)
By the late 19th century, the issue of overcrowding remained, leading the 23rd President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901), and his wife to propose an expansion of the White House, which was ultimately unsuccessful.
For contemporary American citizens, the West Wing of the White House has become synonymous with executive power; however, this part of the building was not added until the 20th century.
Since the period of the American Civil War, the White House has consistently faced overcrowding issues. During the tenure of the 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), these problems reached a critical point as he found that the White House was insufficient to accommodate his six children and an executive staff.
In 1902, President Roosevelt commissioned the renovation and expansion of the executive mansion, removing the influence of the British Victorian era and integrating the interior architecture with Neoclassical styles. American architect Charles McKim (1847-1909) was responsible for the White House renovation and expansion project.
Through the West Colonnade, a new “temporary” office building (now known as the West Wing) was added, housing executive staff and offices, while the main residence of the White House was reserved for the President and his family.
Further small-scale renovations and expansions were also carried out during the tenures of the 27th President, William Taft (1857-1930), the 30th President, Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933), and the 31st President, Herbert Hoover (1874-1964).
In the 1930s, the 32nd President, Franklin Roosevelt (1882-1945), added a second story to the White House West Wing, relocating the Oval Office to its current location next to the Rose Garden.
After nearly 150 years of use and continuous renovations, the White House began to encounter problems.
In 1948, during the tenure of the 33rd President, Harry Truman (1884-1972), the White House became highly unstable, facing the declaration of a collapse. In this critical situation, the Trumans relocated to Blair House across the street from 1949 to 1951, while the White House was demolished and rebuilt.
While the structural and exterior appearance of the White House remained largely unchanged, significant alterations occurred within the building. The plaster walls set in 1814 were severely damaged and unable to be preserved, and the wooden wainscoting in the East Room was similarly damaged.
In the tenure of the 35th President, John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw a restoration of the White House.
Following extensive mid-century renovations, further significant expansions were undertaken at the White House.
These included the addition of a single-lane bowling alley by the 37th President, Richard Nixon (1913-1994) in the 1970s, and the transformation of the tennis court commissioned by President Franklin Roosevelt into the present-day White House briefing room.
Additionally, the 43rd President, George W. Bush installed solar panels on the White House roof, and the most recent major renovation of the White House was carried out by the 44th President, Barack Obama, converting the White House tennis court into a basketball court and tennis court.