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White House



Overhead view of the White House grounds and President's Park
Overhead view of the White House grounds and President's Park

Before the construction of the North Portico most public events were entered from the South Lawn, which was graded and planted by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson also drafted a planting plan for the North lawn that included large trees that would have mostly obscured the house from Pennsylvania Avenue. During the mid to late nineteenth century a series of ever larger green houses were built on the west side of the house, where the current West Wing is located. During this period the North lawn was planted with ornate "carpet style" flower beds. Although the White House grounds have had many gardeners through their history, the general design, still largely used as master plan today, was designed in 1935 by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. of the Olmsted Brothers firm, under commission from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During the Kennedy administration the White House Rose Garden was redesigned by Rachel Lambert Mellon. The Rose garden borders the West Colonnade. Bordering the East Colonnade is the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden which was begun by Jacqueline Kennedy but completed after her husband's assassination. On the weekend of June 23, 2006, a century-old American Elm (Ulmaceae Ulmus americana L.) tree on the north side of the building, came down during one of the many storms of the Mid-Atlantic Flood of June 2006. This elm is depicted on the right side on the back of the $20 bill. This tree was believed to have been planted between 1902 and 1906 during Theodore Roosevelt's administration. Among the oldest trees on the grounds are several magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora) planted by Andrew Jackson.

Public access and security

See also: White House Tourism
Pennsylvania Avenue is now closed to all traffic, except government officials
Pennsylvania Avenue is now closed to all traffic, except government officials

Like the English and Irish country houses it was modeled on, the White House was, from the start, open to the public until the early part of the twentieth century. President Thomas Jefferson held an open house for his second inaugural in 1805, and many of the people at his swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol followed him home, where he greeted them in the Blue Room. Those open houses sometimes became rowdy: in 1829, President Andrew Jackson had to leave for a hotel when roughly 20,000 citizens celebrated his inauguration inside the White House. His aides ultimately had to lure the mob outside with washtubs filled with a potent cocktail of orange juice and whiskey. Even so, the practice continued until 1885, when newly elected Grover Cleveland arranged for a presidential review of the troops from a grandstand in front of the White House instead of the traditional open house. Jefferson also permitted public tours of his home, which have continued ever since, except during wartime, and began the tradition of annual receptions on New Year's Day and on the Fourth of July. Those receptions ended in the early 1930s, although President Bill Clinton would briefly revive the New Year's Day open house in his first term. The White House remained accessible in other ways as well; President Abraham Lincoln complained that he was constantly beleaguered by job seekers waiting to ask him for political appointments or other favors, or eccentric dispensers of advice like “General” Daniel Pratt, as he began the business day. Lincoln put up with the annoyance rather than risk alienating some associate or friend of a powerful politician or opinion maker. In recent years, however, the White House has been closed to visitors because of terrorism concerns.

In 1974, a stolen Army helicopter landed without authorization on the White House grounds. Twenty years later, in 1994, a light plane landed on the White House grounds. The pilot was killed by the crash.[38] As a result of increased security regarding air traffic in the capital, the White House was evacuated in 2005 before an unauthorized aircraft could approach the grounds.[39]

On May 20, 1995, primarily as a response to the Oklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995, but also in reaction to several other incidents, the United States Secret Service closed off Pennsylvania Avenue to vehicular traffic in front of the White House from the eastern edge of Lafayette Park to 17th Street. Later, the closure was extended an additional block to the east to 15th Street, and East Executive Drive, a small street between the White House and the Treasury Building.[40] The Pennsylvania Avenue closing, in particular, has been opposed by organized civic groups in Washington, D.C. They argue that the closing impedes traffic flow unnecessarily and is inconsistent with the well-conceived historic plan for the city. As for security considerations, they note that the White House is set much further back from the street than numerous other sensitive federal buildings are.[41]

Prior to its inclusion within the fenced compound that now includes the Old Executive Office Building to the West and the Treasury Building to the east, this sidewalk served as a queuing area for the daily public tours of the White House. These tours were suspended in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001. In September 2003 they were resumed on a limited basis for groups making prior arrangements through their Congressional representatives and submitting to background checks, but the White House remains closed to the general public.[42]

The White House Complex is protected by the United States Secret Service and the United States Park Police.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Michael W. Fazio and Patrick A. Snadon (2006). The Domestic Architecture of Benjamin Henry Latrobe. The Johns Hopkins University Press]], pp. 364–366. 
  2. ^ [www.whitehousehistory.org/05/subs/images_print/05_f.pdf Timelines-Architecture] (PDF) 1. White House Historical Association. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
  3. ^ Frary, Ihna Thayer (1969). They Built the Capitol. Ayer Publishing, p. 27. ISBN 0836950895. 
  4. ^ Primary Document Activities. White House Historical Association. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
  5. ^ The White House. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
  6. ^ Johnson, Michael (September 15, 2006). "A chateau fit for a president". International Herald Tribune. 
  7. ^ Our White House in France ?
  8. ^ Ecker, Grace Dunlop (1933). A Portrait of Old Georgetown. Garrett & Massie, Inc., p. 36. 
  9. ^ Time line - African-Americans. White House Historical Association. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j White House Tour Essays: The Overview. White House Historical Association. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
  11. ^ Overview of the White House. White House Museum. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  12. ^ Seale, William (1986). The President's House, A History. Volume I.. White House Historical Association, pp 1, 23. ISBN 0-912308-28-1. 
  13. ^ Seale, William (1992). The White House, The History of an American Idea.. The American Institute of Architects Press, p 35. 1. ISBN 1-55835-049-7. 
  14. ^ Seale, William (1986). The President's House, A History. Volume II.. White House Historical Association, 689.1. ISBN 0-912308-28-1. 
  15. ^ a b c White House Facts. The White House. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  16. ^ K.W. Poore and Associates, Inc.; Earth Design Associates, Inc (2). New Kent County Comprehensive Plan (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
  17. ^ a b The State Dining Room. White House Historical Association. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  18. ^ a b The East Room. White House Historical Association. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  19. ^ Treasure hunt or modern-day pirates?. canada.com (2006). Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  20. ^ Michael W. Fazio and Patrick A. Snadon (2006). The Domestic Architecture of Benjamin Henry Latrobe. The Johns Hopkins University Press]], pp. 368–370. 
  21. ^ a b Architectural Improvements: 1825-1872. The White House Museum. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  22. ^ Johnson, Michael (15). A chateau fit for a president. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
  23. ^ a b c d e Epstein, Ellen Robinson (1971–1972). "The East and West Wings of the White House". Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 
  24. ^ a b c Truman Reconstruction: 1948-1952. White House Museum. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
  25. ^ "Fit for Dignitaries, Blair House Reopens Its Stately Doors", The New York Times, 1988-06-16. Retrieved on 2007-11-09. 
  26. ^ Library Art and Furnishings. The White House. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
  27. ^ a b c Kennedy Renovation: 1961-1963. White House Museum. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
  28. ^ Jacqueline Kennedy in the White House. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  29. ^ Executive Order 11145--Providing for a Curator of the White House and establishing a Committee for the Preservation of the White House. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  30. ^ Nixon, Pat. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. (2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  31. ^ First Lady Biography: Pat Nixon. The National First Ladies Library (2005). Retrieved on 2007-11-08. “For the White House itself, and thus for the American people, Pat Nixon also decided to accelerate the collection process of fine antiques as well as historically associative pieces, adding some 600 paintings and antiques to the White House Collection. It was the single greatest collecting during any Administration.”
  32. ^ White House Residence First Floor. White House Museum. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  33. ^ White House Residence Ground Floor. White House Museum. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  34. ^ White House Residence Second Floor. White House Museum. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  35. ^ White House Residence Third Floor. White House Museum. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  36. ^ Debates and Decisions: Life in the Cabinet Room. The White House. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  37. ^ White House History and Tours. The White House. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  38. ^ BBC News | AMERICAS | White House security scares
  39. ^ Joe Johns; Kelli Arena and Kathleen Koch. "Intruding pilots released without charges", CNN, 2005-05-12. Retrieved on 2007-11-08. 
  40. ^ Public Report of the White House Security Review. Order of the Secretary of the Treasury. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  41. ^ Statement of Committee of 100 on the Federal City and The National Coalition to Save Our Mall. National Coalition to Save Our Mall, Inc (2004). Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  42. ^ Visiting the White House. The White House. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.

References

  • Abbott, James A. A Frenchman in Camelot: The Decoration of the Kennedy White House by Stéphane Boudin. Boscobel Restoration Inc.: 1995. ISBN 0-9646659-0-5.
  • Abbott James A., and Elaine M. Rice. Designing Camelot: The Kennedy White House Restoration. Van Nostrand Reinhold: 1998. ISBN 0-442-02532-7.
  • Abbott, James A. Jansen. Acanthus Press: 2006. ISBN 0-926494-33-3.
  • Clinton, Hillary Rodham. An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History. Simon & Schuster: 2000. ISBN 0-684-85799-5.
  • Garrett, Wendell. Our Changing White House. Northeastern University Press: 1995. ISBN 1-55553-222-5.
  • Kenny, Peter M., Frances F. Bretter and Ulrich Leben. Honoré Lannuier Cabinetmaker from Paris: The Life and Work of French Ébiniste in Federal New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Harry Abrams: 1998. ISBN 0-87099-836-6.
  • Leish, Kenneth. The White House. Newsweek Book Division: 1972. ISBN 0-88225-020-5.
  • McKellar, Kenneth, Douglas W. Orr, Edward Martin, et al. Report of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion. Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion, Government Printing Office: 1952.
  • Monkman, Betty C. The White House: The Historic Furnishing & First Families. Abbeville Press: 2000. ISBN 0-7892-0624-2.
  • Penaud, Guy Dictionnaire des châteaux du Périgord. Editions Sud-Ouest: 1996. ISBN 2-87901-221-X.
  • Seale, William. The President's House. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 1986. ISBN 0-912308-28-1.
  • Seale, William, The White House: The History of an American Idea. White House Historical Association: 1992, 2001. ISBN 0-912308-85-0.
  • West, J.B. with Mary Lynn Kotz. Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan: 1973. ISBN 698-10546-X.
  • Wolff, Perry. A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy. Doubleday & Company: 1962.
  • Exhibition Catalogue, Sale 6834: The Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis April 23–26, 1996. Sothebys, Inc.: 1996.
  • The White House: An Historic Guide. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 2001. ISBN 0-912308-79-6.
  • The White House. The First Two Hundred Years, ed. by Frank Freidel/William Pencak, Boston 1994.

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